Difference between revisions of "Windows Registry"
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== Special cases == | == Special cases == | ||
| − | The Windows Registry has several special case scenarios, mainly concerning key and value name, that | + | The Windows Registry has several special case scenarios, mainly concerning key and value name, that are easy to fail to account for: |
* special characters key and value names | * special characters key and value names | ||
* duplicate key and value names | * duplicate key and value names | ||
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</pre> | </pre> | ||
| − | == codepaged ASCII strings == | + | === codepaged ASCII strings === |
Value with name "ëigenaardig" created on Windows XP codepage 1252. | Value with name "ëigenaardig" created on Windows XP codepage 1252. | ||
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* [[libregf]] - Library and tools to access the Windows NT Registry File (REGF) format | * [[libregf]] - Library and tools to access the Windows NT Registry File (REGF) format | ||
* [[Registryasxml]] - Tool to import/export registry sections as XML | * [[Registryasxml]] - Tool to import/export registry sections as XML | ||
| + | * [http://samba.org/~jelmer/kregedit/ kregedit] - a KDE utility for viewing and editing registry files. | ||
| + | * [http://www.bindview.com/Services/RAZOR/Utilities/Unix_Linux/ntreg_readme.cfm ntreg] a file system driver for linux, which understands the NT registry file format. | ||
===Freeware=== | ===Freeware=== | ||
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* [http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/index.htm NT Registry Optimizer] | * [http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/index.htm NT Registry Optimizer] | ||
* [http://www.registry-clean.net/free-registry-defrag.htm iExpert Software-Free Registry Defrag] | * [http://www.registry-clean.net/free-registry-defrag.htm iExpert Software-Free Registry Defrag] | ||
| + | * [http://arsenalrecon.com/apps Registry Recon] | ||
* [http://paullee.ru/regundel Registry Undelete (russian)] | * [http://paullee.ru/regundel Registry Undelete (russian)] | ||
* [http://mitec.cz/wrr.html Windows Registry Recovery] | * [http://mitec.cz/wrr.html Windows Registry Recovery] | ||
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==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
| − | * [http://www.dfrws.org/2009/proceedings/p69-zhu.pdf Using ShellBag Information to Reconstruct User Activities | + | * [http://www.dfrws.org/2009/proceedings/p69-zhu.pdf Using ShellBag Information to Reconstruct User Activities], by Yuandong Zhu*, Pavel Gladyshev, Joshua James, DFRWS 2009 |
| − | * | + | * [http://www.sentinelchicken.com/research/registry_format/ The Windows NT Registry File Format], by [[Timothy Morgan]], June 9, 2009 |
| − | + | * [http://amnesia.gtisc.gatech.edu/~moyix/suzibandit.ltd.uk/MSc/ The Internal Structure of the Windows Registry], by Peter Norris, February 2009 | |
| − | + | * [http://www.dfrws.org/2008/proceedings/p33-morgan.pdf Recovering Deleted Data From the Windows Registry] and [http://www.dfrws.org/2008/proceedings/p33-morgan_pres.pdf slides], by [[Timothy Morgan]], DFRWS 2008 | |
| − | * [http://dfrws.org/2008/proceedings/p26-dolan-gavitt.pdf Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry in Memory] | + | * [http://dfrws.org/2008/proceedings/p26-dolan-gavitt.pdf Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry in Memory] and [http://dfrws.org/2008/proceedings/p26-dolan-gavitt_pres.pdf slides], by Brendan Dolan-Gavitt, DFRWS 2008 |
| − | * [http://www. | + | * [http://www.sentinelchicken.com/data/JolantaThomassenDISSERTATION.pdf Forensic analysis of unallocated space in Windows Registry Hive files], by Jolanta Thomassen, March 11, 2008 |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | ||
* [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7CW4-4GX1J3B-1&_user=3326500&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000060280&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=3326500&md5=ab887593e7be6d5257696707886978f1 The Windows Registry as a forensic resource], Digital Investigation, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2005, Pages 201--205. | * [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7CW4-4GX1J3B-1&_user=3326500&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000060280&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=3326500&md5=ab887593e7be6d5257696707886978f1 The Windows Registry as a forensic resource], Digital Investigation, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2005, Pages 201--205. | ||
| − | * [http://www.forensicfocus.com/downloads/forensic-analysis-windows-registry.pdf Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry], Lih Wern Wong , School of Computer and Information Science, Edith Cowan University | + | === Undated === |
| − | + | * [http://eptuners.com/forensics/A%20Windows%20Registry%20Quick%20Reference.pdf A Windows Registry Quick-Reference], by Derrick Farmer, Burlington, VT. | |
| − | + | * [http://www.forensicfocus.com/downloads/forensic-analysis-windows-registry.pdf Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry], by Lih Wern Wong , School of Computer and Information Science, Edith Cowan University | |
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
| + | * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Registry Wikipedia: Windows Registry] | ||
* [http://windowsir.blogspot.com/search/label/Registry Windows Incident Response Articles on Registry] | * [http://windowsir.blogspot.com/search/label/Registry Windows Incident Response Articles on Registry] | ||
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/win-registry Windows Registry Information] | * [http://www.answers.com/topic/win-registry Windows Registry Information] | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
* [http://moyix.blogspot.com/search/label/registry Push the Red Button] — Articles on Registry | * [http://moyix.blogspot.com/search/label/registry Push the Red Button] — Articles on Registry | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
* [http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/ntsecurity/ Security Accounts Manager] | * [http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/ntsecurity/ Security Accounts Manager] | ||
| − | * http:// | + | === Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit (WoW64) === |
| + | * [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384253(v=vs.85).aspx Registry Keys Affected by WOW64], by [[Microsoft]] | ||
| + | * [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384232(VS.85).aspx Registry Redirector], by [[Microsoft]] | ||
[[Category:Windows Analysis]] | [[Category:Windows Analysis]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Bibliographies]] | ||
Latest revision as of 00:27, 11 May 2013
Contents |
[edit] File Locations
The Windows Registry is stored in multiple files.
[edit] Windows NT 4
In Windows NT 4 (and later) the Registry is stored in the Windows NT Registry File (REGF) format.
Basically the following Registry hives are stored in the corresponding files:
- HKEY_USERS: \Documents and Setting\User Profile\NTUSER.DAT
- HKEY_USERS\DEFAULT: C:\Windows\system32\config\default
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM: C:\Windows\system32\config\SAM
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY: C:\Windows\system32\config\SECURITY
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE: C:\Windows\system32\config\software
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM: C:\Windows\system32\config\system
[edit] Windows 98/ME
- \Windows\user.dat
- \Windows\system.dat
- \Windows\profiles\user profile\user.dat
[edit] Keys
[edit] Run/RunOnce
System-wide:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Per user:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
[edit] Special cases
The Windows Registry has several special case scenarios, mainly concerning key and value name, that are easy to fail to account for:
- special characters key and value names
- duplicate key and value names
- the names when stored in extended ASCII (ANSI string) use a codepage that is dependent on the system settings
[edit] special characters key and value names
Both key and values names are case insensitive. The \ character is used as the key separator. Note that the \ character can be used in value names. The / character is used in both key and value names. Some examples of which are:
Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services\NetBT\Parameters\ Value: Size/Small/Medium/Large
Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Terminal Server\VIDEO\disc\ Value: \Device\Video0
Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\xmlprov\Parameters\SchemaGroups\User\http://www.microsoft.com/provisioning/eaptlsuserpropertiesv1\ Value: SchemaFile
[edit] codepaged ASCII strings
Value with name "ëigenaardig" created on Windows XP codepage 1252.
value key data:
00000000: 76 6b 0b 00 46 00 00 00 20 98 1a 00 01 00 00 00 vk..F... .......
00000010: 01 00 69 6e eb 69 67 65 6e 61 61 72 64 69 67 00 ..in.ige naardig.
00000020: 55 4e 49 43 UNIC
value key signature : vk
value key value name size : 11
value key data size : 0x00000046 (70)
value key data offset : 0x001a9820
value key data type : 1 (REG_SZ) String
value key flags : 0x0001
Value name is an ASCII string
value key unknown1 : 0x6e69 (28265)
value key value name : ëigenaardig
value key value name hash : 0xb78835ee
value key padding:
00000000: 00 55 4e 49 43 .UNIC
As you can see the name is stored in extended ASCII (ANSI) using codepage 1252.
[edit] Tools
[edit] Open Source
- Forensic Registry EDitor (fred) - "Forensic Registry EDitor (fred) is a cross-platform M$ registry hive editor" by Daniel Gillen
- libregfi - The regfi library is a read-only NT registry library which serves as the main engine behind the reglookup tool
- reglookup — "small command line utility for reading and querying Windows NT-based registries."
- regviewer — a tool for looking at the registry.
- RegRipper — "the fastest, easiest, and best tool for registry analysis in forensics examinations."
- Parse::Win32Registry Perl module.
- python-registry Python module.
- Registry Decoder offline analysis component, by Andrew Case
- RegDecoderLive live hive acquisition component, by Andrew Case
- libregf - Library and tools to access the Windows NT Registry File (REGF) format
- Registryasxml - Tool to import/export registry sections as XML
- kregedit - a KDE utility for viewing and editing registry files.
- ntreg a file system driver for linux, which understands the NT registry file format.
[edit] Freeware
- Yet Another Registry Utility (yaru) Free tool that can be run on Windows, Linux or Mac OS-X. If run in admin mode, allows viewing of registry hives on live system.
- Windows ShellBag Parser Free tool that can be run on Windows, Linux or Mac OS-X.
- cafae - Computer Account Forensic Artifact Extractor. Free tool that can be run on Windows, Linux or Mac OS-X to parse ntuser.dat hives.
[edit] Commercial
- Abexo Free Regisry Cleaner
- Auslogics Registry Defrag
- Alien Registry Viewer
- NT Registry Optimizer
- iExpert Software-Free Registry Defrag
- Registry Recon
- Registry Undelete (russian)
- Windows Registry Recovery
- Registry Tool
[edit] Bibliography
- Using ShellBag Information to Reconstruct User Activities, by Yuandong Zhu*, Pavel Gladyshev, Joshua James, DFRWS 2009
- The Windows NT Registry File Format, by Timothy Morgan, June 9, 2009
- The Internal Structure of the Windows Registry, by Peter Norris, February 2009
- Recovering Deleted Data From the Windows Registry and slides, by Timothy Morgan, DFRWS 2008
- Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry in Memory and slides, by Brendan Dolan-Gavitt, DFRWS 2008
- Forensic analysis of unallocated space in Windows Registry Hive files, by Jolanta Thomassen, March 11, 2008
- The Windows Registry as a forensic resource, Digital Investigation, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2005, Pages 201--205.
[edit] Undated
- A Windows Registry Quick-Reference, by Derrick Farmer, Burlington, VT.
- Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry, by Lih Wern Wong , School of Computer and Information Science, Edith Cowan University
[edit] See Also
- Wikipedia: Windows Registry
- Windows Incident Response Articles on Registry
- Windows Registry Information
- Push the Red Button — Articles on Registry
- Security Accounts Manager
