INT250 Unit 3: Data Acquisition, Duplication and Windows Forensics - MCQ Practice | B. Tech. CSE

1 $Which of the following best describes a 'bit-stream' image in digital forensics?$

A.

A file containing only the active files from a hard drive

B.

A logical backup of the Windows Registry

C.

A compressed folder of the user's documents

D.

A bit-by-bit copy of the source drive, including unallocated space and slack space

2 $In the context of the Order of Volatility, which data should be collected first?$

A.

Temporary file systems

B.

Archival media (CDs/DVDs)

C.

CPU cache, registers, and RAM

D.

Disk data (Hard Drive)

3 $Which hardware device is essential during static data acquisition to prevent data alteration on the source drive?$

A.

Packet Sniffer

B.

Write Blocker

C.

Network Tap

D.

Hex Editor

4 $Which file format is considered a 'raw' forensic image format?$

A.

.ad1

B.

.E01

C.

.vmdk

D.

.dd

5 $What is the primary purpose of generating a hash value (MD5 or SHA) immediately after data acquisition?$

A.

To encrypt the image for security

B.

To compress the image size

C.

To index the files for searching

D.

To verify the integrity of the evidence

6 $Which acquisition method is necessary when a computer cannot be shut down due to encryption or critical service availability?$

A.

Static Acquisition

B.

Dead Acquisition

C.

Live Acquisition

D.

Sparse Acquisition

7 $Where is the 'SAM' (Security Account Manager) hive located in a Windows system?$

A.

C:\Users\Default

B.

C:\Windows\System

C.

C:\Program Files\Windows

D.

C:\Windows\System32\config

8 $Which Windows artifact is essentially a snapshot of the contents of RAM saved to the hard drive when a computer is put into hibernation?$

A.

pagefile.sys

B.

config.sys

C.

hiberfil.sys

D.

swapfile.sys

9 $Which Registry hive contains settings specific to the currently logged-in user?$

A.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

B.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

C.

HKEY_USERS

D.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

10 $Which Windows artifact allows an investigator to see which applications were recently executed and the frequency of execution?$

A.

Hosts file

B.

Prefetch files

C.

SAM hive

D.

Cookies

11 $In Windows 10/11, where are Windows Event Logs typically stored?$

A.

C:\Windows\Logs

B.

C:\ProgramData\Logs

C.

C:\Windows\Events

D.

C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs

12 $Which browser artifact stores a small piece of data sent from a website to remember stateful information (like login status)?$

A.

Cookie

B.

History

C.

Cache

D.

Bookmark

13 $What is the function of the Windows 'Pagefile.sys'?$

A.

It stores the boot configuration

B.

It acts as virtual memory, extending physical RAM

C.

It stores printer spooling data

D.

It records all keystrokes

14 $Which proprietary file format, developed by Guidance Software, is standard for forensic images and supports compression and encryption?$

A.

ISO

B.

E01

C.

AFF

D.

DD

15 $When analyzing the Recycle Bin on Windows 10, which file contains the original filename and deletion date?$

A.

INFO2

B.

$R file

C.

Desktop.ini

D.

$I file

16 $Which Windows Event Log ID is commonly associated with a successful user logon?$

A.

1102

B.

4624

C.

4625

D.

6005

17 $What is 'Slack Space'?$

A.

The unused space between the end of a file and the end of the cluster

B.

The space used by the Recycle Bin

C.

The RAM allocated to the GPU

D.

The space on a hard drive reserved for the OS

18 $Which registry key is typically analyzed to determine which USB devices have been connected to the system?$

A.

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR

B.

HKLM\SAM\Domains

C.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Run

D.

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

19 $What does the term 'Logical Acquisition' refer to?$

A.

Copying only the files and folders visible to the operating system

B.

Copying only the RAM

C.

Copying data via a logic analyzer

D.

Copying the physical drive bit-by-bit

20 $Which artifact typically stores the user's browsing history in Google Chrome?$

A.

index.dat

B.

WebCache.dat

C.

History (SQLite database)

D.

places.sqlite

21 $What is the purpose of 'Web Cache' or 'Temporary Internet Files'?$

A.

To block malicious pop-ups

B.

To store user passwords encrypted

C.

To speed up browsing by storing static web content like images locally

D.

To record a log of all visited websites

22 $Which Windows Registry key is known as a 'Run key' used for persistence (starting programs automatically)?$

A.

Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

B.

Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

C.

System\Setup\Status

D.

System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

23 $What is the difference between 'Volatile' and 'Non-volatile' memory?$

A.

Volatile memory loses data when power is cut; Non-volatile retains it

B.

Volatile memory is stored on the hard drive

C.

Non-volatile memory cannot be imaged

D.

Volatile memory is slower

24 $Which file system artifact tracks the date and time a user last accessed a specific folder structure or window preference?$

A.

Amcache

B.

Jump Lists

C.

Thumbcache

D.

Shellbags

25 $What is an LNK file?$

A.

A log file for kernel errors

B.

A Windows shortcut file that links to an application or file

C.

A system link file for network drivers

D.

A locked file in the registry

26 $Which command line tool is built into Windows and can be used to query the registry?$

A.

netstat

B.

grep

C.

ipconfig

D.

reg query

27 $Which of the following is considered 'metadata' of a file?$

A.

The creation, modification, and access timestamps

B.

The text inside a text file

C.

The actual content of a Word document

D.

The pixel data of an image

28 $Why is 'Incognito' or 'Private' browsing mode a challenge for forensics?$

A.

It does not save history, cookies, or cache to the hard drive upon closing

B.

It prevents the ISP from seeing traffic

C.

It encrypts the internet connection

D.

It routes traffic through the Dark Web

29 $What is the 'Master File Table' (MFT)?$

A.

A log of all master users

B.

A backup of the BIOS

C.

A database in NTFS that stores information about every file and directory

D.

A partition table for the hard drive

30 $Which registry hive corresponds to the file 'NTUSER.DAT'?$

A.

HKEY_USERS

B.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

C.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

D.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

31 $In a live acquisition, which tool is commonly used to capture RAM?$

A.

Wireshark

B.

FTK Imager

C.

Photoshop

D.

RegEdit

32 $What is a 'Sparse Copy'?$

A.

A copy made using a write blocker

B.

A copy of data spread across multiple disks

C.

A copy of only the registry

D.

A copy containing only allocated data and ignoring unallocated space

33 $Which text-based log file is generated by the IIS (Internet Information Services) web server?$

A.

Kernel Log

B.

W3C Extended Log

C.

Event Viewer Log

D.

Syslog

34 $The 'UserAssist' registry key provides information about:$

A.

User passwords

B.

GUI-based programs run by the user

C.

Installed USB devices

D.

Network connections

35 $What is 'Alternate Data Stream' (ADS) in Windows NTFS?$

A.

A feature allowing data to be hidden behind a file without changing the file size

B.

A backup stream for internet data

C.

A method for streaming video

D.

A corrupt file segment

36 $Which artifact lists files that were present on the system before a reboot or shutdown, often used to identify malware execution upon boot?$

A.

Recycle Bin

B.

ShimCache (AppCompatCache)

C.

Thumb.db

D.

Jump Lists

37 $What does Event ID 4625 represent in the Windows Security Log?$

A.

An account failed to log on

B.

System shutdown

C.

An account was locked out

D.

Successful Logon

38 $In the context of browser forensics, what is 'Form Data'?$

A.

The encryption key for SSL

B.

Information entered by the user into web fields (names, addresses, search terms)

C.

The digital signature of the browser

D.

The structure of the HTML page

39 $Which system file contains the mapping of IP addresses to hostnames, often modified by malware to redirect users?$

A.

networks

B.

protocol

C.

hosts

D.

services.exe

40 $What is the primary difference between Copy and Bit-stream Image?$

A.

Copy captures only active file content; Image captures the exact state of the drive

B.

Copy is compressed; Image is not

C.

There is no difference

D.

Copy is faster; Image is slower

41 $Which tool is commonly used to analyze Windows Registry hives?$

A.

Wireshark

B.

Paint

C.

Notepad

D.

Registry Viewer

42 $What is the function of the 'SYSTEM' hive?$

A.

Stores system configuration, driver settings, and hardware profiles

B.

Stores internet history

C.

Stores file extensions

D.

Stores user settings

43 $Which metadata standard is commonly found in image files (JPEG) containing camera model and GPS coordinates?$

A.

ASCII

B.

NTFS

C.

FAT

D.

EXIF

44 $When preparing a drive for an image, what should be done to the destination drive?$

A.

It should be defragmented

B.

It should be smaller than the source drive

C.

It should contain the operating system

D.

It should be forensically wiped (sterilized)

45 $What is 'Unallocated Space'?$

A.

Space on the drive not currently assigned to any active file by the file system

B.

Space that is damaged

C.

Space used by hidden files

D.

Space reserved for the system

46 $Which artifact is created when a user right-clicks the taskbar icon of an application to see recent files?$

A.

Prefetch

B.

Jumplist

C.

Logfile

D.

Shortcut

47 $In Windows Event Logs, what does the 'System' log record?$

A.

Internet history

B.

Events logged by applications

C.

Events logged by Windows system components (drivers, boot errors)

D.

Security audits like logins

48 $Why is 'Time Zone' information critical during analysis?$

A.

To convert UTC timestamps in artifacts to the local time of the suspect

B.

To decrypt files

C.

To calculate the internet speed

D.

To determine the language of the OS

49 $Which registry value controls the time zone information of the system?$

A.

HardwareProfiles

B.

CurrentVersion

C.

TimeZoneInformation

D.

ControlSet

50 $Which of the following describes a 'Static Acquisition'?$

A.

Acquisition performed on a system that is powered off

B.

Acquisition performed while the user is typing

C.

Acquisition of RAM only

D.

Acquisition via a network connection

Unit 3: Data Acquisition, Duplication and Windows Forensics - Practice Quiz

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