Shareaza forensics12/30/2023 Given much of this information can only be found within Shellbag keys, it is little wonder why it has become a fan favorite. In some cases, historical file listings are available. Thanks to the wonders of Windows Registry last write timestamps, we can also identify when that folder was first visited or last updated (and correlate with the embedded folder MAC times also stored by the key). In other words, the simple existence of a Shellbag sub-key for a given directory indicates that the specific user account once visited that folder. In the paper Using shellbag information to reconstruct user activities, the authors write that "Shellbag information is available only for folders that have been opened and closed in Windows Explorer at least once". If you have ever made changes to a folder and returned to that folder to find your new preferences intact, then you have seen Shellbags in action. Everything from visible columns to display mode (icons, details, list, etc.) to sort order are tracked. Windows uses the Shellbag keys to store user preferences for GUI folder display within Windows Explorer. ![]() Information persists for deleted folders, providing an invaluable reference for items no longer part of the file system. ![]() Shellbags can be used to answer the difficult questions of data enumeration in intrusion cases, identify the contents of long gone removable devices, and show the contents of previously mounted encrypted volumes. But they are worth the effort, giving an excellent means to prove the existence of files and folders along with user knowledge. As Windows Registry artifacts go, the "Shellbag" keys tend to be some of the more complicated artifacts we have to decipher.
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