The concept of Recent Files is used to describe the most recently accessed files by the user, and in a forensics review, determining which applications were viewed by the user most recently and which documents were viewed could be of critical importance in the event resolution. In a Windows operating system, a shortcut file for files opened by the user is created under the Recent directory in the profile directory associated with that user’s account. These files can be analyzed to determine which files the user last accessed. In particular, even if files that are deleted or wiped by the user cannot be accessed, the shortcut files associated with them can be accessed and retrieved information about them. Where LNK extension link files are stored varies depending on the operating system. These files : Windows XP : \Documents and Settings\UserName\Recent \Documents and Settings\UserName\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Recent Windows Vista and Windows 7 : ...
