Robocopy

When I first arrived at my unit in the Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq, I knew that my role as a computer forensics examiner would present challenges unlike anything I had faced before. My job involved conducting forensic analysis on digital evidence collected from mobile devices, hard drives and networked shares. There were lots of tools for the first two, but efficiency was paramount. Microsoft's Robocopy was one of the most powerful tools in my arsenal for collecting forensic data from network shares.

A Brief History of Robocopy

Robocopy, short for "Robust File Copy," was first introduced as part of the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit and later became a standard feature in Windows Vista and beyond. Unlike the basic copy and xcopy commands, Robocopy is a more powerful, resilient file-copying utility designed for high-volume, automated data transfers. It is handy in forensic investigations because it maintains file integrity, timestamps, and security attributes while efficiently handling errors and interruptions.

Setting the Stage for Forensic Data Collection

In the field, we frequently needed to acquire data from large, dispersed, and sometimes unstable network shares. Traditional file copying methods weren't reliable enough, so I turned to Robocopy's robust functionality to ensure my collections were complete and accurate. I used a dedicated forensic laptop, connected securely to the target network shares, to execute controlled data transfers without altering metadata unnecessarily.

Exploring Robocopy's Command Parameters

Robocopy's power comes from its vast array of command-line parameters that allow fine-grained control over file copying. Some of the key parameters I used included:

/E – Copies all subdirectories, including empty ones.

/Z – Enables restartable mode, ensuring interrupted copies can resume.

/COPYALL – Copies all file attributes, including timestamps and security permissions.

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