Microsoft Vista makes unearthing deleted files easy

If you think the document you deleted six months ago is gone for good, think again. Forensic experts now nearth copies of deleted files with more detail and ease.

This man's not just fixing a computer. He's attempting to fix a criminal. He's checking out files that were deleted months ago on this computer to figure out who wrote what and when. And now his task is easier because the person he's investigating used Microsoft Vista.

Cyber-forensic expert Chirag Unadkat said, “It is now possible to know when the file was created, edited and deleted. Thus now the meta data is also accessible for an investigator. This has made it possible to construct forensic evidence.”

The version stores a shadow copy of files in an unused part of the hard drive. Although the company had designed the system to prevent loss of data, it's now become invaluable to investigators. That's because this software does not forget for years.