Calculate slack space

1. What is RAM slack space?
2. Where would you find RAM slack?
3. What is residual slack?
4. What is the difference slack space and free space?
5. Is unallocated space the same as slack space?
6. How do you calculate slack space in a byte?
7. What are file slack RAM slack and drive slack?
8. What is slack space in forensic?
9. Why is RAM slack important?
10. What is MFT record slack?
11. Is Slack Space volatile?
12. What is allocated space?
13. How much data from RAM is loaded into RAM slack on a disk drive?
14. Is anything ever really deleted from your computer?

What is RAM slack space?

The ram slack is the data required to fill in the space from the end of the file to the end of the sector. As previously discussed, a sector is 512 bytes. The first 5 bytes of the file are used by the text of the file. The next 507 bytes are filled with "ram slack".

Where would you find RAM slack?

RAM slack is the slack between the end of the logical file and the rest of that sector. File Slack is the remaining sectors to the end of the cluster. To put it another way RAM slack is the slack at the byte and sector level.

What is residual slack?

The space between the end of a file and the end of the disk cluster it is stored in. Also called "file slack," it occurs naturally because data rarely fill fixed storage locations exactly, and residual data occur when a smaller file is written into the same cluster as a previous larger file.

What is the difference slack space and free space?

Unallocated space, also called free space, is defined as the unused portion of the hard drive; file slack is the unused space that is created between the end-of-file marker and the end of the hard drive cluster in which the file is stored. Sometimes data is written to these spaces that may be of value to investigators.

Is unallocated space the same as slack space?

Unallocated space is free space on a hard drive that can be used to store data. It is a discrete number of clusters. Slack space is the unused space between the end of the actual file and the end of the cluster.

How do you calculate slack space in a byte?

1 Answer. FileSize / cluster size (in bytes) = # clusters needed. If (FileSize modulo cluster size in bytes <> 0), add 1 additional cluster needed. Note that, even though disk drives are given in 1KB = 1000 bytes, the cluster sizes are based on 1024 bytes per KB, so you need to use that in your calculations.

What are file slack RAM slack and drive slack?

File Slack is created at the time a file is saved to disk. File slack can be broken down into RAM Slack and Drive Slack. Let us define these two terms in detail. RAM Slack. Lets add a little twist to the whole thing! Microsoft Windows based systems normally write in 512 byte blocks called Sectors.

What is slack space in forensic?

Slack space refers to the storage area of a hard drive ranging from the end of a stored file to the end of that file cluster. ... Slack space is an important form of evidence in the field of forensic investigation. Often, slack space can contain relevant information about a suspect that a prosecutor can use in a trial.

Why is RAM slack important?

It is important that you to understand the significance of file slack in computer-related investigations. Because file slack potentially contains data dumped randomly from the computer's memory, it is possible to identify network logon names, passwords and other sensitive information associated with computer usage.

What is MFT record slack?

MFT slack is specifically the unused portion of a Master File Table record entry. By default, the Master File Table is composed of records that represent a partitions files and directories.

Is Slack Space volatile?

A hard drive is an example of what type of memory: Volatile or Non-volatile? Non-volatile. ... Slack space is space on the hard drive that is not being fully used by a file.

What is allocated space?

Unallocated space, also referred to as “free space,” is the area on a hard drive where new files can be stored. Conversely, allocated space is the area on a hard drive where files already reside.

How much data from RAM is loaded into RAM slack on a disk drive?

In windows 7 and later, how much data from RAM is loaded into RAM slack on a drive? No data from RAM is copied to RAM slack on a disk drive.

Is anything ever really deleted from your computer?

When you delete a file on your computer, it disappears, but have you ever wondered if it's really gone? The short answer, yes. The long answer, no. Instead of being scrubbed from your hard drive, it's moved to your computer's Recycle Bin, and there it sits until you delete it from there as well.