At which stage can Data Carving be performed in FTK?

Data carving is a forensic technique used to recover files and data from unallocated space on a storage medium, which is often necessary when files have been deleted or corrupted. In FTK (Forensic Toolkit), data carving can effectively be performed during the pre-processing stage.

During pre-processing, the tool analyzes and organizes the evidence before any detailed examination takes place. This stage allows FTK to apply initial carving processes to retrieve pieces of data from unallocated space and rebuild possible files based on known file signatures and structures. Pre-processing helps streamline the later stages of case analysis, making it easier to identify relevant files.

This capability aligns with the overall goal of forensic examinations, as it maximizes the chance of recovering valuable information right from the outset by analyzing the captured data in its raw form.