Article’s

Digital forensic investigation has become an essential component of modern cyber security due to the rapid growth of cybercrime, data breaches, and unauthorized system intrusions. As organizations and individuals increasingly rely on digital systems, the need for reliable and efficient forensic tools to collect, preserve, and analyse digital evidence has significantly increased. This research presents an open-source framework specifically designed for Windows system data acquisition and analysis using freely available forensic tools. The proposed framework integrates widely used tools such as OS Forensics and FTK Imager to perform systematic evidence collection and examination. The framework focuses on acquiring critical system artifacts, including disk images, deleted files, registry data, system logs, and user activity traces, while ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the evidence throughout the investigation process. A structured methodology is followed to maintain forensic soundness, including proper handling of data, use of hashing techniques for verification, and adherence to standard forensic procedures. Experimental analysis was conducted on Windows-based environments to evaluate the effectiveness of the framework in real-world scenarios. The results demonstrate that valuable forensic artifacts can be successfully recovered, reconstructed, and analysed using open-source and low-cost tools without compromising accuracy or reliability. Furthermore, the study highlights the practical applicability of such tools in academic, research, and professional environments where access to expensive commercial forensic software may be limited. In addition, the framework emphasizes ease of use and adaptability, allowing users with basic technical knowledge to perform forensic investigations through a guided and systematic approach, thereby improving accessibility to digital forensic practices. Overall, this research emphasizes that cost-effective, open-source solutions can serve as a viable alternative for digital forensic investigations. The proposed framework offers a scalable, accessible, and efficient approach for students, researchers, and cyber security professionals to perform comprehensive Windows forensic analysis while maintaining industry-standard practices. Keywords: Digital Forensics, Cyber Security, Evidence Collection, Windows Forensic Analysis, Open-Source Forensic Tools