How to View Hidden Partitions in E01 File Without Error? Explained

If you’re dealing with E01 file and want to learn how to show hidden partitions in E01 file, don’t miss reading this article till the end. It covers all the aspects of hidden partitions and the foolproof way to find the same from a digital forensics context.

What Does Hidden Partition Mean?

Hidden partitions refer to the sections on a storage device that are usually not accessible or visible in the operating system. The user may intentionally set up these or system manufacturers hide the partitions for different reasons such as system recovery, storage of diagnostic tools, or to safeguard sensitive information.

Anyway, when forensics investigators create E01 forensic disk image files, they typically capture the entire content of a storage device (both visible and invisible partitions).  They often show interest in uncovering these hidden partitions to find relevant data or clues for their investigation.

However, most investigators especially those who are new to dealing with E01 file are not sure how to show hidden partitions in E01.

That’s when we come! We’ll explain to you the perfect approach for viewing all the contents of the E01 file including the hidden ones.

How to Show Hidden Partitions in E01 File? Here’s the Solution

Viewing hidden partitions within E01 file involves using a specialized digital forensics tool such as SoftwarePro E01 Viewer Tool. This tool is specially engineered to examine, read, and search with .e01 image files. It can also scan folders having E01, E02, E03, etc files in batches to preview its content both visible as well as hidden.

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Let’s understand how to use the tool.

Step 1. First of all download and install the tool from the link given.

Step 2. Click on Scan options as per requirement and hit the Browse button to add the E01 file.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, the tool will show hidden partitions in E01 file along with other contents. See the left panel of the below screenshot, there you’ll find the partitions.

Step 4. Analyze all the partitions and click on Search to personalize your investigation.

Step 5. The tool also offers advanced Filter option to categorize your search based on emails, documents, deleted items, disk images, etc. 

How Finding Hidden Partitions in E01 File Helps Forensics Professionals?

If forensics professionals have E01 files and they can see the hidden partitions, it would help them in various ways.

1. Discovering Concealed Data – It is common practice to keep data that is purposefully hidden from casual users on hidden partitions. These secret places may contain important evidence for forensics experts, such as encrypted files, private documents, or information on criminal activity.
2. Finding Out Deleted or Altered Data – Evidence from erased or modified files that may be essential for an inquiry may be found on hidden partitions in E01 file. These secret volumes include unallocated space that forensic tools can examine to recover lost or altered data.
3. Providing Context for the Investigation – Context for the research is provided by knowing a storage device’s whole architecture, including any hidden partitions. It assists forensic experts in piecing together the activities, motives, and complete digital trail of the suspect.
4. Enhancing Overall Data Recovery – A more thorough approach to data recovery benefits from the analysis of hidden partitions. With the use of forensic tools, one can better comprehend a suspect’s digital activity by reconstructing the entire image of the storage device, including all visible and hidden partitions.
5. Supporting Legal Cases – Building a legal case may require using the information accquired from secret partitions. If you able to show hidden partition in E01 file, it could contribute to the establishment of a more truthful story, whether it is for a criminal investigation, a cybersecurity event, or civil action.

Conclusion

As a forensics investigator if you know to how to show hidden partitions in E01 file then it could help you to great extent cracking the case. And, specialized tools add an extra benefit in finding the details of E01 file. One such tool and its working is explained in this article. That will help you view the content of E01 file confidently.