Atola has just released Atola Insight Forensic 4.12 with Image file on source drive, automatic exFAT partition creation with performance-optimized parameters, hidden Smartware area detection for WD USB drives and other new exciting features!

Image File on Source

It is a new source type in Atola Insight Forensic that you can image.

Say, there is a 10 TB hard drive, and an E01 file stored on it only takes up 500 GB of the space. Therefore one would need a 20-hour-long imaging session to image a file that only requires 1 hour or 20 times less!

If you have an image file on a drive with a capacity that considerably exceeds the size of the image file, it can take an excessively long time to image a small amount of data.

To help you expedite imaging of such files, Atola Insight Forensic is now equipped with new Image File on Source device type.

To Select the file on source drive that you want to image:

1. Click Source in the top-level menu of Insight and click Select Source

2. Click Select image file on source link in Source device selection window

3. In Select Image File window, click the file you want to image and then click Select button.

4. Insight takes a few seconds validating the file to make sure that it is not corrupt. Once validation is over, the file appears as the source. You can review the file details.

5. Then you can proceed with imaging as usual.

Other great updates to Atola Insight Forensic include:

New Features

New source type:

• Image file on source device

Imaging:

• New way to select what to image via sector list files (.csv, .lst)
• Suggestion to disable damaged/degraded heads when starting the first imaging session
• BitLocker volume GUID added to the imaging log
• Automatic exclusion of hidden Smartware area for WD USB drives
• Image file on Target. Automatic exFAT partition creation with performance-optimized parameters
• Support of Read SMART before/after imaging for USB drives

Automatic Checkup:

• Imaging speed estimation for good drives
• Hidden Smartware area detection for WD USB drives
• Media surface speeds for outer, middle, inner LBA ranges
• Disk temperature graph with its usage timespans
• BitLocker volume detection

Fill or Erase, Compare:

• Improved support of 4Kn drives when LBA pattern selected

Case management:

• Better logging of actions with attached files.

Bugfixes

• Intel DC S4500 did not identify and could not be imaged
• HGST HUH728080ALN600 8ТB was shown as 1TB drive
• Issues in head detection algorithm for Toshiba MG* and MQ* drive models
• Automatic Checkup. Issues during PCB check of WDC WD5000AAKS and ST500LM021-1KJ152 models
• Automatic Checkup. Fixed a few issues with head graph drawing
• Current Oscilloscope adapted for large resolutions (4K and alike)
• Multiple Chinese/Japanese translation issues

For the full list of new Atola Insight Forensic features and fixes in this and previous releases, please read the changelog.