Which aspect of a computer system is often examined to determine the timeline of events during an investigation?

Log files are crucial in digital forensics because they provide a chronological record of events that have taken place on a computer system. These logs can include a variety of activities, such as user logins and logouts, application usage, system alerts, and error occurrences. By analyzing log files, investigators can establish a timeline that reflects user actions, system changes, and potential unauthorized access. This timeline is vital for reconstructing events in a digital investigation, allowing forensic analysts to piece together what happened and when.

While other aspects like filesystem structure, memory dumps, and registry entries can provide valuable information, they typically do not offer the same level of chronological detail as log files. Filesystem structure can show file creation and modification times but lacks the comprehensive event history. Memory dumps provide a snapshot of system activity at a particular moment, making them less useful for timeline investigations. Registry entries can indicate changes to system settings and user actions but may not capture events in the same systematic manner as log files. Thus, log files are often the primary source for timeline analysis in forensic investigations.