Browser download records

Location & availability

Browser profile download tables and URL-chain records in the relevant history database

Fields and status values are browser/version specific. Preserve the database with its write-ahead-log context.

Fields to examine

• Target or current path and relevant URL chain.
• Start/end fields and completion, cancellation or interruption state.
• Bytes and filename information available in that schema.

What it can establish

• Support a recorded transfer attempt and, when recorded, its completion state.

What it cannot prove

• Prove that downloaded bytes still exist or match a particular release.
• Equate download completion with execution or cheating.

Use it in a screenshare

1. Preserve the correct profile’s database consistently before making a test download.
2. Inspect download state and redirect chains rather than searching filenames alone. Decode times according to that browser.
3. Collect and hash the retained file where available, then connect its path to USN, Zone.Identifier or execution evidence.

Worked example

A completed download points to helper.exe, followed by a matching USN rename sequence. This connects transfer and file changes. Add a supported run artifact before concluding the renamed file executed.

Cross-check the finding

• USN Journal / $UsnJrnl →Support recorded file/directory changes and a sequence within retained journal coverage.
• Zone.Identifier / Mark of the Web →Support retained zone/origin metadata attached to that file.
• Prefetch →Support execution of an associated executable within the retained history.

Sources

• Chromium — profile data directories ↗
• SQLite — write-ahead logging ↗