What specific filesystem and application artifacts most reliably indicate a browser download on Windows and Android devices?
Executive summary
A reliable browser download signal is a constellation of filesystem and application artifacts rather than a single file: on Windows the strongest indicators are browser-specific databases (notably the Chrome/Chromium History downloads table and equivalent SQLite records), associated cache and preference files, the actual file in the user Downloads folder and file-system metadata, and corroborating Windows artifacts such as MRU lists and thumbnail caches [1] [2] [3]. On Android the most reliable signals combine the browser’s local databases and cache, the device’s Download folder and MediaStore entries, and synchronized cloud records when Chrome sync is enabled [4] [5].
1. Windows: the canonical download record — browser history ‘downloads’ tables
Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers store structured download metadata in the History SQLite database (downloads table) that records filename, URL, start/end times, and state; forensic tools and suites commonly parse this as the primary proof of a browser-initiated download [1] [3] [6]. Tools such as Hindsight and commercial parsers extract and correlate these SQLite records with other browser artifacts to show the provenance of a file [5] [7].
2. Windows: supporting artifacts that turn metadata into proof
Cache files, Favicons, Top Sites/Visits data, and the browser Preferences/JSON files help validate that a download entry corresponds to a visible browsing session and not a background process; cache and session files can reveal navigation context and referrers [2] [8]. The actual downloaded file in C:\Users\\Downloads or a user-defined folder, NTFS timestamps and MFT entries, and Windows thumbnails/MSRMU entries provide filesystem-level confirmation and time correlation [2] [1].
3. Windows: peripheral OS artifacts that corroborate browser activity
Windows artifacts such as prefetch, jump lists, Recent Items, and registry MRU values can corroborate that a browser was active at the time and that downloaded files were opened or executed; endpoint forensic suites commonly combine these with browser records because browser databases alone can be altered or deleted [1] [9].
4. Android: browser databases, app cache, and MediaStore as primary signals
Android browsers (Chrome, Chromium-based, Firefox) store browsing and download metadata in app-private databases and caches; Magnet Forensics and mobile-focused research point to these app artifacts and the system MediaStore/Downloads provider as key places to look for records of files saved from the web [4]. When Chrome sync is enabled, server-side account sync may contain mirrored history and download metadata useful for investigators [4] [5].
5. Android: filesystem and file-manager traces that confirm a download
On-device evidence such as files in /sdcard/Download (or app-specific storage), file timestamps, and entries in the MediaStore content provider are high-confidence indicators that a file was saved to the device; file-manager app artifacts and third-party downloader app databases add corroboration where users use alternate tools [4] [9].
6. Memory and private-browsing caveats
Memory artifacts can contain evidence of downloads and POST data even when private browsing is used, but recovering them requires timely volatile acquisition and specialized tools; several studies warn private modes are not guaranteed to hide all traces, especially in RAM or when the platform writes temp files [10] [11]. For Android, privacy gaps and app-level differences mean private sessions may still leave filesystem traces on some devices [10] [4].
7. Tooling and synthesis: why correlation matters
Open-source tools like Hindsight and various forensic suites (Belkasoft, Magnet, KAPE modules) exist to parse disparate artifacts—SQLite tables, JSON prefs, cache, MediaStore and Windows MRU—and present a correlated timeline; investigators rely on multi-artifact correlation because single artifacts can be deleted, altered, or ambiguous [5] [7] [1]. Published research and community repositories emphasize combining browser DBs, file-system metadata, OS artifacts, and cloud sync records as the most reliable approach [9] [10].