A memory image plus a dumpfiles plugin can always extract all files from the target filesystem.

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Not always
• D. Unknown

Answer: (B)

A memory image captures only what resides in RAM at the moment of capture, not the entire filesystem. A dumpfiles plugin can extract contents for files that are actually loaded into memory (for example, files opened by processes or memory-mapped data) or cached in memory, but it cannot guarantee access to every file on the target filesystem. Files that were never loaded into memory, reside entirely on disk, have been deleted, or are encrypted (without keys present in memory) may be inaccessible from a memory image alone. For a guaranteed complete extraction of all filesystem files, you’d need an acquisition that includes the on-disk data as well (such as a disk or volume image). So, not always.