When examining a hard disk without a write-blocker, you should not start windows because Windows will write data to the:

Booting a computer's native Windows operating system without a hardware or software write-blocker is a critical violation of forensic procedure. The Windows boot process initiates numerous disk-write operations that alter the state of the evidence. These writes include updating registry hives (e.g., the LastKnownGood control set), creating or updating system event logs, modifying the page file, and changing file system metadata (e.g., last access times).

Among the given options, the Recycle Bin ($Recycle.Bin) is a directory structure on the hard disk. While not a primary target for writes during a standard boot, automated cleanup tasks or startup applications could potentially delete temporary files, which would result in writes to the Recycle Bin's metadata files. This action alters the evidence, compromising its integrity. The other options are factually incorrect locations for OS writes.

B. MSDOS.sys: This is a system configuration file for legacy MS-DOS-based operating systems (e.g., Windows 98/Me) and is not used or written to by modern NT-based Windows.

C. BIOS: The BIOS (or UEFI) is firmware stored on a chip on the motherboard, not on the hard disk. The operating system reads from the BIOS during startup but does not write to it.

D. Case files: Case files are the examiner's records and documentation of the investigation. They are stored on the forensic workstation's storage, not on the suspect's hard disk.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2014). Special Publication 800-86, Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response. Section 3.3, "Acquiring the Data," emphasizes the necessity of write protection: "To prevent the investigator from accidentally modifying the original evidence, a write-blocker should be used when connecting the media to the forensic workstation." This establishes the core principle of preventing any modification.

2. Carrier, B. (2005). File System Forensic Analysis. Addison-Wesley Professional. Chapter 3, "Volume Analysis," section 3.1.1, explains that operating systems can automatically write data to a disk when it is attached, which is why write-blockers are essential. Chapter 13 details the Recycle Bin as a file system structure on the disk that is modified when files are deleted.

3. Solomon, D. A., & Russinovich, M. E. (2009). Microsoft Windows Internals, Fifth Edition. Microsoft Press. Chapter 12, "Startup and Shutdown," details the numerous processes that occur during a Windows boot. It describes how the system loads and may modify registry hives and how services are started, which in turn write to event logs, confirming that extensive write activity occurs on the hard disk. This supports the premise that booting the OS alters the disk, making the process of elimination necessary to select the best answer from the provided list.