  Instant messaging applications (apps) are one potential source of evidence in
a criminal investigation or a civil litigation. To ensure the most effective
collection of evidence, it is vital for forensic practitioners to possess an
up-to-date knowledge about artefacts of forensic interest from various instant
messaging apps. Hence, in this chapter, we study America Online Instant
Messenger (version 7.14.5.8) with the aims of contributing to an in-depth
understanding of the types of terrestrial artefacts that are likely to remain
after the use of instant messaging services and app on Windows 8.1 devices.
Potential artefacts identified during the research include data relating to the
installation or uninstallation, log-in and log-off information, contact lists,
conversations, and transferred files.
