Running ByteCase

Install Hub. Keep the case records local.

How ByteCase desktop tools are distributed, launched, verified, stored, and operated, including current platform expectations and release behavior.

Operating model

The Hub pilot has an installer and offline activation.

Download the Hub pilot from its official download page, verify the signature and SHA-256, run the installer, and open ByteCase Hub from the Start menu. Standalone module distributions remain separate and will document their own launch behavior.

The tools are designed around local processing. Core case information, manifests, acquisition records, notes, and generated reports should not require an account, cloud service, or continuous connection. Hub license requests are exchanged by email, then the signed license is imported locally.

01

Download

Obtain the signed executable from ByteCase or the matching official GitHub release.

02

Verify

Check the Forensics Byte publisher signature and compare the published SHA-256 value.

03

Install and activate

Install Hub, create a .bcreq, email the request for manual review, and import the returned .bclic. Follow the license steps.

04

Save locally

Preserve module records in the visible ByteCase case-folder structure.

Expected baseline

Provisional system requirements for desktop releases.

Operating systemWindows 10 or Windows 11

64-bit desktop editions are the primary target.

Processor64-bit x86 processor

Hashing performance will scale with processor, storage, and file count.

Memory4 GB minimum · 8 GB recommended

Higher memory may benefit large manifests and future multi-record workflows.

Application spaceApproximately 250 MB available

Separate storage is required for case records, reports, and selected source material.

PrivilegesStandard user where possible

Administrative access may still be required to reach protected sources or locations.

NetworkNo internet required for core use

Internet may be needed only to obtain releases, documentation, or external references.

These are suite-level provisional targets, not final promises for every module. Each signed release should publish tested operating systems, architecture, privileges, storage needs, and known environmental limitations.

Local storage

A predictable folder instead of an invisible record.

ByteCase tools are designed to save visible files under a shared case structure. This keeps important records portable, reviewable, and available even when a module is not open.

Human-readable outputsReports and summaries intended for review outside the application.
Reopenable recordsStructured module data intended to support later editing or verification.
Module separationEach tool uses its own subfolder under the shared case number.
No evidence repository claimThe ByteCase folder is a workflow record, not automatically the laboratory evidence store.
Path.home() / "ByteCase" / <case_number> /
├── bytecase-intake/
├── bytecase-acquire/
├── bytecase-verify/
├── bytecase-notes/
├── exhibits/
├── timeline/
└── reports/

Release trust

How an official ByteCase executable should be verified.

01

Official location

Use a direct ByteCase download or the linked release asset from an official Forensics Byte repository.

02

Publisher signature

Confirm that Windows reports a valid digital signature from the exact validated Forensics Byte publisher identity.

03

Published SHA-256

Calculate the final signed file's hash and compare it with the value shown on the release page.

04

Release details

Review the published release manifest and signature record. Hub is a licensed product; standalone tools provide public source where linked.

PowerShell verification examples Get-AuthenticodeSignature .\\ByteCaseHubSetup-0.29.0.exe Get-FileHash .\\ByteCaseHubSetup-0.29.0.exe -Algorithm SHA256

Privacy direction

Local-first does not remove the need for disclosure.

Each release should identify whether it makes any network connection, checks for updates, collects telemetry, submits crash information, or accesses external services.

The current core direction is local operation without uploading case information to Forensics Byte. That statement must be confirmed against each released build.

Operational boundary

Local operation still requires organizational review.

Users remain responsible for agency policy, approved software procedures, endpoint controls, evidence access, storage security, validation, and determining whether a tool is appropriate for a particular environment.

Release-specific documentation

The final answer belongs with the version.

As signed releases are published, each module will receive version-specific requirements, release notes, hashes, known limitations, build references, and exact operating behavior.