In Windows 7, the date and time of when a file was sent to the Recycle Bin can be found where?

The date and time of when a file was sent to the Recycle Bin in Windows 7 can indeed be found in the $I index file. When a file is deleted and moved to the Recycle Bin, the system does not just remove it from the file system; instead, it creates a special file that retains information about the deleted file. The $I index files are specifically responsible for storing metadata about the files in the Recycle Bin, including their original paths and the date and time that they were sent to the Recycle Bin.

This is crucial for recovery processes, allowing users to know when exactly a file was deleted. By examining these index files, forensic investigators can track deleted files, which can be pivotal in an investigation.

On the other hand, while the INFO2 file has historically contained metadata for files in the Recycle Bin in earlier versions of Windows, Windows 7 transitioned this data management to the $I index files. The original filename's last access date and the DOS directory or Master File Table (MFT) do not provide the requisite information about when files were moved to the Recycle Bin, as they deal with different aspects of file system management and metadata.