To identify Microsoft Office documents renamed with image extensions, what EnCase process should be used?

File signature analysis is the correct choice for identifying Microsoft Office documents that have been renamed with image file extensions. This process involves examining the actual binary signature of the files rather than relying solely on their names or extensions. File signatures are specific patterns of bytes that represent the intrinsic format of a file. By analyzing these signatures, investigators can determine the true nature of a file regardless of the extension it has been given.

For instance, a file that has been renamed from a .docx to a .jpg will still contain the original document format's signature. File signature analysis helps uncover such instances, allowing forensic analysts to accurately categorize and understand the evidence at hand.

The other options, while useful in different contexts, do not specifically address the issue of renaming. For example, recovering folders focuses on retrieving lost or deleted folder structures, file content searches look for specific text within files, and file hash analysis is typically used for integrity checks or to verify the existence of known files. None of these methods directly provides insight into the actual format of files based solely on their extensions.