Document Every Hand Your Evidence Passes Through

Why a Broken Chain of Custody Sinks Cases

Evidence rarely fails because the facts are weak — it fails because no one can prove the file is still what it was when it was collected. A gap in the record, an unexplained handoff, or a missing timestamp gives the other side an opening to challenge everything that follows. Once a single link is in doubt, the whole chain is suspect, and even sound evidence can be excluded or discounted. A clear, continuous custody trail closes that gap before it can be exploited, which is exactly what free chain of custody software like e-Dex is built to produce.

How e-Dex Logs Custody Automatically

Every time evidence changes hands, e-Dex captures the three things that matter — who handled it, what happened, and when — and records the file's cryptographic hash at that exact moment. Because the hash is recomputed at each handoff, the log proves the file stayed bit-for-bit identical as it moved between custodians. There is no manual spreadsheet to maintain and no chance of forgetting a step: the custody entry is written as the action happens, on your own machine, with no data leaving your computer.

Tamper-Evident, Timestamped Entries

A custody log is only useful if it cannot be quietly rewritten. In e-Dex each entry is timestamped and hash-linked to the record, so any later edit, deletion or reordering breaks the chain and is immediately detectable. The result is an append-only audit trail rather than an editable list — the difference between a record a court can rely on and a document anyone could have changed after the fact. You can recompute the SHA-256 seal on the export to confirm the log itself is intact.

Export a Court-Ready Custody Record

When it is time to hand evidence to counsel, an investigator or a regulator, e-Dex exports the full custody record — every custodian, action, timestamp and hash — as a structured, readable document. It sits naturally alongside the chain of custody for digital evidence — beyond hashing and the underlying integrity proof, and anyone can re-check it later using the free certificate verifier. e-Dex helps you produce the record; how it is tendered and weighed remains for the court to decide.

Free vs Paid Forensic Suites

Full forensic platforms are powerful, but they are priced for labs and bundle acquisition, carving and analysis features most teams rarely touch. For the everyday need — proving evidence moved through clean hands without tampering — that overhead is wasted. e-Dex focuses on the custody and integrity layer, keeps it free and offline, and produces a defensible record in minutes. Auditors, investigators, lawyers and compliance teams get the documentation they actually need without a licence, a server, or sending evidence to the cloud.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is e-Dex chain of custody software really free?
Yes. e-Dex is free to download and use for digital evidence work. It runs offline on your own Windows machine, keeps a tamper-evident custody log, and exports a custody record at no cost. There is no per-case fee and no subscription for the core custody and integrity features.

What does the chain of custody log record at each handoff?
For every handoff e-Dex records who handled the evidence, what action took place, the date and time, and the cryptographic hash of the file at that moment. Because the hash is recomputed at each step, the log shows whether the file stayed bit-for-bit identical as it moved from one custodian to the next.

How does e-Dex make the custody log tamper-evident?
Each entry is timestamped and hash-linked, so any later edit, deletion or reordering breaks the chain and is detectable. The exported record carries a SHA-256 seal you can recompute to confirm the log itself has not been altered after the fact.

Can I export a court-ready chain of custody record?
Yes. e-Dex exports the full custody record — every custodian, action, timestamp and hash — as a structured document you can hand to counsel, investigators or a regulator. e-Dex helps you produce the record; how it is tendered and weighed remains for the court to decide on the facts of the matter.

Start Documenting Custody Today

Close the gap before the other side finds it. Keep a continuous, tamper-evident custody trail and export a court-ready record in minutes — free and fully offline — with e-Dex, the Digital Evidence Integrity Suite. Download it free and document every hand your evidence passes through.