The forensic examiner needs a tool to recover the password from a protected file on a Windows system. Cain & Abel is a specialized password recovery tool for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It can employ various methods, including dictionary attacks, brute-force attacks, and cryptanalysis, to recover passwords from multiple sources, including password-protected files. This functionality directly addresses the investigator's problem of being unable to access the file's contents due to password protection.

B. Xplico: This is a Network Forensic Analysis Tool (NFAT) used to extract data from captured internet traffic (e.g., pcap files), not for cracking local file passwords.

C. Recuva: This is a data recovery utility used to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from a system; it does not have password-cracking capabilities.

D. Colasoft’s Capsa: This is a network protocol analyzer (sniffer) for network monitoring and troubleshooting. It analyzes network packets but is not designed for file password recovery.

1. Ciampa, S. (2004). Password Cracking Tools & Techniques. SANS Institute InfoSec Reading Room. Retrieved from SANS Institute archives. This paper describes Cain & Abel as a "password recovery tool for Microsoft Operating Systems" that "is able to perform dictionary, brute-force and cryptanalysis attacks." (Section: Cain & Abel).

2. Kent, K., Chevalier, S., Grance, T., & Dang, H. (2006). Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-86. Section 3.3.4 discusses password cracking as a forensic technique, and tools like Cain & Abel fall into this category of functionality.

3. George Mason University. (n.d.). CYSE 465: Digital Forensics. Course Syllabus. Tools are categorized by function, with password crackers like Cain & Abel listed for password recovery, while tools like Recuva are listed under data recovery, and network analyzers like Wireshark (similar to Capsa) are for network forensics.

4. Xplico Official Documentation. (n.d.). What is Xplico?. Retrieved from xplico.org. The documentation defines Xplico as a "Network Forensic Analysis Tool (NFAT)" designed to "extract from an internet traffic capture the applications data contained."