File Comes With MD5 Hash, How Do I Check It?

[dw85745]

Some website give you a MD5 hash value to verify the file after download.
All well and good, but how does one generate an MD5 hash on their system to check it?

 

[Bat 1]

Google Online Hash Generator. For files with SHA1 or SHA256 I just use 7Zip

 

[torchwood]

Hi DW

I tend to use this one
MD5 File Checksum Online

Then compare it to the file hash from where you downloaded it


Roy

 

[dw85745]

Bat1: Have 7Zip (old version) so will check it.
Under file has an option for "checksum", but appears this is for
a file that is part of zip, NOT the zip itself.

Torchwood: Looking for a program put my system rather online drag/drop.

 

[Bat 1]

I'd recommend using version 16.04 http://www.7-zip.org/download.html When you rt click the download, right under 7Zip you'll see CRC SHA

 

[dw85745]

Bat 1: Thanks -- will Upgrade.

 

[Bat 1]

No Problem I'd been using the Online checker that torchwood posted above until Enthousiast at MDL recommended I upgrade My 7Zip and do it that way, so I'm just passing along the nfo that someone else gave to me. If You click on the "*" at the bottom of the list it'll give you the CRC32 and 64 hashes as well as the SHA1 and 256 hashes along with BLAKE2sp all at the same time.

I have AT&T UVerse running on 40 to 50 Years old copper lines for My Internet that get cut and spliced at least once or twice a Year. The Signal to Noise Ratio is barely at the usable level most of the time so I'll see 10's of Thousands of FEC and CRC Errors before My Modem shuts downs and they get reset to zero. I always check the signal before I download anything important, but I still have so many corrupted downloads that I started verifying Everything I download.

 

[dw85745]

Bat 1: Thanks for passing on the info.
GREAT INFO TO KNOW!
Was going to write a Hash program if all else failed, but with 7Zip upgrade, will save me a bit of work.

 

[Alejandro85]

I would suggest that you use HashCheck software for this task. It's a Explorer shell extension that adds a "checksum" tab to the properties of files and folders from where you can create hashes for all files. It also allows to verify checksum files with a simple double click. I've been using it since a few years.
Its main drawbacks are that it's a bit old and unmaintained (but still working) and it only works with CRC32, MD4, MD5 and SHA1 hashes. I would like a better software supporting more hashes, but I've found nothing yet. In particular, SHA256 support is important, as many sites use it.
(if you decide to create that hash program I would really like to try it, I was considering make one myself ).

For this purpose anything "online" is a terrible option. The purpose of the hash is to verify the data as it exist on your system, not the one you upload to some random website. If your connection has problems, you get twice the chance of a failure (download and posterior upload), so you can get false negatives while having a perfectly fine file. Also, you must spend more time and bandwidth re-uploading the file.
The only real way and useful is to generate the hash yourself and compare with the supplied one.

 

[dw85745]

Alejandro85:

Thanks for feedback.
Agree with going outside, that's why 7Zip was of interest.
FWIW: At the link provided, they provide the source code for the App (program).
Haven't perused in depth, but look for the SHA256 first to see if available
to upgrade it.