Calculation of md5. How to check MD5 hash of a file on Windows

Checking the download is correct file from the archive using the Total Commander program

The "Total Commander" program is a multifunctional analogue of "Explorer" in Windows; checking md5 sums is just built into it as additional function... Especially for checking md5-sums such a large install the program certainly makes no sense. But if you already have it, you can use the opportunity with its help to check the correctness of the file download.

1. Open the directory with the file to be checked and the reference md5-sum to it in the Total Commander window and left-click the required md5 file (in this case, it is the only one):

2. From the Files menu, select "Verify CRC Checksums":

3. Wait for the end of the verification process:

4. Now, if in the report window you will see "OK" to the left of your file name

It means that everything is in order and the file has downloaded correctly. If the report looks something like this:

This means that the file is damaged and you will have to download it again.

Attention! Total Commander creates checksums in its own format, they can only be verified by itself. Therefore, try not to use this program to create checksums if you are not sure that those who will check the download correctness have Total Commander installed.

1. Open the directory with the required file / files in the Total Commander window:

2. Select the required files:

Sometimes, when downloading files from the Internet, there are times when files are downloaded "broken", that is, corrupted... Why this is happening, we will not consider now, there can be a lot of reasons.

To make sure the integrity of the downloaded file, you need to check the MD5 amount.

Every self-respecting author or resource that offers large files for downloading, should publish together with the file size its MD5 amount so that the user was able to check the uploaded file and find out if it is broken or not.
You have probably seen similar designations on some sites - "MD5 checksum:".

How to check files for integrity

When should this check be done? Then, when you download large files (DVD), programs, video tutorials, operating systems and more.

Checking the MD5 amount you will be sure that the file is intact and not damaged. The program itself is so simple to use that there is nothing to describe.

MD5 FileChecker does not require installation on a PC, but is launched with a regular .exe file.

After unpacking from the archive. Run the shortcut Md5Checker.exe

How do I use MD5 FileChecker? Select the required file with the "Browse" button, use the "Calculate" button to calculate the MD5 amount of the loaded file, and insert the declared MD5 amount into the third line and click "Check".

If the program says " that the sums are the same - it means that the file is safe and sound. Feel free to download and use it.

That's why download free program MD5 FileChecker on your PC and enjoy using it.

MD5 or Message Digest 5 is a 128-bit hashing algorithm developed in the early 90's by Professor Ronald Rivest. Typically represented as a sequence of 32 hexadecimal digits, for example :. In order to understand what MD5 is, you first need to understand the concept of hashing.

Hashing is the process of converting any array of data into a fixed-length output string. This transformation is carried out using the so-called hash functions. Such a function receives an array of data at the input, and at the output it returns the so-called hash (hash-sum) - a unique string of fixed length.

The hash function algorithm is built in such a way that the function produces a unique string for any data array. Thanks to this feature, the resulting string can be used as a digital fingerprint of the data. This fingerprint can be used to verify the integrity of the data.

For example, when the developer software publishes its software, together with it, he can publish his hash. This will allow users to check the integrity of the program before installing it. If the program was infected with viruses or loaded with errors, its hash will not match the hash that was published by the program developer.

History of MD5 development

The MD5 algorithm was developed by MIT Professor Ronald L. Rivest in 1991. This algorithm became a replacement previous version algorithm MD4. Since that time, the algorithm has gained great popularity and began to be used everywhere.

Since 1993, studies have regularly appeared that discover new vulnerabilities in the MD5 algorithm. On this moment the MD5 algorithm is considered vulnerable and is gradually being replaced by the SHA algorithm.

How to get MD5 hash

If you need to get an MD5 hash from a regular line of text, then it is most convenient to use online services... One of these services is.

In order to get an MD5 hash using this service, just enter a string in the field and click on the "Hash" button. The hash of the entered string will appear in this field.

If you need to get the MD5 hash of the file, then you will have to use special programs e.g. MD5summer ().

It is very easy to work with this program. To get the MD5 hash of a file, just run the program and select the desired file.

So, you have been loading a Windows image for a long time, and now you want to make sure that not a byte is lost along the way. Or the distro was brought to you by a fairy godmother, and you want to check if it is associated with pirates. To determine the integrity of a distribution, you need two things - a checksum and a program to check it.

Checksums of Windows images

Upd. 2017. Microsoft has moved downloads from MSDN to the new site https://my.visualstudio.com/downloads, where a subscription is required to access images. Therefore, without a subscription, the checksum can no longer be found out using the method below.

Microsoft publishes checksums of its products on MSDN, specifying SHA1 as the hash type. Search for the language version and edition of your Windows and click Intelligence to see the checksum below.

This is half the battle.

Checksum verification with built-in certutil utility

If you do not specify the parameter -sha1, the utility will calculate the MD5 hash.

As you can see, everything is very simple! You can use this method to check MD5 or SHA1 checksums of any files.

Checksum verification using HashTab program

If command line scares you, you can check the checksum in an easier way.

1. Download and install the HashTab program.
2. Right click on the image file and select Properties.
3. Click on the "Checksums" tab (File Hashes).

When downloading cartoons (and, in general, files from the Internet), it often happens that the file is downloaded "broken" for one reason or another. To be sure of the identity of the downloaded file to the file on the server, you need to compare their checksums. For this purpose, you can use checksum md5 algorithm... When a cartoon is added to the server, this checksum is calculated for it, you can see it on the information page about the cartoon. To calculate this checksum already for the downloaded file on your computer, use our specially written program:

• (size: ~ 87kb)

The program does not require installation. For users of operating rooms Linux systems, Unix, MacOS and others - similar programs look directly in your OS.

Brief instructions for working with MD5 File Checker:

We launch the program. On the page with any cartoon in the block of information about the cartoon, we find the field with the md5 checksum and copy it to the clipboard.

Paste it into the check box # 2. Select the file you want to check in field # 1. Click the "Check" button. As a result, we get a message with the result of the program. For example, "The MD5 sum of the file matches the checksum. The file is not damaged" or "The MD5 sum of the file does not match the checksum. The file may be corrupted." We draw conclusions.

An additional feature of the program is the calculation of the md5 checksum for an arbitrary file and its output to the user.

All questions about the program and errors found can be reported to the site administration.