Hash Calculator to Get, Compute and Calculate MD5 and SHA1 File Checksum or Hash Value

If you download a file from the Internet, you take some risks that the file you downloaded is compromised or been altered or corrupted illegally by ill-intent cracker or hacker. To protect a file and ensure that the program is correct, perform only what is advertised and nothing more, stable, well-written, and is actually the original or the same file that been put up for download by the author, we can compare the cryptographic hash function of the downloaded file with the hash value or checksum that been posted or declared by the developer for the file, software or application (other verification method been the installer been signed with digital certificate, which used by large corporations only due to cost). Two most commonly used hashes are MD5 and SHA1. Other hash algorithm include HAVAL, MD2, MD4, MD5, SHA-1, SHA-2 (256, 224, 384, 512), RIPEMD (128, 256, 160, 320), PANAMA, TIGER (192/160/128), ADLER32, CRC32, WHIRLPOOL and VEST. Hash function adds additional security properties to the file so that any unauthorised modified and altered file will not have the same digital hash fingerprint.

How to Determine, Calculate or Computer the Hash or Checksum of a File on Your Local PC

There are several free downloadable tools and utilities that can be used to retrieve or get the hash or checksum value value (also known as message digest or digital fingerprint) of a file or software installer by computing or calculating the cryptographic hash function algorithms. Some the the freeware and shareware hash calculators are listed below.

SlavaSoft HashCalc

HashCalc is a free, fast and easy-to-use calculator that allows to compute message digests, checksums and HMACs for files, including software, applications, binaries, installers, documents, archives and etc, as well as for text and hex strings. It offers a choice of 13 of the most popular hash and checksum algorithms for calculations, and is implemented using SlavaSoft QuickHash Library.

Features of HashCalc:

• Support of 12 well-known and documented hash and checksum algorithms: MD2, MD4, MD5, SHA-1, SHA-2( 256, 384, 512), RIPEMD-160, PANAMA, TIGER, ADLER32, CRC32.
• Support of a custom hash algorithm (MD4-based) used in eDonkey and eMule applications.
• Support of 2 modes of calculations: HASH/CHECKSUM and HMAC.
• Support of 3 input data formats: files, text strings and hex strings.
• Work with large size files. (Tested on file sizes up to 15 GB).
• Drag-and-drop support.
• Quick and simple installation.
• Calculates hash/checksum and HMAC for files of any type: music, audio, sound, video, image, icon, text, compression, etc., with the extensions: .mp3, .wav, .avi, .mpg, .midi, .mov, .dvd, .ram, .zip, .rar, .ico, .gif, .pif, .pic, .tif, .tiff, .txt, .doc, .pdf, .wps, .dat, .dll, .hex, .bin, .iso, .cpp, .dss, .par, .pps, .cue, .ram, .md5, .sfv, etc.

To use HashCalc, run and execute the program and the select the file you want HashCalc to calculate the hash checksum for you. Select the appropriate file type and the hash algorithm such as MD5 and SHA1 that you want by ticking the check box.

Download HashCalc 2.01
Official HashCalc Homepage

HashTab Windows Shell Extension

HashTab is a Windows shell extension which adds a tab called “File Hashes” to the Windows Explorer file properties. The tab contains the MD5, SHA1 and CRC-32 file hashes. These are common hashes that are used to verify the integrity and authenticity of files. Many download sites list the MD5 hash along with the download link. The HashTab makes it very simple for Windows users to check these hashes on any file on the system without using external tools.

To use HashTab, simply right click on the file you want to know the hash value or checksum of, then choose Properties. On the Properties window, select “File Hashes” tab, and you will see the hash on it.

Download HashTab v1.11 for x32
Download HashTab v1.11 for x64
Official HashTab Homepage

WinHex

WinHex is a - Computer Forensics & Data Recovery Software, Hex Editor & Disk Editor

WinHex is a universal hexadecimal editor (HEX editor) and disk editor, particularly helpful in the realm of computer forensics, data recovery, low-level data processing, and IT security. An advanced tool for everyday and emergency use which can be used to inspect and edit all kinds of files, recover deleted files or lost data from hard drives with corrupt file systems or from digital camera cards.

Features of WinHex include (depending on the license type):

• Disk editor for hard disks, floppy disks, CD-ROM & DVD, ZIP, Smart Media, Compact Flash, and etc.
• Native support for FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3, ReiserFS, Reiser4, UFS, CDFS, UDF.
• Built-in interpretation of RAID systems and dynamic disks.
• Various data recovery techniques.
• RAM editor, providing access to physical RAM and other processes’ virtual memory.
• Data interpreter, knowing 20 data types.
• Editing data structures using templates (e.g. to repair partition table/boot sector).
• Concatenating and splitting files, unifying and dividing odd and even bytes/words.
• Analyzing and comparing files.
• Particularly flexible search and replace functions.
• Disk cloning (under DOS with X-Ways Replica).
• Drive images & backups (optionally compressed or split into 650 MB archives).
• Programming interface (API) and scripting.
• 256-bit AES encryption, checksums, CRC32, hashes (MD5, SHA-1, etc).
• Erase (wipe) confidential files securely, hard drive cleansing to protect your privacy.
• Import all clipboard formats, incl. ASCII hex values.
• Convert between binary, hex ASCII, Intel Hex, and Motorola S.
• Character sets: ANSI ASCII, IBM ASCII, EBCDIC, (Unicode).
• Instant window switching. Printing. Random-number generator.
• Supports files >4 GB. Very fast. Easy to use. Extensive online help.

To use WinHex to calculate the hash value for a file, run the WinHex program, then click on File -> Open (or simply press Ctrl-O keyboard shortcut). Select and open the file you want to know the checksum hash in the dialog box prompted. Then go to Tool menu and select Compute Hash (keyboard shortcut key is Ctrl+F2), and then choose SHA-1 (160 bit) or MD5 or any other hash function algorithm that you need. Get the has by hit OK.

WinHex is not a freeware or available for free download. It costs anywhere from EUR 40.25 to EUR 156.90 for a license of WinHex. However, a evaluation or trial copy is available for download for you to try as long as you want.

Download WinHex (current version 13.7)
Official WinHex Homepage

Microsoft File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) Utility

File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) is command-line utility that computes and generates MD5 or SHA-1 cryptographic hash values for files to compare the values against a known good value to verify that the files have not been changed.

Features of the FCIV utility:

• Supports MD5 or SHA1 hash algorithms (The default is MD5.)
• Can output hash values to the console or store the hash value and file name in an XML file.
• Can recursively generate hash values for all files in a directory and in all subdirectories (for example, fciv.exe c:\ -r)
• Supplies an exception list to specify files or directories to hash.
• Can store hash values for a file with or without the full path of the file.

Download the File Checksum Integrity Verifier Utility package

The FCIV utility is a simply tool. After downloading, it extracts the executable and files to your selected folder. You need to add the FCIV folder to your system path in order to able to call the FCIV function command from any directory. A more simple way is to install the FCIV to your \Windows\System32 folder.

To display the MD5 hash of a file, type the following command at a command prompt:

fciv.exe path.to/filename

To display the SHA-1 hash of a file, use the folling comman:

fciv.exe -sha1 path.to/filename

More commands, options and instruction to use plus syntax of FCIV is available on Microsoft Knowledge Base article KB841290.

FileFormat.info Online Hash Value Calculator

If you don’t want to download and install any software, you can use Online Hash Value Calculator to calculate a hash (aka message digest) of data on FileFormat.info, implemented with tools from Sun (java.security.MessageDigest) and GNU Crypto.

Online Has Value Calculator accepts entry of a string or target text, Hex bytes, or input of file uploaded from local disk. It will calculate and return the hash values for Adler32, CRC32, Haval, MD2, MD4, MD5, RipeMD128, RipeMD160, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, Tiger and Whirlpool.

FileFormat.info Online MD5SUM Tool

Similar with Online Hash Value Calculator, but in a simpler and easier to use form format that automated computation of various hash functions for an uploaded file.

Supports HAVAL, MD2, MD4, MD5, RIPEMD128, RIPEMD160, SHA, SHA-160, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, TIGER, and WHIRLPOOL. It allows you to download the binary or view the ASCII Hex.

MD5 Generator

A very simple script that generate and calculate MD5 for the typed string.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, January 14th, 2007 at 11:14 am and is filed under Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.