So you've been downloading long and hard Windows image 7, and now you want to make sure that not a byte was lost along the way. Or the distribution package was brought to you by the good fairy, and you want to check if it is connected with pirates. To determine the integrity of the distribution, you will need two things - a checksum and a program to check it.
Windows 7 image checksums
Microsoft publishes their product checksums on MSDN or TechNet, specifying SHA1 as the hash type. Find the language version and edition of your Windows 7 and click Intelligence to see the checksum.
That's half the battle.
Checksum verification using the File Checksum Integrity Verifier utility
Microsoft of course has its own command line utility for calculating and checking checksum files - File Checksum Integrity Verifier(fciv.exe). It can be downloaded from KB841290 (where the syntax is also described in detail), or via a direct link (41 kb). Next, I assume that you know where the utility is unpacked and where it is saved Windows ISO image 7.
It is enough to execute one command in the command line (Start - Search - cmd):
<путь к утилите>\fciv.exe -sha1<путь к ISO>\filename.iso
For example, if the utility is on the desktop and the ISO image is in the root of drive D, the command will look like this:
%userprofile%\desktop\fciv.exe -sha1 D:\en_windows_7_ultimate_x86_dvd_x15-65921.iso
And the result is the checksum of the file:
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 verify the MD5 or SHA1 checksums of any files.
Checksum verification using HashTab program
If the command line scares you, there is an easier way to check the checksum.
- Download and install the program.
- Click right click mouse on the image file and select "Properties".
- Go to the "File Hashes" tab.
calculated from a set of input data using a special algorithm. A checksum is most often used to verify the integrity of files. That is, in a rough approximation checksum is the key, which allows you to clearly distinguish two different data sets (two different files). For example, you downloaded a file from the Internet (games, installation), can you be sure that during the downloading process the file was not damaged and was completely downloaded? But using such a “faulty” file often leads to errors when installing a game or OS or anything. Moreover, you may not know that the error arose precisely because of a file damaged during the download process, blaming your computer for all the problems.
So, to avoid such problems, checksums are used. Often, many resources, along with a link to a file, also leave a checksum of this file. And after downloading this file, you will be able to compare the checksum of the downloaded file with the one that was left on the resource and definitely make sure that the file was downloaded without errors.
To calculate and compare checksums, use special programs. The most common of them is HashTab. This program is free. You can download it from here:
To install, unpack the archive and run the program installation file.
After installation, the program shortcut does not appear, this program is not in the menu quick launch Start. To use the program, click right click on any file and select Properties(we will do this operation with the downloaded archive). Please note that in the file properties window there appears new inset File hashes.
In order to compare the checksums of files, copy the hash sum from the program website and paste it into the field Hash comparison properties windows.
So, you've worked long and hard to download a Windows image, and now you want to make sure that not a byte is lost along the way. Or the distribution package was brought to you by the good fairy, and you want to check if it is connected with pirates. To determine the integrity of the distribution, you will need two things - a checksum and a program to check it.
Windows image checksums
Upd. 2017. Microsoft has moved downloads from MSDN to a new site, https://my.visualstudio.com/downloads, where a subscription is required to access the images. Therefore, without subscribing using the method below, it is no longer possible to find out the checksum.
Microsoft publishes their product checksums 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.
That's half the battle.
Checksum verification using the 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 verify the MD5 or SHA1 checksums of any files.
Checksum verification using HashTab program
If the command line scares you, there is an easier way to check the checksum.
- Download and install the HashTab program.
- Right-click on the image file and select Properties.
- Go to the "File Hashes" tab.
While browsing the internet or before downloading certain files you may encounter the mysterious parameters MD5, SHA-1 and SHA-256, also known as hashes. What at first appears to be just a random string of letters and numbers is actually a unique key that allows you to verify the authenticity of files and see if they have been altered or tampered with.
What are hash sums and what are they for?
A hash is the result of cryptographic algorithms designed to create a set of numbers and letters. It is also called a “digital fingerprint”. Typically these sets have a fixed length and number of characters, regardless of the size of the input information. For example, “WP” and “WP-SEVEN” will have hash amounts of exactly the same size. The length of the sum depends only on which hashing algorithm you are checking. For example, SHA1 will produce a sum of 40 characters, and MD5 only 32.
Also, note that although there is minimal difference between “WP-SEVEN” and “WP-SEVEM”, the hash sums are completely different and have nothing in common. This means that even if someone changes the file by even 1 bit (roughly speaking), the end result will get a completely different hash sum. This is what the hash does in a convenient way file authentication. The publisher indicates the original amount, and the user checks the result and compares it with the original.
Hashing is carried out using various standards. Often these are MD5, SHA-1 and SHA-256. All three algorithms work differently, but the concept is the same. We will not introduce here the principle of operation of each algorithm, since this is very complex information, but we will only provide general information necessary for the average user.
How to check hash in Windows 10
Any desktop operating system, be it Windows 10, Linux or MacOS, has standard mechanisms for checking the hash sums of any files on your disk.
How to find hash in PowerShell
PowerShell will give you a hash of your file. By Windows default generates a SHA-265 hash, but you can specify that you want a hash from a different algorithm. To do this, use the following commands:
- Get-FileHash F:\Test.txt -Algorithm MD5
- Get-FileHash F:\Test.txt -Algorithm SHA1
- Get-FileHash F:\Test.txt -Algorithm SHA256
- Get-FileHash F:\Test.txt -Algorithm SHA384
- Get-FileHash F:\Test.txt -Algorithm SHA512
- Get-FileHash F:\Test.txt -Algorithm MACTripleDES
- Get-FileHash F:\Test.txt -Algorithm RIPEMD160
How to check hash sum via Command Line
Many of the things you do in PowerShell can be done in the classic command line. Checking the hash via the Command Line is done as follows.
Default Command line displays the hash sum SHA1 , but you can change this by telling the system exactly what hash you want to receive. To do this, use the following commands:
- certutil -hashfile F:\Test.txt MD5
- certutil -hashfile F:\Test.txt MD4
- certutil -hashfile F:\Test.txt MD2
- certutil -hashfile F:\Test.txt SHA512
- certutil -hashfile F:\Test.txt SHA384
- certutil -hashfile F:\Test.txt SHA256
- certutil -hashfile F:\Test.txt SHA1
How to check hash using HasTab
HashTab is a great little utility that will make checking hashes a breeze. You won't have to enter complex commands every time to check. It will be enough just to go to the properties of the file, where all the amounts will already be collected.
Additionally, HashTab makes it easy to compare the hash sums of two files. To do this, right-click on the first file and select Properties and then open the tab File hashes. Click Compare file and specify the path to the second file.
The hash sum of the second file will be displayed in the field Hash comparison, and if the amounts match, there will be a green check mark next to the hash icon. If they do not match, there is a red cross.
In our digital age, even one measly byte can cost a lot. If the ISO image file is missing even a byte, then the benefit of such a file will be doubtful. At one point, when you want to install a new operating system for yourself, the process will be interrupted at a certain stage of the installation, due to the fact that the image turned out to be broken. Therefore any ISO file should be scanned for integrity before burning it into a blank. Thus, you save your precious time and warn yourself against ridiculous incidents that arose in the process of using discs on which this or that ISO image was recorded. And one more important point, the ISO image may be broken due to a reason beyond your control - for example, the file itself was uploaded by the author already broken. And also due to the instability of your Internet connection, which ultimately led to the loss of data when downloading a file to your computer.
To scan the checksum of an ISO image, you should sequentially run next steps. There is no point in describing it in detail, since the program is quite simple and does not require deep knowledge or a serious description. However, let's take it step by step:
- We are looking for the HashTab program on the World Wide Web (or a similar program designed to check checksums (or hash sums) ISO images), download it to your computer and install it. You can download the program, for example, from here http://www.softportal.com/get-19546-hashtab.html, or from the official website. The installation process is quite simple and does not require description;
- Next, right-click on the ISO image file and select from the pop-up context menu the “Properties” item, where the new tab created by the HashTab program will be located;
- Go to the “File hash sums” tab, the hash sum of the downloaded file will be indicated there. This sum is a checksum for the file that you downloaded and even if it is not complete, it will still have a checksum;
- We copy the hash sum from the description of the ISO file (usually, the checksum of the ISO image is indicated in the topic from which you download the file, and the checksum must also be present on the reverse side of the disk if the image is copied from the disk and if the disk is licensed), paste it in the “Hash comparison” field and click the “Compare file...” button.
Ready! This way we will know if the checksums match and make sure the ISO image is ready for burning. If the checksums differ, then you need to download the ISO file again and check its integrity again. If it turns out that the ISO image downloaded again is still broken, then it’s better for you to look on the Internet for another image, preferably from a different author.
The most interesting thing is that the HashTab program is available both for operating system users Windows systems, and for connoisseurs of MacOs. Therefore, HashTab is a universal tool for checking ISO image checksums. And even if you have several computers with different operating systems installed, you will be much more accustomed to using one software rather than looking for separate programs designed for different operating systems. There are quite a few similar solutions on the Internet, which allows you to choose among an abundance of almost identical programs, differing from each other only in the interface. However, all of these programs are quite simple and not very broad in terms of their functionality, so whatever you choose, it will all be about the same. Good luck to you and the integrity of the information!
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