How to verfiy a software or file checksum value (SHA1, MD5, CRC…)

Often time, while we downloading files or software via some secure website, “Checksum” values in MD5 or SHA1 format are provided to protect users from downloading corrupted files or trojan infected files. Unfortunately, many users has no idea how to verify the downloaded file with “Checksum” value, end up in downloading virus or trojan infected files.

Marxio File Checksum Verifier

Software Name : Marxio File Checksum Verifier
Website : http://www.marxio-tools.net/en/marxio-fcv.php
Version : 1.3.4

The Marxio File Checksum Verifier is a handy freeware tool which can help us to calculate and verify Checksum value in following major checksum types.

- CRC32,MD4,MD5,SHA1,SHA-256,SHA-384,SHA-512,RIPEMD-128,RIPEMD-160,HAVAL 256,TIGER 192.

Jacksum

Software Name : Jacksum
Website : http://www.jonelo.de/java/jacksum/index.html
Version : 1.7.0

The Jacksum is a freeware tool and suitable for more advanced users verify checksum values. It is platform independent software (support Windows and Unix) and supports 58 popular standard algorithms (Adler32, BSD sum, Bzip2′s CRC-32, POSIX cksum, CRC-8, CRC-16, CRC-24, CRC-32 (FCS-32), CRC-64, ELF-32, eMule/eDonkey, FCS-16, GOST R 34.11-94, HAS-160, HAVAL (3/4/5 passes, 128/160/192/224/256 bits), MD2, MD4, MD5, MPEG-2′s CRC-32, RIPEMD-128, RIPEMD-160, RIPEMD-256, RIPEMD-320, SHA-0, SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, Tiger-128, Tiger-160, Tiger, Tiger2, Tiger Tree Hash, Tiger2 Tree Hash, Unix System V sum, sum8, sum16, sum24, sum32, Whirlpool-0, Whirlpool-1, Whirlpool and xor8).

The Jacksum is written in Java and open source, we can download the source code and try to understand how Jacksum implement the above algorithm.

Conclusion

Please do the “Checksum” value checking if “Checksum” value is provided from the downloading website, this is very good mechanism to ensure we are downloading what we expected to download.