How to verify your downloaded files using MD5 Checksum on Windows?

MD5 stands for Message Digest version 5. The MD5 algorithm takes a file (the “message”) of any size, and reduces it down to a code that looks like this: “ac30ce5b07b0018d65203fbc680968f5″ (the “digest”). The brilliant thing about the MD5 algorithm is that if the message changes by so much as a single byte, it will produce a completely different digest.

An MD5 sum is a string of letters and numbers that acts like a fingerprint for a file. If two files have the same MD5 sum, the files are exactly alike - which is why MD5 "fingerprints" can verify whether or not your downloaded file got corrupted in transit, hence it is used to verify the integrity of files, as virtually any change to a file will cause its MD5 hash to change.

MD5 digests have been widely used in the software world to provide some assurance that a transferred file has arrived intact. For example, file servers often provide a pre-computed MD5 (known as md5sum) checksum for the files, so that a user can compare the checksum of the downloaded file to it.

So how do we verify it?

So, to say we actually use CertUtil in command prompt to do this.

If you're interested to find out all the functions you can do with CertUtil simply type the command "certutil -v -?" (without quotes) and you'll see a list of all working commands.

All 'verbs' listed (Scroll to see more)

So, now you must be pretty familiar how to do it. Let's get into it.

Step 1: Open the folder where your downloaded file is.

Mark the file name properly with its extention. E.g. here, my filename is "winmd5free.zip". If file extentions are not showing you can enable that in folder options.

Search for Folder Options in Start (Menu) then uncheck "Hide extentions for known file types" and apply the settings.. The extentions will be visible now.

Step 2: Enter "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" or simply "cmd" (without quotes) in the address bar and hit enter. The Command Prompt window will be shown automatically.

Step 3: In the CMD window, type the command "certutil -hashfile MD5" replaceing "-hashfile" with your filename you want to check. Hit enter.

You will be shown the MD5 string. Match it with the one you find on the website you have downloaded from. If it matches, you're file is O, or else you have to obtain a copy again. That's it.