#Windows checksum calculator download

SHA-256 and SHA-512 are more recent and stronger than SHA-1 and MD5, which in some rare cases produced the same checksum values for two different files. These algorithms produce 128-bit, 160-bit, 256 -bit and 512-bit hash values respectively. The most common checksum algorithms used are MD5 (Message Digest algorithm 5), SHA1 (Secure Hashing Algorithm 1), SHA-256 and SHA-512. Note that the length of a checksum does not depend upon the size of data but on the algorithm used.

#Windows checksum calculator download

You might have noticed that it is provided beside a download link so that when you download the file, you can calculate the checksum on your own computer and match it with the given value. This algorithm is applied over a piece of data or a file before sending and after receiving it over a network. Protocols like TCP/IP which govern the communication rules of the internet also use the checksum to make sure that always correct data is delivered.Ī checksum is basically an algorithm that uses a cryptographic hash function. Even a very small change in data causes a major change in the checksum. So, a checksum is very important to maintain data authenticity and integrity. Since the data may be highly sensitive and important to us, it is important to check any error that might have occurred while transmission. But if the values are different, the receiver will instantly know that some data has been lost or the file has been tampered with over the network. If the values match, the file has been sent correctly and no data has been lost. On receiving the file, the receiver will apply the same algorithm and match the obtained value with what you have sent. If you have sent a very large file over a network (third party) or you have downloaded one from the internet and you want to make sure that the file has been correctly sent or received, you apply a checksum algorithm on your file which is being sent and communicate the value to the receiver. This count of apples is what checksum does to your file. On receiving the basket, you count the number of apples and check if it is 20. So to ensure that he has not eaten any apples on his way and that you receive all the apples, I call you up and tell you that I have sent you 20 apples. Now, since the delivery agent is a third party, we can’t rely on his authenticity entirely. To understand this better, consider this: I am sending you a basket of apples via some delivery agent.