Mac determine hash for a downloaded file - apologise
How to check the MD5 checksum of a downloaded file


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Issue:
You would like to verify the integrity of your downloaded files.Solution:
WINDOWS:
- Download the latest version of WinMD5Free.
- Extract the downloaded zip and launch the WinMD5.exe file.
- Click on the Browse button, navigate to the file that you want to check and select it.
- Just as you select the file, the tool will show you its MD5 checksum.
- Copy and paste the original MD5 value provided by the developer or the download page.
- Click on Verify button.
- Download the file you want to check and open the download folder in Finder.
- Open the Terminal, from the Applications / Utilities folder.
- Type md5 followed by a space. Do not press Enter yet.
- Drag the downloaded file from the Finder window into the Terminal window.
- Press Enter and wait a few moments.
- The MD5 hash of the file is displayed in the Terminal.
- Open the checksum file provided on the Web page where you downloaded your file from.
- The file usually has a .cksum extension.
NOTE: The file should contain the MD5 sum of the download file. For example: md5sum: 25d422cc23b44c3bbd7a66c76d52af46 - Compare the MD5 hash in the checksum file to the one displayed in the Terminal.
- If they are exactly the same, your file was downloaded successfully. Otherwise, download your file again.
LINUX:
- Open a terminal window.
- Type the following command: md5sum [type file name with extension here] [path of the file] -- NOTE: You can also drag the file to the terminal window instead of typing the full path.
- Hit the Enter key.
- You’ll see the MD5 sum of the file.
- Match it against the original value.
See Also:
What is MD5 Sum?An MD5 checksum is a mathematical algorithm is usually a set of 32-character hexadecimal letters and numbers that are computed on a file with a tool. These numbers are generated using special tools that employ “cryptographic hash function producing a 128-bit (16-byte) hash value”. It is used not only to encrypt a ZIP archive or an EXE installer but all kinds of files. You can assign an MD5 sum even to a text or document file. The perfect match of MD5 checksum value ensures that the digital integrity and security of a file has not been broken by someone else and also that it is the accurate copy of the original file.
Thus, there are the two main reasons if the MD5 hash value of a file you downloaded does not match against the original sum:
The file might be modified by someone else in an unauthorized way.
The file was not downloaded properly and some of its elements might have been corrupted.
Here's an example of what the MD5 checksum or hash value of a file might look like: 25912deacc5d55528e223ec7b99705cc

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