FastHasher

As its name clearly states, FastHasher is a utility designed to do one thing: to help you hash files in the easiest and fastest way possible.

For starters, it’s worth noting that the application requires the presence of .NET Framework 3.5 or higher in order to work as intended. Once this condition is met, FastHasher can be run directly without the need for administrative privileges or prior user configuration.

The app boasts support for some of the most popular and secure hash algorithms out there such as MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512. Working with FastHasher feels like a walk in the park, as all you have to do is drag and drop (or use the FileDialog file selector) the file you want to hash onto its main window.

Please note that the application does not support bulk processing, meaning you’ll have to manually load multiple files one at a time. The application is pretty much resource-friendly, and works well on all supported versions of Windows. However, it does feature a few buffer and performance-oriented settings.

For example, even though there’s no file size limit (meaning it can even work with files larger than 4 GB), it provides you with the option of choosing the buffer size. By default, the app has a set buffer size of 2 MB, however, you can go as high as 32 MB or as low as 1 KB. This ensures that even the oldest computers with slow CPUs can get most out of what this app has to offer.

Of course, if you’re running a modern computer with an SSD, then values of upwards of 8 MB should be the target. From the lower part of the main window, you can also opt to skip MD5 and SHA1 (especially if you have a slow machine). Last but not least, the app also enables you to save the hash results to a text file.

To conclude, if you’re looking for a fast, lightweight, and very user-friendly app to help you hash files, then FastHasher is as good as they come. It does not require installation and administrative rights to run, and it has enough configuration options to work on all types of computers out there.