Hash Calculator

To check the integrity of downloaded files, you can use an application like Hash Calculator, designed to calculate the checksum of your files, no matter the format they have. It supports MD5 and SHA1.

Before proceeding, you should know that the tool is officially discontinued, which means that it will not receive any further updates. However, because it's freeware, it doesn't have any limitations, so you can take advantage of all its features. We haven't experienced any compatibility problems with Windows 10 in our tests.

There is no installation involved so you can double-click the downloaded .exe to reach the main app window right away. You can also keep it stored in your collection of portable software and fire it up whenever you need to make hash calculations.

The graphical interface is basic, consisting of just one window with several buttons and a menu. The hash type can be selected from this menu when it comes to SHA1 and MD5.

In the next step, all you have to do is pick the file whose hashsum you want to calculate (locate it with the integrated file browser  or drop it in this area), and press "Calculate" to perform the operation. The time it takes to complete the task depends on the size of the file. The alphanumerical code can be stored to the clipboard with one click.

Unfortunately, unlike other similar software, Hash Calculator doesn't integrate options for comparing two hashes to find whether or not they're a match. Also, it doesn't support anything else besides SHA1 and MD5. Nevertheless, it worked without fault throughout our evaluation and, as expected, used minimal system resources. Hashes were calculated in a jiffy. Very large files can be loaded, too.