MD5 Application

The contents of digital files are unique and can be identified through hash values – strings of numbers and letters that can be obtained by running a file’s content through a cryptographic algorithm. You could think of such a string as a file's "fingerprints."

Some developers even make hash values available for everyone to see, so that when you download a program, you can compare them to the hashes of the file on your computer. If the values are different, it means that the file has been somehow modified and could pose a threat to your system.

You could make such a comparison by using an app like MD5 Application.

As its name suggests, MD5 Application uses the MD5 algorithm to determine file hashes. Even though this is the most widely used algorithm for this purpose, it isn’t the only one available. Since there are other free apps that can determine file hashes using a plethora of algorithms, one could consider MD5 Application a limited tool.

Still, one algorithm is enough to determine whether or not a file has been modified and the program is more than fit for this operation. After you obtain the file’s hash value using the app, copy/paste a value you have obtained before from another source (like a program’s download site or another hash check). After that, click Verify and MD5 Application will tell you if the numbers and letters match or not.

As I’ve already stated above, there are many other free programs that have a lot more functions; some can use more algorithms, while others can process multiple files at once. This is why MD5 Application doesn’t really impress. Sure, it does its job fast and well, but since there are tools that do more, the choice is more than obvious.