Using HashCalc - Fastest Calculator

Hash – Hash is a result of data or a string of characters after calculation by some algorithmic formula. Hash maps data of any size to a fixed length. The value returned by the hash algorithm is called hash values.

What is hash used for?

1. In DBMS hash is use to map data to its representative values
2. To validate the authenticated the values
3. To check the integrity of input types
4. Secures the data
5. Password verification

What is HashCalc?

HashCalc is a free calculator to compute multiple hashes, checksums and HMACs for files, text and hex strings. It allows to calculate hash (message digest), checksum and HMAC values based on the most popular algorithms: MD2, MD4, MD5, SHA1, SHA2 (SHA256, SHA384, SHA512), RIPEMD160, PANAMA, TIGER, CRC32, ADLER32, and the hash used in eDonkey (eDonkey2000, ed2k) and eMule tools. It supports 3 input data formats: file, text string and hexadecimal string. It is a very fast, easy to use and to install application. It works with large size files; supports file drag-and-drop functionality. HashCalc generates hash, check sum, and HMAC for files of any type which makes it a valuable utility to test for corruption your FTP and other download/upload transfers. With this tool you can quickly compare music, audio, sound, video, film, game, image, icon, document and other files, verify CD and hard drive files, perform checking of your .mp3, .mpeg, .mpg, .avi, .vcd, .iso, .zip, .gif, .jpg, .doc and other downloads.

How to install HashCalc?

1. Click on the Download button on their website https://hashcalc.soft112.com/. This will start the download from the website of the developer.

2. Once the file is downloaded, right click on it and extract it to the location you want.

3. After extracting the file click on setup and follow the on-screen menu options - in this case click on next.

4. Now accept the license agreement to proceed to the next step.

5. Choose the destination as to where you want to install the HashCalc software and click on next.

6. After clicking couple of next, the only step left is to install it. Go ahead and click on install.

Lastly click on Launch HashCalc to open the software.

This is how the welcome screen looks like. Mitho isn't it?
Hmmm, now to carry on with out practical lessons lets create a file with notepad (search for notepad if you don't know how to open it)

Once the notepad is open lets type in some text and save the file in the desktop with a familiar name.

Now let us calculate a hash of the file we just saved in the Desktop

In HashCalc Data Format select File

On Data – Click the button next to the field and choose the file we saved in the Desktop

Check MD5 and uncheck all other hash types and click calculate.

As you can see the MD5 value of the file is : 00ce2528744ae69ed2fb48980a3bd777

Now let us make changes to the hash.txt file in the desktop

Lets calculate its hash again. Repeat the same steps above.

Now if you see the hash value is different than the previous one.

Value - 472e0803d3dee25b7695d26202d59dfb

Though we added some text in the file hash.txt you can notice that the length of the value remains the same.

Check mark all of the hash types and calculate, you can notice that different hash types create a different hash length this is because a larger bit hash can provide more security as there are more possible combinations.

Feel free to comment and please do follow the blog for more tutorials. You can also write to me if you want to learn more about hash algorithms and cryptography.