MD5 Checksum Verifier for Windows

MD5 Checksum Verifier is an easy-to-use utility for identifying changes in a file using the MD5 hash function. Although the program is straightforward, only advanced users are likely to need its functionality.

The program provides a simple tabbed interface that lets you calculate a file's checksum (which is a digit used to check whether errors have occurred in the transmission or storage of data), save the checksums of all files in a specific directory, and verify the checksums of the files against that earlier record. MD5 Checksum Verifier successfully detected changes we made in volatile files--files such as Word documents, which one expects to change over time--as well as the addition and deletion of files into the directory we were monitoring.

If you are unfamiliar with checksums and their use in monitoring the integrity of files, the application will not be of much assistance. In-line messaging is sparse, and the equally terse Help file merely restates without explanation what each tab does. For advanced users looking for a simple way of tracking files using MD5, this application (15-day trial; $14.95 to buy) may be worth the money.