How Do You Use "MD5 Compare"?

[Kiwi Commandant]

Certainly I may be a bit thick but how do you use it? There seems to be no Read Me instructions and it doesn't seem to be intuitive. I've DL'ed the GWX files and am keen to check them.

Thanks

KC

[Dowly]

Download the GWX.md5 file and put it to the same folder as the .bins and the GWX.exe.

Launch the MD5Compare, choose 'Compare from MD5 file' and open up the GWX.MD5 file. It automatically checks the files.

[Kiwi Commandant]

Download the GWX.md5 file and put it to the same folder as the .bins and the GWX.exe.

Launch the MD5Compare, choose 'Compare from MD5 file' and open up the GWX.MD5 file. It automatically checks the files.

Aha ... I see it now - many thanks Dowly.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Being serious now, one thing I do recommend prior to d/l GWX is to d/l either my (free) MD5Compare application (check my website) or another of your choice.

Because, in addition to the core GWX files, you'll be able to download a very small .md5 file which will contain all the correct MD5 sums* for each GWX installer "piece" (MD5 sums for each file will also be listed in the release post and webpage etc).

After you have d/l all of GWX, open this .md5 file in MD5Compare and it will tell you VERY quickly whether any of your d/l files are corrupt. Hence you'll know *before* you start installing GWX whether your d/l is OK, rather than when the installer finds a corrupt file during installation. This provides great piece of mind and helps reduce uncertainty about corruption if subsequent install problems do arise.

The use of MD5 sums for determining the validity of GWX downloads will replace the use of file size comparisons. As I'm sure most of you know, same file size does not necessarily mean that the files are the same. Only a true file checksum comparison can determine whether the destination is the same as the source.

*For those that don't know, an MD5 sum, hash, or digest, is a 128-bit "fingerprint" represented as 32 hexadecimal digits. If you d/l a lot from the internet, you may have seen these values before. Essentially, if the MD5 sum of your file is the same as the host's, then it's safe to assume that your file is not corrupt. If they're different, assume that your file is corrupt.

Please use the MD5 hash located under each link to compare.

[Kiwi Commandant]

[quote=Kpt.
Please use the MD5 hash located under each link to compare.[/quote]

Thanks Kpt but still being thick - how do you do this? I a see a hash number under each DL link but what do I do with them?

I have tried runnng GWX MD5 without really knowing what I am doing. I got 4 green ticks alongside the *.bins and a red cross next to gwx.exe. Does that mean that my DL of gwx.exe is no good? It said "10 files compared - 5 failed".

[bigboywooly]

I found the best way is

Open the MD5 prog

In the select file ( top ) line browse to your GWX file

In the " Enter MD5--- " line copy and paste the hash posted under the link - 1st post of the release page

Hit compare

Seems the text file when uploaded saves wrong so the exe always looks corrupt

If you are comparing the exe the hash would be - bbf4550508046d63030165676429993f

[Kiwi Commandant]

Many thanks BBW

[VonHelsching]

[quote=Kpt.
Please use the MD5 hash located under each link to compare.

Thanks Kpt but still being thick - how do you do this? I a see a hash number under each DL link but what do I do with them?

I have tried runnng GWX MD5 without really knowing what I am doing. I got 4 green ticks alongside the *.bins and a red cross next to gwx.exe. Does that mean that my DL of gwx.exe is no good? It said "10 files compared - 5 failed".[/quote]

Sometimes the .MD5 file is saved with .html tags and messes the check for the .exe. I just found that out some hours ago...Your download is fine. Go ahead and install!

[Paajtor]

So we better not use that MD5-thingy?

[bigboywooly]

NO
Use the MD5 compare as that way you will know all files are ok to install
The hash are also available under each link in the first page if the release thread

[Capt.Crackerjack]

:hmm: I had the same experience as Kiwi, but I assume the MD5 check is strictly for checking the .bin files and does not apply to .exe or other files.

[fredbass]

It should work with the exe as well. I assume for all actually.

[JScones]

The md5 hash file available via the GWX d/l thread is not correct - it appears to have been corrupted when u/l (ironic really, as the source is correct).

Get the correct one here... http://hosted.filefront.com/JScones/1890008

To use, d/l and save to the same folder as the GWX pieces. Then open MD5Compare, click on "Compare from MD5 file" and press "1. Select MD5 file...".

Browse to the GWX.md5 file and select it.

All going well you should get 6 ticks. Any crosses against any of the GWX files means corruption.

[Paajtor]

Thank you.

[fredbass]

I thought this is worth a bump for a while. :up: