fciv tool to calculate hashes

How To Verify Hash Values in Windows

Security, Tutorials, , , , ,

Most vendors include the MD5 hashes along with the files for verification, by comparing which you can ensure that the downloaded files are not corrupted or their integrity tampered with if the values are same.

In Linux Operating System you can use the builtin MD5Sum utility to quickly calculate and verify the hash values to check file integrity. There is no built-in Microsoft Windows. However, Microsoft provides a free command line utility that you can download to calculate the MD5/SHA hashes of the files called FCIV (File CheckSum Integrity Verifier). You can use this tool to verify the hashes of the programs or files that you download from the web.

You can download the File CheckSum Integrity Verifier tool from Micrsoft page here. Just extract the file to a folder.

To use fciv tool:

  • Open a Command prompt
  • Navigate to the folder where fciv is downloaded by typing the appropriate path
  • Type fciv.exe and enter the path of the file (whose hash value you want to check) or you could just drag and drop the file onto the command prompt window

fciv tool to calculate hashes

  • The default result is MD5 hash, however you could use the switches like -SHA1 or -SHA2 to get the hashes and compare them with the ones provided by the vendor.
  • Do note that it takes time to show results for the large files
  • The Tool also provides options to get the hashes of a folder and its files by using a recursive switch (-r)
Broken Mobile Screen

How To Salvage A Cracked Mobile Phone Screen

Mobile, , , ,

The inevitable happened! Not that I was waiting to the break the screen of my mobile but basing on the law of averages, the nth fall finally led to the breaking of the display. Shattered at one end and fault lines running from top to bottom and sideways, I thought my phone was a dead piece, fortunately the phone still works and the touch screen is alive. Here is how it looked after the fall:

Broken Mobile Screen

As expected, an enquiry at the service center revealed that replacing the broken assembly would me cost a bomb. With that cost I could afford a decent entry level Android phone with Moto E launching, I could buy a decent Android Phone. I also explored the Do-It-Yourself option of changing only the glass and not the digitizer (the actual touch sensor), but have put that thought on hold considering I do not have the requisite tools. Also sourcing only the glass is very difficult as many sell it with digitizer, and it adds to the cost. With this in mind, I started to look for a workaround using which I could limit the damage and continue to use the phone till a permanent solution was acheived.

One of the things I remembered was that I had bought a ZAGG Invisible Shield screen guard, which I had removed from phone and had packed it back after using for an year or so. It had done an excellent job of protecting the screen with no impact on the usual touch operations, and in the hindsight I feel it was not a right decision to remove it. This is how much dirt it had taken after I had peeled it from the mobile and sticked it back in its re-usable package:

Reusing ZAGG Invisible Shield
Reusing ZAGG Invisible Shield

I sticked it again on the cell phone screen till the time I could either replace the broken screen or exchange the phone for a new one. The latter option is extremely unlikely considering the amount I would get if I were to sell. Anyways as the saying goes ‘something is better than nothing’, the ZAGG invisible shield seems to be holding the phone screen together. NOTE: Though the chances of screen breaking apart is minimal unless there is another fall, I recommend that you do not let kids play on your phone with a broken screen. This post is just a last gasp idea for you, if you broke your cell phone screen and looking for a workaround till you replace it. Here is how it looks now with the screen guard on:

broken_screen_guard

If your mobile screen is shattered, what workarounds are you using?

Related:

Do It Yourself Mobile Phone Stand