Generating the MD5 checksum for a file

An MD5 checksum is a 32-character hexadecimal number that's computed on files. This value can be used to verify data integrity against unintentional file corruption during transfer.

Generating MD5 Checksum:

Windows -

1. Open Command Prompt - Press Windows + R, type cmd and press enter

2. Navigate to the folder that has the file whose integrity needs to be verified - type 'cd' followed by the path to the folder having the file to do so.

Tip: Open the folder having the file in Windows Explorer, then drag and drop it in Command Prompt to inset the path

3. Type the following command -

certutil -hashfile <File whose MD5 needs to be computed> MD5  

For example, in order to generate the MD5 checksum for a Oracle Linux 8 ISO file -

Linux -

1. Open Terminal

2. Navigate to the folder that has the file whose integrity needs to be verified - type 'cd' followed by the path to the folder having the file to do so.

3. Run the following command -

md5sum <File whose MD5 needs to be computed>  

For example, in order to generate the MD5 checksum for a Oracle Linux 8 ISO file -

Verify if the estimated MD5 matches the MD5 provided by the file's original owner. If the two checksums are different, the file is likely corrupted. Re-transfer the file and repeat the process.

For any feedback or questions regarding this article (Illumina Knowledge Article #8482), contact Illumina Technical Support [e-mail].