Verify File Hashes with certutil -hashfile
Built-in Windows command to compute MD5, SHA1 or SHA-256 hashes of any file.
01Command
$ certutil -hashfile "C:\Downloads\file.iso" SHA25602What it does
certutil -hashfile has shipped with Windows since Windows 7 and needs no installation, unlike the commonly forgotten fact that it does hashing at all. Supported algorithms include MD5, SHA1, SHA256 and SHA512; SHA256 is what most software pages publish. The command prints the hash in hex over several lines, so script users often filter it with `| findstr /v :` to strip the header.
03Risk
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- certutil - Windows CommandsEvidence: Documents certutil -hashfile, which computes a cryptographic hash of a file using an algorithm such as SHA256.
- CertUtil - Certificate UtilityEvidence: Shows certutil -hashfile usage with MD5, SHA1, SHA256 and SHA512 algorithm arguments.
Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: Files & Folders
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