What is an MD5 checksum?
An MD5 checksum is a very reliable way to verify data integrity. The MD5 algorithm takes a file of arbitrary length and produces a 128-bit fingerprint of characters and numbers form that file.
It is proposed that it is computationally infeasible to produce two messages having the same output of numbers and characters.
The MD5 method is therefore a popular way of checking that large files that have been transferred (particularly when transferring large CD/DVD ISO files by FTP) have arrived with exactly the same bit data as the original and Wizbit will often use this method to verify that a file has arrived intact if a client wants to upload a large ISO content file to our FTP space.
The MD5 checksums will need to be produced by both the sender and receiver of a file and then compared. An MD5 checksum for a DVD may look something like this:
76cf0f6bff1ade0d19b6d052f242f456 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO
e2ec3aacf713b46cfa90244e59918f48 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.VOB
76cf0f6bff1ade0d19b6d052f242f456 *VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP
0d9fdfbea4fab033b4713b292ed92681 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.IFO
a5738c4062db97f50514c685a78d5cab *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.VOB
7a1adaea3d8223395a82f0414ab98fe4 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB
0d9fdfbea4fab033b4713b292ed92681 *VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.BUP
If you require some software to assist you with creating your own MD5 checksums then we would recommend MD5summer which is very easy to use and free to download.
Our account managers can assist you with creating and verifying the MD5 checksums if you wish to upload your CD/DVD content to one of our servers for disc production. Please just contact us for further information.