Learn the Easy Way to Use PowerShell to Get File Hashes

re: Learn the Easy Way to Use PowerShell to Get File Hashes

Bill Stewart — Wed, 30 May 2012 20:11:09 GMT

@Ed Wilson and @Jeffery Hicks: I also wrote a standalone script for this a while back (doesn't use PSCX): www.windowsitpro.com/.../calculate-file-hashes-powershell-139518

re: Learn the Easy Way to Use PowerShell to Get File Hashes

Ed Wilson — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:57:42 GMT

@iHunger I am glad you like the article. The second part -- computing MD5 hash for a folder itself it a bit of a problem. In fact, in my research, I was unable to determine a good way to do this. As mentioned in the article here, the tool dies when it hits a folder. The best way to do this is to compute the hashes for all the files in the folder, and go from there.

@Jeffrey Hicks this is a great function. Thanks for writing it, and for sharing the link.

re: Learn the Easy Way to Use PowerShell to Get File Hashes

Jeffery Hicks — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:18:00 GMT

For those who can't use PSCX for whatever reason, or need something other than an MD5 hash, I have a function that might help: http://bit.ly/hSkFHe

re: Learn the Easy Way to Use PowerShell to Get File Hashes

iHunger — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:17:25 GMT

Great entry as always Ed. I hope that you have an answer for the second part of MO's problem - "I need to find the MD5 hash of files and folders. I use this information to determine if something has changed on a system."

I take that to mean he is building the equivalent of directory watcher that spans multiple directories on any number of machines and network shares looking for changes to files or the addition and removal of files.