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Software to check file integrity ?

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Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 1:36:15 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to check
all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?

thanks

More about : software check file integrity

Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 1:36:16 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

zjustice wrote:
> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to check
> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?
>
> thanks

Chkdsk?
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 3:58:40 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

point taken but something to check the file integrity rather thanthe disk

i'm making this up as i go but hope you get the drift !



"Spindle" <arthedge@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1125262902.356274.68600@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> zjustice wrote:
>> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to
>> check
>> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?
>>
>> thanks
>
> Chkdsk?
>
Related resources
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 4:18:30 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to check
> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?

Readable? Yes. OK? Not really. A utility can only read what's there; it
can't know what's supposed to be there. The only way to discover defects
in the content of a file, as opposed to its structure, is to compare it
to another copy known to be correct.
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 5:25:11 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"Neill Massello" <neillmassello@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1h20np6.1638yi0qq5y44N%neillmassello@earthlink.net...
> zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to
>> check
>> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?
>
> Readable? Yes. OK? Not really. A utility can only read what's there; it
> can't know what's supposed to be there. The only way to discover defects
> in the content of a file, as opposed to its structure, is to compare it
> to another copy known to be correct. an
Right!

For the OP, if the file is readable, it's high probablility that the file
contents have not changed or become corrupted. I.e, you imagine that
someone could create a utility that would change files such that chkdsk
would see them as OK, but the contents were either changed or were
corrupted - but the chances of that happening normally would be quite small.
>
August 29, 2005 7:28:46 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

<http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;841290>
Availability and description of the File Checksum Integrity Verifier
utility

Article ID : 841290
Last Review : June 14, 2004
Revision : 1.0

File Checksum Integrity Verifier

SUMMARY
The File Checksum Integrity Verifier (FCIV) is a command-prompt
utility that computes and verifies cryptographic hash values of files.
FCIV can compute MD5 or SHA-1 cryptographic hash values. These values
can be displayed on the screen or saved in an XML file database for
later use and verification.

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 21:36:15 +0100, "zjustice"
<zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to check
>all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?
>
>thanks
>
>
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 11:43:14 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

fj wrote:

>
> "Neill Massello" <neillmassello@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:1h20np6.1638yi0qq5y44N%neillmassello@earthlink.net...
>> zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to
>>> check
>>> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?
>>
>> Readable? Yes. OK? Not really. A utility can only read what's there; it
>> can't know what's supposed to be there. The only way to discover defects
>> in the content of a file, as opposed to its structure, is to compare it
>> to another copy known to be correct. an
> Right!
>
> For the OP, if the file is readable, it's high probablility that the file
> contents have not changed or become corrupted. I.e, you imagine that
> someone could create a utility that would change files such that chkdsk
> would see them as OK, but the contents were either changed or were
> corrupted - but the chances of that happening normally would be quite
> small.

A bad bit in RAM can corrupt files during a copy. I've seen it happen.
I've also seen a defective address line cause corruption during a copy. In
both cases the system ran quite reliably. Unfortunately the only way to
detect such a problem is by a direct comparison with the original.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 4:25:43 PM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

fj <jelenko@att.net> wrote
> Neill Massello <neillmassello@earthlink.net> wrote
>> zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:

>>> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it
>>> to check all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?

>> Readable? Yes. OK? Not really. A utility can only read what's there;
>> it can't know what's supposed to be there. The only way to discover
>> defects in the content of a file, as opposed to its structure, is to
>> compare it to another copy known to be correct. an

> Right!

> For the OP, if the file is readable, it's high probablility that the file
> contents have not changed or become corrupted.

That isnt true if its been recovered.

> I.e, you imagine that someone could create a utility that would change files
> such that chkdsk would see them as OK, but the contents were either changed or
> were corrupted - but the chances of that happening normally would be quite
> small.

Not with recovery.
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 6:57:13 PM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Previously zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to check
> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?

Readable is simple:

tar -cf - / | /dev/null

Integrity check is impossible (in the strong, mathematical sense).

Arno
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 29, 2005 11:44:52 PM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

one thing to add

in the past i've used Kaspersky anti-virus , and it found 2 files it said
were corrupted
in its report

they were rar files and opened ok in winrar but i hadnt extracted them

Q) Wondering if this is a useful check ?

thanks

tar - guess your a unix bod , isn't a tar file similar to a zip but doesnt
necessarily have to be compressed ?

thanks



"Arno Wagner" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3ngm29F1e5jnU2@individual.net...
> Previously zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to
>> check
>> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?
>
> Readable is simple:
>
> tar -cf - / | /dev/null
>
> Integrity check is impossible (in the strong, mathematical sense).
>
> Arno
>
>
>
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 30, 2005 2:44:44 AM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

>
> Integrity check is impossible (in the strong, mathematical sense).
>
> Arno

Don't confuse the issue. A checksum will provide ample assurance.
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 30, 2005 1:19:53 PM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Previously zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:

> one thing to add

> in the past i've used Kaspersky anti-virus , and it found 2 files it said
> were corrupted
> in its report

> they were rar files and opened ok in winrar but i hadnt extracted them

> Q) Wondering if this is a useful check ?

No. Still a decompression attempt is useful for compressed files (those being
the only one that can be checked for integrity problems).

> thanks

> tar - guess your a unix bod , isn't a tar file similar to a zip but doesnt
> necessarily have to be compressed ?

Yes.



> "Arno Wagner" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:3ngm29F1e5jnU2@individual.net...
>> Previously zjustice <zeroREMOVEnews2@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> Is there a utility if you have concern over a HD to run against it to
>>> check
>>> all the files present to see if they're ok and readable ?
>>
>> Readable is simple:
>>
>> tar -cf - / | /dev/null
>>
>> Integrity check is impossible (in the strong, mathematical sense).
>>
>> Arno
>>
>>
>>
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 30, 2005 1:20:28 PM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Previously timeOday <timeOday-UNSPAM@theknack.net> wrote:

>>
>> Integrity check is impossible (in the strong, mathematical sense).
>>
>> Arno

> Don't confuse the issue. A checksum will provide ample assurance.

Oh yes. If you made it before corruption happened. Afterwards you cannot.

Arno
Anonymous
a b G Storage
August 30, 2005 2:29:59 PM

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"Arno Wagner" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:3nimmsF1n6q3U2@individual.net...
> Previously timeOday <timeOday-UNSPAM@theknack.net> wrote:
>
> >>
> >> Integrity check is impossible (in the strong, mathematical sense).
> >>
> >> Arno
>
> > Don't confuse the issue. A checksum will provide ample assurance.
>
> Oh yes. If you made it before corruption happened. Afterwards you cannot.
>
Windows 2K and latter have SFC, which can compare system files with originals.
!