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HashCheck v1.0.0

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@Jay-D-S Jay-D-S released this 27 Jun 00:54
· 11 commits to main since this release
v1.0.0
f1e37a5

HashCheck v1.0.0 — Bit-Rot Detection for Archived Media

Silent data corruption (bit-rot) can destroy irreplaceable photos, videos, and
documents on drives that appear perfectly healthy. HashCheck creates a verified
baseline of your archived files and alerts you when something has silently changed
— before you find out the hard way.

What it does

Create — scan a drive or folder and record a hash baseline. Runs in the
background; your PC stays responsive throughout.

Validate — compare your files against the baseline. HashCheck doesn't just
flag mismatches — it tells you why:

  • 🔴 Corrupted — hash differs but size and date unchanged. Classic bit-rot.
  • 🟡 Modified — hash differs and size or date changed. Probably a legitimate edit.
  • ⚫ Missing — was in the baseline, gone from the drive.
  • 🟢 New — on the drive, not yet in the baseline.

Reminders — set a validation interval per archive. HashCheck reminds you
when a set is overdue so cold archives don't go unchecked for years.

Re-create — when you intentionally update an archive, re-baseline it.
The old .hash file is automatically backed up first.

Autoscan — optionally add new files to the baseline automatically when
a drive is connected, without re-hashing everything.

Media Groups — register multiple physical copies of the same archive
(local drive, NAS, USB backup). Validate all copies in one pass, and repair
a corrupted copy from a known-good one.

Cross-Drive Repair — when corruption is found, HashCheck can copy the
good version from another registered copy, verify the repair hash matches
the stored baseline, and replace the corrupted file — automatically.

Key details

  • Runs quietly in the system tray — out of your way until needed
  • Portable — unzip and run, nothing to install, no registry entries
  • Default hash algorithm: XxHash3 (fast, non-cryptographic — optimised
    for speed on large archives, not tamper resistance)
    Also supports: MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256
  • .hash files are plain UTF-8 text — human-readable and stable across versions
  • Archives identified by volume serial number, not drive letter — works
    correctly when drives move between machines or change letters
  • All file operations use atomic writes — a partial or corrupt .hash
    file is never left on disk
  • Supports long paths (beyond the Windows 260-character limit)
  • Windows 10 / 11 x64

Download

HashCheck-v1.0.0-portable.zip — unzip anywhere, run HashCheck.exe.
No installation required.

Verification

SHA-256: 92d9869d674364ba22d7a6df54ab49f5e63f881d51b0345dcafea9ff54e5ea1d
VirusTotal: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/92d9869d674364ba22d7a6df54ab49f5e63f881d51b0345dcafea9ff54e5ea1d/detection

Background

HashCheck was inspired by watching a photographer lose archived shoots to
bit-rot on drives that showed no errors. The goal: a tool that's simple
enough for non-technical users but honest enough to tell you what kind
of change it found — because a corrupted file and an edited file are very
different problems.

Feedback & Issues

Found a bug or have a suggestion? Open an issue — all feedback welcome.

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