SharpSFV

SharpSFV is a modern, high-performance file hashing and verification tool built in C# (.NET 10). Designed as a spiritual successor to the classic QuickSFV, it retains a familiar, lightweight interface while leveraging Data-Oriented Design (DoD), smart hardware detection, and Zero-Allocation memory management to handle massive datasets.

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QuickSFV Comparison Benchmark (MD5)

Benchmark performed on a dataset of 500,000 files (ranging from 1KB to 10MB).

Tool	Result	Notes
QuickSFV	DNF (Crashed)	Crashed at ~250,000 files. Process took ~10m 20s before failure.
SharpSFV	74,382ms (75s)	Completed successfully with full UI responsiveness.

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Technical Improvements

SharpSFV addresses the architectural limitations of legacy tools to meet modern computing standards:

• Structure of Arrays (SoA): Unlike standard object-oriented apps, SharpSFV uses parallel arrays to manage data. This reduces memory overhead by ~60% and maximizes CPU cache locality.
• Smart I/O Threading: Automatically probes the hardware to detect HDD vs SSD/NVMe.
  • HDD: Switches to Sequential processing to prevent disk thrashing.
  • SSD: Switches to Massive Parallelism to saturate the PCIe bus.
• Zero-Allocation Pipeline: Utilizes ArrayPool, Span<T>, and System.Threading.Channels to eliminate Garbage Collection (GC) pauses during processing.
• Active Jobs View: Files larger than 50MB trigger a secondary "Active Jobs" panel, allowing you to monitor individual progress without the UI freezing on a single file.
• Legacy Compatibility: Robust parsing engine that handles both Hash *Filename and Filename Hash syntax. Automatically detects and fixes Endianness mismatches in legacy CRC-32 checksums.
• Modern Algorithms: Implements xxHash-3 (128-bit), providing checksum generation at the speed of RAM (GB/s).

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Key Features

• Multiple Operation Modes:
  • Standard Mode: Classic list view for verifying or creating checksums.
  • Job Queue Mode: Dragging folders queues them as distinct jobs, processed sequentially.
  • Mini Mode: A compact UI for quick Context Menu operations.
  • Headless Mode: CLI execution for scripting and automation.
• Context Menu Integration: Right-click files/folders in Explorer to "Create Checksum". Handles multi-instance piping automatically.
• Bad File Tools:
  • Move "BAD" files to a _BAD_FILES subfolder.
  • Rename corrupt files (append .CORRUPT).
  • Generate .bat scripts to delete bad files or handle duplicates.
• Instant Filtering: Real-time search by filename or status (e.g., filter to show only "MISSING" files).
• Portable Configuration: Settings are saved to SharpSFV.ini. No Registry bloat.

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Supported Algorithms

Algorithm	Bit Width	Description
xxHash-3	128-bit	Default. Extremely fast. Ideal for game files and large datasets.
CRC-32	32-bit	Standard .sfv support. Includes legacy Endian-swap logic.
MD5	128-bit	Industry standard for file integrity verification.
SHA-1	160-bit	Legacy standard support.
SHA-256	256-bit	High-security cryptographic hash.

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Usage

GUI Modes

1. Creation: Drag files/folders into the window. Select Algo > File > Save As....
2. Verification: Drag a checksum file (.sfv, .md5, etc.) into the window.
   • Green: OK
   • Red: BAD (Hash Mismatch)
   • Strikethrough: MISSING (File not found)
3. Job Queue: Select "Mode > Job Queue Mode", then drag multiple folders to queue them as batch jobs.

Command Line (Headless)

SharpSFV can be used in scripts without showing a window using the -headless flag. It attaches to the parent console to stream output.

:: Verify a file silently
SharpSFV.exe -headless "C:\LinuxDistros\ubuntu.md5"

:: Create checksums for a folder (Default Algo)
SharpSFV.exe -headless -create "C:\Backups\2023"

Context Menu Registration

To enable right-click integration:

1. Run SharpSFV as Administrator (optional, but recommended for registry writes).
2. Go to Options > System Integration > Register Explorer Context Menu.

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Configuration (SharpSFV.ini)

Settings can be toggled via the Options menu or edited manually in the .ini file:

• ProcessingMode: Forces HDD (Sequential) or SSD (Parallel). Default is Auto.
• PathStorageMode: Relative (default) or Absolute.
• EnableChecksumComments: Adds header comments (Date/Algo) to generated files.
• ShowThroughputStats: Toggles the Speed (MB/s) and ETA display.
• OptimizeForHDD: Legacy flag, superseded by ProcessingMode.

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Build Instructions

Requirements:

• .NET 10.0 SDK
• Visual Studio 2022 / JetBrains Rider

Build Command:

dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false -p:PublishSingleFile=true

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License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0).

You may copy, distribute, and modify the software as long as you track changes/dates in source files. Any modifications to or software including (via compiler) GPL-licensed code must also be made available under the GPL along with build & install instructions.