Quick Tip: File Hashes with PowerShell Community Extensions

Problem

I need to calculate the MD5 and SHA hashes for a file from Windows and I’d rather not download 3rd-party GUI software that clutters my setup.

Solution

I like the PowerShell Community Extensions for this.

1. Download Chocolatey Nuget (it will make your life outside of this post easier, I promise).
2. From the Powershell command prompt, type cinst pscx. This will install the PowerShellCommunity Extensions.
3. Use the PSCX syntax to get the hashes. Some examples below:

Get-Hash C:\Path\To\File.zip -Algorithm MD5
Get-Hash C:\Path\To\File.zip -Algorithm SHA1