File downloaded as file

Get the latest tutorials on SysAdmin and open source topics. Hollie's Hub for Good Supporting each other to make an impact. Write for DigitalOcean You get paid, we donate to tech non-profits. Have you ever wondered what that checksum link was for? That checksum is used to verify the integrity of the file you just downloaded. On February 20th, , the website for Linux Mint, a popular Linux distribution, was hacked and the ISO used to install the distro was compromised.

Before the compromised ISO was discovered, many people downloaded and possibly installed a version of Linux Mint with a backdoor baked in. This dangerous install could have been avoided at the user level if the individuals who downloaded the altered ISO performed a file verification to see if what they downloaded had the same checksum as the original file.

File verification, also known as hashing , is the process of checking that a file you have on your machine is identical to the source file.. When you hash a file, you are left with a checksum , a random alpha numeric string with a set length. The process to generate a checksum is often called a one-way cryptographic function.

When the file is hashed using the MD5 algorithm, the resulting checksum will be 32 random characters. If you were to hash a character long file, the resulting MD5 checksum is still 32 characters. Even if the source file was only 10 characters long, the MD5 checksum would still be 32 random characters. But if even one thing is different, like an extra space in the file, the checksum will be completely different. The version is identified as either a number like 1, 2, 3, or by the number of times SHA is run in succession, such as , , or One of the ways Windows Defender keeps your computer safe from internet evils is by employing its SmartScreen tool to keep you from downloading potentially harmful files or visiting malicious sites.

On some occasions, however, you may find SmartScreen overstepping its bounds and blocking you from downloading a file you know to be safe. I don't recommend turning SmartScreen off completely because it is helpful in preventing you from downloading a malicious file or app, but you can disable it in Microsoft's Edge browser if you want to override its protection and go ahead and download a file it doesn't recognize.

You can disable SmartScreen in the Windows Defender Security Center app in total or just for Edge, but for the latter it's faster to do so right within Edge itself, particularly if you are already using Edge.

Pro Browser Free. Upgrade WP Free. Spotify Free. What's new in this version Version 3. Additional information Published by MegaScopes. Published by MegaScopes. Approximate size Age rating For all ages. Access your home or work networks Use your music library Use your pictures library Use your video library Microsoft. Permissions info. Installation Get this app while signed in to your Microsoft account and install on up to ten Windows 10 devices.

Seizure warnings Photosensitive seizure warning. Report this product Report this app to Microsoft Thanks for reporting your concern. Our team will review it and, if necessary, take action. Sign in to report this app to Microsoft. Report this app to Microsoft. Report this app to Microsoft Potential violation Offensive content Child exploitation Malware or virus Privacy concerns Misleading app Poor performance. How you found the violation and any other useful info. Not all files you're warned about are malicious, but it's important to make sure you trust the site you're downloading from, and that you really want to download the file.

If you see a security warning that tells you the publisher of this program couldn't be verified, this means that Internet Explorer doesn't recognize the site or organization asking you to download the file.

Make sure you recognize and trust the publisher before you save or open the download. There are always risks to downloading files from the web.

Here are some precautions you can take to help protect your PC when you download files:. If the file has a digital signature, make sure that the signature is valid and the file is from a trusted location. To see the digital signature, select the publisher link in the security warning dialog box that opens when you first download the file.

Windows 10 Internet Explorer Windows 8. Use the latest browser recommended by Microsoft Get speed, security, and privacy with Microsoft Edge. Need more help? Join the discussion. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you!