Checking a File's SHA256 Hash in PowerShell

1. Open PowerShell:

• Press Win + X, then select Windows PowerShell or Windows Terminal.
• Alternatively, search for PowerShell in the Start menu and open it.

2. Navigate to the Directory (if needed):

• Use the cd command to change to the directory containing the file.

  cd C:\Path\To\Your\File
  

3. Calculate the SHA256 Hash:

• Use the following command, replacing filename.ext with the name of your file:
• Remember to set the correct algorithm

  $fileHash = (Get-FileHash example.txt -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
  

4. Create a Known Good Hash Variable:

• Use the following command, adding the hash from the website.

  $knownGoodHash = "<place text here>"
  

5. Compare the Hashes:

• Run the following command to compare the hashes.

  $fileHash -eq $knownGoodHash
  

6. Clean up the Environment:

• Run the following commands to remove the vars you created

  Remove-Variable fileHash, knownGoodHash
  

  or

  Get-Variable | Remove-Variable -Force