Symptoms

A secure hash algorithm (SHA)-256 hash may be required to exclude a file from an anti-virus or malware prevention application. This article discusses how to identify the SHA-256 hash for a file on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Affected Operating Systems: WindowsmacOSLinux

Cause

Not applicable

Resolution

Click Windows, macOS, or Linux for the process to identify the file's SHA-256 hash. Windows Right-click the Windows Start menu and then click Run. In the Run UI, type cmd and then press OK. In Command Prompt, browse to the location of the appropriate [FILENAME]. Note: [FILENAME] = Name of file. Type CertUtil -hashfile [FILENAME] SHA256 and then press Enter. Note: [FILENAME] used in the example may differ in your environment. Record the file’s SHA-256 hash. In the example, 5e71d4ffc3a0723b1bcca206fd14c0e217f6d9beb33a5b327ea251d3a54df5af is the file’s SHA-256. Note: The SHA-256 hash in the example may differ in your environment. macOS Select Go, then Utilities, and then Terminal. Double-click Terminal to launch the UI.In terminal, browse to the location of the appropriate [FILENAME]. Note: [FILENAME] = Name of file. In Terminal, type sudo shasum -a 256 [FILENAME] and then press Enter.Populate the Password for the account being used and then press Enter. Note: [FILENAME] used in the example may differ in your environment. Record the file’s SHA-256 hash. In the example, 56429c53bff44bbf21527f0bf13a27bc20ceff42160d3170287af6d50da195623 is the file’s SHA-256. Note: The SHA-256 hash in the example may differ in your environment. Linux Open Terminal. In Terminal, browse to the appropriate [FILENAME]. Note: [FILENAME] = Name of file. Type sudo sha256sum [FILENAME] and then press Enter.Populate the password for the account being used and then press Enter. Record the file’s SHA-256 hash. In the example, 4167b599f36af0781b81563bd2179a6d35daa3145f0b6f99ac6d9ee1894b516a is the file’s SHA-256. Note: The [FILENAME] and SHA-256 hash in the example may differ in your environment. To contact support, reference Dell Data Security International Support Phone Numbers.Go to TechDirect to generate a technical support request online.For additional insights and resources, join the Dell Security Community Forum.

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