A new beta of ExactFile is available for download.

A help file has been added.

The Create TestFiles Applet function has been implemented.  This update makes FileCheckMD5 completely obsolete. From the help file:

The Create TestFile Applet function makes it easy to provide a simple way for a user to test all of the files on a CD or DVD. This function creates a digest file much like the Create Digest function, but goes one step further: it also writes a small (less than 400K) “TestFiles.exe” application in the same folder. When the TestFiles applet (applet = tiny application) is executed, it automatically loads the digest file and immediately starts testing the files. The TestFiles application is multi-threaded* and responsive to user input even while scanning files on slow media and can be closed instantly if desired. TestFiles shows an easy-to-understand report (such as “Every file is ok”, etc).

The intended usage of this function is for you to build your deployment folder, then run the Create TestFile Applet function on that folder. Two files are added to the folder: TestFiles.exe and checksums.exf. The entire folder can then be burned to CD.  From that point, running TestFiles automatically initiates file testing.

The TestFiles.exe application is “read only” in the sense that it cannot generate digest files. It merely reads the digest file created by ExactFile, compares the checksums to the files in the folder and subfolders, and reports.

The first public beta version of ExactFile is now available for download. For details on ExactFile, see the ExactFile home page.

This beta release is mostly functional. The file checksum, digest generation, digest testing, and hash benchmark functions are all quite usable.

The following planned major features are currently not implemented:

• Help file (not that you need one, right?)
• TestFiles Applet creation
• Windows “Open With” support

I will be updating this web site over the next few days to explain the various features of ExactFile. For now, I just wanted to get the beta posted.

Here are some screen shots:

• Create Digest page in action
• Report: Digest creation
• Report: Digest test

A note to FileCheckMD5 users:

If you use FileCheckMD5’s “portable” functionality (for CDs, USB memory sticks, etc), you will want to keep FileCheckMD5 around for that purpose (until the Create TestFile Applet feature is implemented). ExactFile can generate FileCheckMD5-compatible digest files, so you can still use it to make your checkfiles. This is fairly trivial — just load up ExactFile, click the Create Digest page, and set your target folder and the digest type to fcmd5. Make sure FileCheckMD5 is in the target folder as well, and you’re good to go.