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I downloaded the "Windows 8.1 embedded Industry Pro x64 with Update" from Dreamspark site. The hash of the downloaded file is "87fb1abdec56435afd86bd4fbf7be5a8c9e91be0" which does not match with the hash of the corresponding file on MSDN(it didn't match with any file on MSDN). What's the catch here? If the same files are hosted on both the servers, shouldn't their hashes be the same?
Mayank Singh
Posted 2015-08-06T13:50:19.800
Reputation: 115
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If the files are identical, the hashes will match. The fact that they don't means either the files are not identical at the source, or your computer had a problem downloading or saving the file.
ChrisInEdmonton
Posted 2015-08-06T13:50:19.800
Reputation: 8 110
Downloads from MSDN usually occur via the Secure Download Managar by Kivuto. The download manager validated the file when the download ended, so my download isn't incomplete or broken. Are the files not identical at the source? Why wouldn't they be identical. link at msdn. The same file has a different hash at MSDN as is obvious.
– Mayank Singh – 2015-08-06T14:07:44.947They have same source, Microsoft, but they are not the same file. – Ramhound – 2015-08-06T16:23:02.193
That means the ISO is safe to install and use? – Mayank Singh – 2015-08-06T18:19:12.993
No, most definitely not. All you can tell is that the ISO is not the same as what you'd get directly from Microsoft. It doesn't guarantee that the ISO is unsafe, but you are sure it is at least different. – ChrisInEdmonton – 2015-08-06T18:46:34.937
Does that mean that even the software downloaded from Dreamspark can be untrusted? – Mayank Singh – 2015-08-06T19:10:03.190
It means it is definitely different from what you'd get from Microsoft. Whether you trust Dreamspark or not is up to you and cannot be determined from the hash value, given that it doesn't match. – ChrisInEdmonton – 2015-08-06T21:04:48.237
But Dreamspark is a Microsoft program. So, the software that they are giving technically comes from Microsoft. – Mayank Singh – 2015-08-07T05:27:23.233
I have answered your question. The hash being different indicates the file is different. If the hash was the same, you could trust that the files were identical. That's not the case. I cannot tell you if you can trust your download because it's outside the scope of the information available. If you have additional questions, please start a new question. – ChrisInEdmonton – 2015-08-07T13:22:09.067
Technically speaking Dreamspark website isn't MSDN. You are looking at the same download for both websites? Can you link to the relevant information so we can look for ourselfs? – Ramhound – 2015-08-06T13:55:37.820
If i am correct, then Dreamspark has all softwares available from Microsoft(irrespective of weather it is sold via the retail or VL channel); that means the OS ISOs available from Dreamspark should necessarily be found on MSDN. The Dreamspark site first redirects you to download a "secure download manager" link which in turns downloads the file, validates it and then unpacks it.
– Mayank Singh – 2015-08-06T13:59:13.497