Testing a set of FLAC files with FLAC Frontend
FLAC has the unique ability to store information about it's audio content within the header. The
FLAC Fingerprint feature takes an md5 checksum of just the audio data contained within the file. FLAC stores this number inside the header of the file itself, and thus each file can be independantly "tested" to confirm that it has not been corrupted. When you "test" a FLAC file it will take the md5 checksum of the audio contained within the file, compare it to the result stored in the header (put there when the file was originally encoded) and return a pass/fail. This is a simple way to confirm that the file you have has not not corrupted. This is also useful when you've downloaded a file off the internet either with BitTorrent or any other transfer protocall. Run a quick test on your file; if it fails you did not complete the download correctly. If it passes, you're good to go.
Note: Due to serious inadequacies in older versions of FLAC Frontend (mainly it it's handling of sector boundary correction), please make sure that you are using version 1.7.1 or later,
downloadable here.
Testing FLAC files is an incredibly easy process, but a necessary step in confirming files after a download has completed. To run a test, simply browse to a collection of FLAC files with a given folder.
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Drag all of the files into the fresh FLAC Frontend window. Press the "Test" button located towards the bottom right. This will open a command prompt window and begin displaying the results as it checks each file. It will take several seconds to perform each check, depending on the length of the file.
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When done, the window will pause so that you can review the results of each file's "test". Once you're satisfied that all files have been tested successfully, press any key to close the window. The ability to self-test is something that is incredibly easy yet extremely useful for lossless file trading. Always be sure to run a test of your files every time you transfer them off of a CD, DVD, through the internet, or between computers.
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