THE FILE FIELD GUIDE

.sfv

Simple File Verification List

Generic / Ambiguous Data

SFV generally lists filenames and CRC32 values. Check it alongside the payloads; CRC32 is not suitable for authenticating malicious tampering.

Main use: Detect missing or transfer-damaged files
Data type: Text data

All sections, questions and sources

Content reviewed：2026-10-19 · Editor：Kai

Opening steps

Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.

An SFV-capable checker such as cfv

Preserve the original and inspect a working copy in a compatible application.

Read the list and identify target filenames.
Gather the targets in their expected layout.
Run an SFV-compatible verification tool.

Inspect the received file and its requirements

Establish dependencies and settings before proceeding.

Check that every split-archive volume is present.
Check filename and encoding differences.
Do not mistake the list for payload data.

Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.

Troubleshooting by symptom

Missing: retrieve the absent payload.
CRC mismatch: check version, size and transfer completion.
Garbled names: check list/name encoding.
No repair operation: SFV contains no recovery data.

SFV → integrity check

Record verification results and missing/mismatched filenames.
Reopen the output and check it against the preservation points in this guide before handoff.

It does not replace cryptographic hashes or signatures for authentication.

The role of CRC32

Detecting accidental corruption differs from proving the sender’s identity.

Source for these steps：cfv project · Command-line File Verify / althonos/cksfv.rs · cksfv.rs

Worked example: checks before handoff

Example: identify missing volumes, retrieve them, then extract from the first volume.

Source for these steps：cfv project · Command-line File Verify / althonos/cksfv.rs · cksfv.rs

Related-format differences

Related-format differences
Format / method	Purpose and preserved information
.sfv	Detect missing or transfer-damaged files
SHA256	A checksum list using a different algorithm.
SFV → integrity check	It does not replace cryptographic hashes or signatures for authentication.

Handling and security

Do not execute an unknown file solely because its CRC matches.

Questions and answers

Convert it into a video?

The video payload is separate.

Can SFV extract the archive?

The complete archive set is required.

Does OK mean malware-free?

CRC matching is not a malware check.

Format facts: name, steward and MIME type

Formal name: Simple File Verification List
Steward / specification: cfv project
MIME type: Consult the producer or delivery system. The extension alone does not establish a MIME type.

Primary and official sources

Project documentationCommand-line File Verify
Implementation supporting SFV checksum verification.
cfv project · Link checked：2026-10-16
Project documentationcksfv.rs
CRC32 and SFV-list generation/checking.
althonos/cksfv.rs · Link checked：2026-10-16