No, I'm simply pointing out what changes and where. As to the solution
to your original problem. Recommend you check file size and modification
date as to determine "sameness". If you wish to continue with the MD5
check, convert the 2003 files to 2007.

Bogstick wrote:

Great you confirmed the issue but i dont understand your theory.

If one file is a backup of the other, the the two should be exactly the same
for both Date Modified and File size. The only thing that has happened is
that i ve opened and closed the original file.
Are you saying Excel 2003 files include a count for how many times you view
it?

"Bob I" wrote:


Using the /b switch it looks like 5 bytes change. the first at 046c
offset and the last at 470 offset. the first increments by 16 and the
last increments by one. I don't know the purpose. I think it is save to
say that if you are same modified date and file size then the two files
are the same worksheets.

bogstick wrote:


The FC results are from what i remember about 9 or 10 hex characters?

I have just randomly opened and closed some Excel 2003 documents and the
Date Accessed do not change. Unless you're talking about some other Excel
specific timestamp? So are you not able to reproduce my issues?

"Bob I" wrote:



With the FC command what changes are evident. Is this perhaps some
"accessed" time stamp?

bogstick wrote:



Yes i am opening Excel 2003 files with Excel 2007.
And yes the MD5 signature changes each time the file is opened and closed!
Are you able to replicate this with a blank document?

"Bob I" wrote:




Ok, are you opening and closing the "Excel 2003" files with Excel 2007?
And if so, do they change every time you open and close them, or is it
just the first time.

bogstick wrote:




You are right! This seems to be an issue only with Excel 2003 files!
When I used FC command, there was a small difference picked up!
I tried with 2007 .xlsx and the MD5 no longer changed!

So this is a fault of Excel 2003 documents? I wonder what the workaround
would be now if I were to still compare current Excel 2003 documents with
backup copies?

"Bob I" wrote:





If you do a FC (windows file compare) between a copy of the file that
has been opened and one that hasn't, what is listed as different. (.xlsx
files don't change for me)

bogstick wrote:




Anyone???

What is causing Excel documents to give different MD5 checksum values when
nothing is changed other than opening and closing the file??

"bogstick" wrote:






I like to routinely check my documents against backups by comparing MD5
signatures.
However, I find this impossible with Excel files because the MD5 value
changes just from opening and closing documents. I do not have this problem
with Word documents or any other type of file.
Could someone advise if there is an Excel setting that is causing this? If
so, do I need to use another file integrity checking method? What?