Release verification

Verify your download

Confirm that your Portable ZIP is the exact official release before running it.

Use an official source

Download Star-Launcher from star-launcher.com or the official Star-Launcher GitHub releases. Do not run repackaged copies, and do not disable Windows security to make an unofficial copy run.

Verify the Portable ZIP

Each GitHub release includes the ZIP and a matching .zip.sha256 file. In PowerShell, run:

Get-FileHash .\Star-Launcher-VERSION.zip -Algorithm SHA256

Compare the displayed hash with the value in the matching checksum file. Every character must match. A mismatch means the file is not the verified release and should not be used.

Check the extracted package

The supported portable package contains exactly these four files:

  • Star-Launcher.exe
  • README.md
  • release-manifest.json
  • SHA256SUMS.txt

Run the same PowerShell command against Star-Launcher.exe and compare it with SHA256SUMS.txt or the executable entry in release-manifest.json.

What verification proves

A matching SHA-256 value proves that your file is byte-for-byte identical to the published artifact. It detects corruption and replacement after publication. It does not prove that software is bug-free or independently reviewed. The Security page records the additional release tests, scan evidence, and current code-signing status.

In-app updates

The updater performs the ZIP size and SHA-256 comparison automatically, checks the expected website and package structure, rejects unsafe archive paths, and preserves user settings. You still choose whether to update and restart.