New version 2.0.114

Google has just released a new version of its toolbar: v2.0.114. The Google Toolbar updates itself automatically, as :

The Google Toolbar automatically updates itself when a new version is available. This may not happen immediately, but it will eventually.

The last 4 updates of the toolbar were (french version of the toolbar):

  • version 2.0.111 : 2004-05-14
  • version 2.0.112 : 2004-07-15
  • version 2.0.113 : 2004-07-30
  • version 2.0.114 : 2004-09-09

The Toolbar checksum

As you may know, the Google Toolbar has a built in code (in a DLL) for computing the checksum associated to each URL viewed in the browser. This checksum depends only on the URL and is needed to retrieve the PageRank displayed in the toolbar. In June 2004, this checksum algorithm was cracked and the code was released all over the web (see comments about that). Since that time, many people developed some PageRank checkers based on this cracked code. That was the first time you could retrieve the PageRank so easily without using the Google Toolbar.

The new algorithm

Search Engine Marketers wondered how many time Google would leave a cracked algorithm like this... if that could be an explanation for the long awaited PageRank update (Google hasn't updated the PageRank since the time this algorithm was cracked...).

Our tests show that Google has just changed this algorithm. Let's see some examples:

Tested URL: https://prweaver.com/

  • With the last version (2.0.113), the checksum was 6963020688.
  • With the cracked version, the checksum was also 6963020688 (evident but we checked that...).
  • With the new version (2.0.114), the checksum is

Tested URL: https://prweaver.com/blog/

  • With the last version (2.0.113), the checksum was 6754577502.
  • With the cracked version, the checksum was also 6754577502 (evident but we checked that...).
  • With the new version (2.0.114), the checksum is 6831794505

Conclusion

Google has changed the Toolbar Checksum algorithm (it is not the first time, but there are not much updates). During a transition period, both algorithm are valid (if you still have an old version of the toolbar, you still can see PageRank) but in the future Google may only allow the new algorithm. If it's the case, all the tools based on the cracked version of the toolbar checksum algorithm won't work anymore...

This is the reason why we chose to base our PageRank and Backlinks Analyzer software PR Weaver on the Google toolbar and not on cracked versions of the algorithm.

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