Author Topic: Archive scans & temp disk space  (Read 6942 times)

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Offline alanrf

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Archive scans & temp disk space
« on: January 16, 2005, 02:26:41 AM »
Is there a known way of providing Avast! with a specific drive/path to use for the  temporary files created during the unpacking and scanning of archive files?

Offline Eddy

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2005, 02:51:20 AM »
Too my knowledge Avast is using the settings from Windows for the path.
In Avast itself there is no option to change it.
Could be in Avast4.ini, but I don't think so.
(see Technical's signature for avast4.ini settings)

If I remember correctly, someone from Alwil elaberated on this subject in another thread.
Perhaps you can find it with the search option.


Offline Lisandro

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2005, 03:01:59 AM »
Is there a known way of providing Avast! with a specific drive/path to use for the  temporary files created during the unpacking and scanning of archive files?

I think not... this setting is not known (yet) in avast4.ini file...  :'(
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Offline alanrf

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2005, 03:07:30 AM »
Eddy,

thanks for your reply.  You are right that it uses the default Windows tempspace path.  I suppose I could change that before the scan and then change it back afterwards but an override would be preferable. 

I did check through Technical's documentation on the avast4.ini file.  It is a great resource but I know that it does not have 100% of the ini settings (sorry Technical - I am not complaining - it is a huge task to make it complete)

Remembering your advice to check before posting I did try but did not find a thread on this.  I will have to play around with the search arguments some more.

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2005, 03:32:39 AM »
Sorry Technical - I am not complaining - it is a huge task to make it complete

I need official help...  :-\
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Offline MikeBCda

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2005, 06:45:13 PM »
Actually avast does use its own folder for those, at least on XP systems.  Or at least it used to, and the folder's still there but empty on mine, so I assume it's defined by avast not by Win.  \Windows\Temp\_avast4_.

But I agree with Technical and the others, I'm not aware of any way of changing that location.
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Offline pk

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2005, 08:02:37 PM »
...and the folder's still there but empty on mine, so I assume it's defined by avast not by Win.  \Windows\Temp\_avast4_.

It should be empty (if it's not, you could reboot during scanning) - I don't think all files are removed during avast startup. The location can be changed in Control Panel/System/Advanced/Environment Variables (TEMP key) - but remember that not only avast takes TEMP place from this settings. A special location for unpacking can't be set up.

Oh, and for Win9x you have to insert "SET TEMP=<path>" line to autoexec.bat

Offline MikeBCda

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2005, 10:59:08 PM »
Thanks, pk.  The avast sub-folder isn't in the environment list, so I imagaine it's defined in the program itself, something like %tmp%\_avast4_.  And I couldn't  find any reference to it in the avast ini, at least not the default version -- I haven't yet gone hunting thru Technical's ini thread for this.
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Offline pk

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2005, 11:53:56 PM »
...but he didnt have problem with the folder name (_avast4_) - and its name will not be defined in .INI file for users. Current location of avast's temp file is defined like %TEMP%\_avast4_ - let he change %TEMP% path in the system environment.

Offline alanrf

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2005, 09:08:04 AM »
Dear pk,

you are quite correct that "he had no problem with the name of the Avast! folder" and he knows perfectly well how to change the variable in Windows that would move the temp space path (since the he is me).

I am happy to run Avast! without using archive scanning (that was, by default on with Norton) but I would like to run Avast! periodically with a thorough scan including archives. 
 
However, my concern is the excessive amount of writes that Avast! performs to the temp space path for archive scanning; (much, much) more than Norton for example (along with a significantly increased run time). 

The result is that one run of Avast! with archive scanning wipes out 4 or 5 days worth of system recovery space for Goback, which is my short term system recovery solution (this is about twice the amount consumed by Norton).

I wanted to know if there was a way to direct Avast! to use a drive that I have deliberately excluded from Goback coverage.  Given the very attractive price point I pay for Avast! I willingly accept that such an override is not provided. 

I do ask the Alwil team to consider such an option in their development strategy.

Offline igor

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Re: Archive scans & temp disk space
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2005, 10:22:34 AM »
This possibility is indeed not supported right now.
Even though I think that changing the TEMP variable would be the best solution (I mean - why should avast!'s TEMP be different from other programs' TEMP? - they also may write a lot of data there occasionally), I'll try to add the possibility to define your own avast! temp folder for the future version (by means of adding a registry value).