[NOT SOLVED ] Avast free virus definition updates make full my hard drive

[DavidR]

@ igor,
I take this is directed to giulio_toffoletti who has the major problem ?

But the contents of my aswdefs.ini file is:
[Definitions]
Latest=19031002

There was another earlier defs sub-folder prior to my doing my weekly drive image backup. But on checking that earlier sub folder has now gone.

[giulio_toffoletti]

Inside the C:\Programmi\Alwil Software\Avast5\defs folder, there's a small file called aswdefs.ini.
Can you please open it (e.g. in Notepad) and post its content here? (There's a value Latest=something inside - and I'd like to know if it refers to the latest folder you have on disk, or for example to the very first one - 19020600).

Also, could you please create a list of the files in the folders and attach it here? Just open a command line prompt (e.g. press Win+R and type cmd.exe into the box). Then copy&paste the following command to the command prompt:
dir /s "C:\Programmi\Alwil Software\Avast5\defs" > c:\windows\temp\aswlist.txt
After that, please attach the file (c:\windows\temp\aswlist.txt) here...
Thanks!

Thank you all so much for your help  As soon I can i'll do what you told me. Today I have tried what MartinZ told me. I have deleted all the folders from february except the folder from 6th Feb. I have rebooted the pc and made the virus definition update ( the hdd was completely full ). I must see if all is gone good O.o

[giulio_toffoletti]

Inside the C:\Programmi\Alwil Software\Avast5\defs folder, there's a small file called aswdefs.ini.
Can you please open it (e.g. in Notepad) and post its content here? (There's a value Latest=something inside - and I'd like to know if it refers to the latest folder you have on disk, or for example to the very first one - 19020600).

Also, could you please create a list of the files in the folders and attach it here? Just open a command line prompt (e.g. press Win+R and type cmd.exe into the box). Then copy&paste the following command to the command prompt:
dir /s "C:\Programmi\Alwil Software\Avast5\defs" > c:\windows\temp\aswlist.txt
After that, please attach the file (c:\windows\temp\aswlist.txt) here...
Thanks!

Hello. So, the content of my aswdefs.ini is this
[Definitions]
Latest=19020600
 
The same date of the creation of the file. I don't know at the moment if my Avast work with the virus definition of that day, or with the updated defs.  For Windows xp my antivirus is not updated, but for Avast ( read another file .ini ? ) is all updated.

Here is the file aswlist.txt. I hope it will be useful. I saw that this question of the date of the virus definition is not only a problem of mine. In the original post another guy quoted the same problem with the same date.  6th Feb 2019 

[igor]

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm afraid it shows that your Avast is really using virus definitions from 6th February - any later are incompletely extracted on disk. That's also why they are not removed - Avast always removes the definitions older than the ones it's currently using...

Could I please ask you for one more file? Normally this does the support tool, but that's not working on your machine. Problem is, I honestly don't know where to find it on your machine... you having Italian Windows, plus the installation is updated from an even older version of Avast (so it's "Alwil Software", not "Avast Software" that the new versions got).
The file is called Update.log and it's in a folder which, on English Windows XP, is called C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
In that folder, it may be in AVAST Software\Persistent Data\Avast\Logs... but for you, it may be Alwil Software instead, and I'm not sure if Persistent Data will be there.
Maybe you could use Windows Search (Win+F) to find the location?

There's one thing I would try to fix the problem - download the full virus definition update from https://www.avast.com/download-update and run it... chances are it may help.
Sorry for the troubles.

[giulio_toffoletti]

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm afraid it shows that your Avast is really using virus definitions from 6th February - any later are incompletely extracted on disk. That's also why they are not removed - Avast always removes the definitions older than the ones it's currently using...

Could I please ask you for one more file? Normally this does the support tool, but that's not working on your machine. Problem is, I honestly don't know where to find it on your machine... you having Italian Windows, plus the installation is updated from an even older version of Avast (so it's "Alwil Software", not "Avast Software" that the new versions got).
The file is called Update.log and it's in a folder which, on English Windows XP, is called C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
In that folder, it may be in AVAST Software\Persistent Data\Avast\Logs... but for you, it may be Alwil Software instead, and I'm not sure if Persistent Data will be there.
Maybe you could use Windows Search (Win+F) to find the location?

There's one thing I would try to fix the problem - download the full virus definition update from https://www.avast.com/download-update and run it... chances are it may help.
Sorry for the troubles.

Thanks a lot for the help.  I will search the file as soon as possible, unfortunately, I've just try to use the offline definition package. It was the first attempt after the repair function. I was worried that avast don't use the newest definition. You confirm my suspect.  You and all the people that asking me are so nice. Thank you so much. Using the removal tool and installing the last version available ( 10 for not sse2 cpu ) can be a solution?

[giulio_toffoletti]

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm afraid it shows that your Avast is really using virus definitions from 6th February - any later are incompletely extracted on disk. That's also why they are not removed - Avast always removes the definitions older than the ones it's currently using...

Could I please ask you for one more file? Normally this does the support tool, but that's not working on your machine. Problem is, I honestly don't know where to find it on your machine... you having Italian Windows, plus the installation is updated from an even older version of Avast (so it's "Alwil Software", not "Avast Software" that the new versions got).
The file is called Update.log and it's in a folder which, on English Windows XP, is called C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
In that folder, it may be in AVAST Software\Persistent Data\Avast\Logs... but for you, it may be Alwil Software instead, and I'm not sure if Persistent Data will be there.
Maybe you could use Windows Search (Win+F) to find the location?

There's one thing I would try to fix the problem - download the full virus definition update from https://www.avast.com/download-update and run it... chances are it may help.
Sorry for the troubles.

Hi Igor I found the file. it's very big, 13 MB. Due the forum limitation I can't attach it as rar file. I must split it so i need a little bit of time. I understand to little of the contents, but I think that the contents it's interesting. I hope can be useful. Thanks for all. One question. If they aren't problem with the virus definition, can be the file .ini in the folder virusdef edited to force manually the use of the new virus definition?

[giulio_toffoletti]

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm afraid it shows that your Avast is really using virus definitions from 6th February - any later are incompletely extracted on disk. That's also why they are not removed - Avast always removes the definitions older than the ones it's currently using...

Could I please ask you for one more file? Normally this does the support tool, but that's not working on your machine. Problem is, I honestly don't know where to find it on your machine... you having Italian Windows, plus the installation is updated from an even older version of Avast (so it's "Alwil Software", not "Avast Software" that the new versions got).
The file is called Update.log and it's in a folder which, on English Windows XP, is called C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
In that folder, it may be in AVAST Software\Persistent Data\Avast\Logs... but for you, it may be Alwil Software instead, and I'm not sure if Persistent Data will be there.
Maybe you could use Windows Search (Win+F) to find the location?

There's one thing I would try to fix the problem - download the full virus definition update from https://www.avast.com/download-update and run it... chances are it may help.
Sorry for the troubles.

Hi Igor I found the file. it's very big, 13 MB. Due the forum limitation I can't attach it as rar file. I must split it so i need a little bit of time. I understand to little of the contents, but I think that the contents it's interesting. I hope can be useful. Thanks for all. One question. If they aren't problem with the virus definition, can be the file .ini in the folder virusdef edited to force manually the use of the new virus definition?

Here are the files. Sorry for the format...

[giulio_toffoletti]

One at a time :/

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