VRDB file size?

[Bosco123456]

I just installed avast! yesterday for the first time.

I have for now disabled the VRDB generator, due to my wondering how large a file will be created. I have a 120 GB hard drive  w 110 GB actual storage space.

It currently has 105 GB occupied, and 4.71 GB available.

Your help file states "avast! creates an integrity database, i.e. it stores information about the actual state of the files, doing it three versions back for each file."

I can find nothing in the Help files for VRDB and/or the main Avast! help file database giving any info whatsoever as to how large an "integrity database" is, let alone an integrity database with 3 versions per file.

Would appreciate further info.
(Future users would probably appreciate - as I would - an answer to the above question to be included in the "What is avast! VRDB" help file.

[Lisandro]

It stores the necessary info to restore executables (*.exe, *.com) files.
VRDB is not a backup system, the stored information is very small (not the whole files).
Besides, only Win32 executables are processed.
VRDB is a generic method, storing file parts that are often target of virus infections. Actually, VRDB scans all the local hard disks for executable files and stores some info about them. VRDB is not a backup system, the stored information is very small (not the whole files). Besides, only Win32 executables are processed. The VRDB data are stored in <avast>\Data\Integ\avast.int

[Bosco123456]

Thanks for the prompt explanation, Tech.

I realized that it couldn't be 3x the entire Document file, but was unfamiliar with the term "integrity database" and thought it could be too large for my remaining hard drive space.

Will enable it now.

[Lisandro]

You're welcome. Feel free to come back any time you need help or just to change experiences

[DavidR]

You can check the sive of the data file containing the VRDB Generation, integrity info, C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\integ\avast.int. Mine is 7,626KB but this would vary depending on your system, .exe files that the VRDB monitors and compiles the VRDB integrity data on.

Don't try opening this file to see what is in it as modification could corrupt it, see image. Though the avast self-defence module should prevent that.

[YoKenny]

Bosco123456, I would seriously consider getting an extra hard drive as they are really inexpensive and get an external case for it to off load some of the files to it as you will not be able to defrag the hard drive with that amount of free space I believe. 

Karen's Replicator is a great application to manage files:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

[Bosco123456]

You can check the sive of the data file containing the VRDB Generation, integrity info, C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\integ\avast.int. Mine is 7,626KB but this would vary depending on your system, .exe files that the VRDB monitors and compiles the VRDB integrity data on.

Don't try opening this file to see what is in it as modification could corrupt it, see image. Though the avast self-defence module should prevent that.

Oops! Just searched for that file before I read this and did find it - I did however click on the "integ" folder and looked at the contents (the "avast.int" file) but did not click on (open) the "avast.int" file - mainly because I don't know what a ".int" file is (another abreviation of "integrity", I guess) and figured I'd get a message telling me Windows doesn't know how to open a ".int" file.
The file is 9,286 KB in this case.

So I suppose I haven't corrupted the file, since never tried to open the "avast.int" file itself. Correct?

Thanks for all the responses. Very helpful forum. I have another issue with avast! which I'll post now in a separate thread in this forum.

I have a question about this page, though - the page in which I am typing this response.

Instead of seeing the images on this page, I am instead seeing red "x"s where the images should be.
I started noticing this problem recently on some other sites.
If I right click on the red "x", and then select "Show Picture", it converts that red "x" to it's picture.

Can someone tell me what may be causing this? Is it something in the avast! program that thinks it is protecting my computer - this one is Windows XP Home - by not letting the pictures initialize?

ADDITION to above - Just went to the forum page and read this post of mine. The forum page had all the images initalize correctly - no red "x"s.

I then went back to the page where I am typing this message for posting - this time ALL of the images have initialized correctly - no red "x"s.
This is the same page I refer to above, which had red "x"s instead of images (all of the emoticons were red x's, etc.).

Is it just that the page stopped downloading before all of it had intialized?

[DavidR]

Opening it shouldn't cause a problem if you use notepad a text editor (probably too big a file for notepad), but using something like a word processor it could by loading it apply some formatting characters. Again the self-defence should stop any changes and hopefully retain integrity.

What browser and version are you using ?
This is commonly associated with IE and this being the case it is recommended that you clear your browser cache (temporary internet files).

Try reloading/refresh the page, hold the shift key down at the same time as clicking the refresh button, that normally reloads the page but avoids the browser cache.