Huge file "Simple user interface.txt"

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

My concern is with the file, “C:\Program Files\Avast4\DATA\report\Simple user interface.txt”. Every scan adds 30 MB of data to this file and it ends up one huge file.

Is it necessary to keep this file? Can the entire file be deleted after each run or is it necessary for the next scan?

Thank you.
Laverne

2

I don’t even have a C:\Program Files\Avast4\DATA\report\Simple user interface.txt file on my system, so it looks like you have been doing some tweaking of logging settings ?

I guess you have set the Create report file option in Program Settings, Report file ?
I believe that too is disabled by default and you may have gone a step further in reporting even OK files, that would start to get huge logs

You can also limit the Logging file sizes, Program Settings, Logging, Log file size limit, I have mine way down at 128KB, but there are some areas where this doesn’t apply. I don’t know if yours would be one of them.

Whilst your in there, the default Logging level is the pointer opposite the Notice level, any lower will also increase log sizes.

So you could uncheck the create report file option, or select Overwrite existing, or reduce the log file sizes, or delete the file, but to delete this file you would first have to disable the avast self-defence module (Program Settings, Troubleshooting).

3

Hi DavidR –

You were totally accurate in your analysis of my settings. Do you have a crystal ball? Wow, what a help you were. I did have the option set to create a Report file – and I DID “go a step further” and had checked the “OK files” to be included in the report. What a great analysis from you.

Thanks, too, for spelling out exactly where to find these settings. I always get lost when rambling around Avast.

I removed the check mark in “OK files” and put a check mark to Overwrite existing. Then I ran the Avast scan. The new file was 115 KB compared with 30,000 KB in the past. I am so very appreciative.

Laverne

4

You’re welcome.

No, no crystal ball just good intuition and recognising a tweaker ;D
Unfortunately when tweaking it isn’t easy to recognise what all the repercussions will be of the tweaks.

Now you see what a difference a little planning in the tweak can make, from 30MB to 115KB is one heck of a difference ;D