It would be nice if the VRDB could be updated from the internet.
What do you mean? Do you mean to download the update file and install it yourself? ???
The vrdb relates to the content of your HDD not virus signatures so internet update really isn’t an option. I think you are confused between the VPS (Virus Pattern Signatures) and the VRDB (Virus Recovery DataBase).
I suggest a read of the avast help file, Healing, VRDB:
[b]VRDB[/b]VRDB stands for “Virus Recovery Database”; it was known as “Integrity Database” in previous avast! versions. The aim of VRDB is to help when, despite all the security measures, a virus gets inside the computer and the files are infected. With the help of VRDB, it is possible to repair infected files (return them exactly to their original state). VRDB is announced by an icon with the letter “i” in the system tray (next to the clock). If the icon is animated, the database is being created right now.
VRDB PRINCIPLE
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. The database creation/maintenance is performed either when the computer is idle, or when the screen-saver is running (any screen-saver, not only the avast! one). This database, once it is created, is updated each three weeks (this value may be changed by editing avast4.ini).
If any file is infected by a virus, it is possible to repair it, i.e. turn it to its original state. If there are multiple versions of the file in the database, you can choose which version you want to restore.
So as you can see from this there isn’t anything to update via the internet.
Perhaps not really updateable… it’s more like this:
Creating a hashes of parts of the executeable and then compare it with an online database and then repair invalid files by downloading the wrong parts again using some P2P network.
But I guess that’d go pretty far and probably too insecure to implement.
oops :-[ I misunderstood. I thought you were refering to the VPS files. Not the VRDB
If it weren’t updateable and your system changes then it won’t match.
What executables, the regular VRDB doesn’t monitor all executable files on your system ?
That would also require a very complex database, as each users system is different, OS, version, updates, etc. The regular VRDB builds up a history of the last three versions so it could step back if repair using the first repair is still infected/doesn’t work.
Not to mention if any problem you have denies/blocks internet access you have no reference to help repair infected files that may have been monitored by the VRDB. My personal view is that this VRDB data is best kept on the system it is trying to protect, but I don’t speak for Alwil Software.