Virus Recovery Database

Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security
1

Hi,

Can you please tell me where the VRDB file is located on my disk ? I think it must be a huge file, but I didn’t know where it is.

I have another question. Suppose the VRDB was activated and few days or months after, I decide to stop the VRDB. Will the VRDB will be destroyed automaticaly when I choose not making a VRDB generation or must I delete it manually ?

Thanks in advance,

Best regards.

2

Hi,

I’ll have to guess at your second question – I believe that if you disable VRDB generation, it simply no longer periodically updates your existing VRDB, but leaves the old file in place.

As for the file itself, it’s (normally) in \data\integ under your avast folder. On my XP-home system, it’s a single file, something over 15 megs.

But why on earth would you want to ditch it? It’s avast’s “first line of defense” in repairing files that have become infected.

Best,
Mike

3

Hi,

Thanks for your answer. I was affraid it put this file in a system folder.

I deactivate it, because I was affraid that it took a lot of disk space (every file is duplicated 3 times). So if I delete this file, there will ot be any problem ?

Is other antivirus software use the same principle for recovering infected file or that is specific for Avast. Does other AV software have another mechanism ?

Thanks .

4

Only a small part (the ‘DNA’ ;)) of the executable files will be stored to further recovery.
Indeed, last three versions are saved but the file won’t be that huge. Better safe than sorry.
VRDB is not a ‘backup’ of the whole file

Yes, you can disable VRDB generation and delete that file.
But you won’t be able to recover from virus infections if you have any… :cry:

This technology is only from Alwil (as far I know) 8)

5

ok thanks, I tought it was all the file that was backuped. Only .exe files are backuped ?

Thnks for your very clear explanation Technical !

Best regards,

6

Not even then… only informations about them in order to recover. I mean, viruses ‘change’ specific parts of the executable code (and the file). So avast keeps the original information to clean infected viruses only on the executable files (.exe, .com).

7

And files like .dll, .jpg,… and so on are also concerned by the VRDB ?

8

DLL - yes, JPG - no.