So, when is the version without VRDB expected? Thanks for your advisory.
... (I said) 3. But even if I UNinstall, then REinstall Avast, that still might leave some hidden files-- which is the problem. And if I UNinstall Avast, and do NOT gain 1.5 GB more free space, where should I look for the remaining VRDB files, to remove them?
(then you said) [font=segoe ui]You may try using [url=http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-uninstall-utility.html]avast! Uninstall Utility[/url] to completely remove avast... You may optionally disable VRDB now since it could not keep up to most of the threats that's why it would be dropped for the feature lineup in avast 5.
UPDATE–
I uninstalled Avast, removing it “successfully” via Control Panel/Add-Remove. This left only the Alwil folder and an Avast configuration file (to permit reinstallation, if desired). But there was no increase at all in free space after a reboot.
I reinstalled Avast, hoping the installation might “recapture” some files the preious installation had lost track of, somehow. Finding no change, I promptly disabled VRDB generation, but still got no increase in free space after a reboot.
Next, I used the Avast-supplied utility you suggested to wipe the folder location of everything, but after reboot, there still was no increase in free space-- I am left with the same 1.77 GB of free space I found after originally issuing the command. “Generate VRDB Now!”.
Any other ideas on why completely removing the VRDB files (at least, in theory) has no effect on reported free space? Or where remaining (hidden?) VRDB files might be found?
It has no effect because the VRDB hasn’t gobbled up your HDD space, the VRDB isn’t a back-up, it doesn’t make copies of your files. It creates (Generates) a database containing information on the files that it covers (system, executable files, etc. not all files) to enable it to attempt repair.
The VRDB holds that information in the C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\integ\avast.int file, even when disabled that file would still exist (so no limited gain in HDD space. However, the VRDB file avast.int would be measured in MBs not GBs, before I disabled the VRDB and removed this file, it was only a little over 12MB.
DavidR-- I understand your claim that the VRDB requires only MB, not GB. That innocuous profile is the way VRDB was presented by all I consulted before deciding to use the VRDB, and there is no reason to suppose anyone would make that claim if he did not believe it true.
But the matter is not resolved. There is no other rational hypothesis for losing 1.5 GB of free space immediately after issuing the command, “Generate VRDB Now!”. No other operations of any kind were in-process, with no internet/network, and all was focused entirely on the VRDB operation, so it would complete as quickly as possible.
Generally, I have been pleased with Avast! and have recommended it to my clients. But every program has occasional rogue behaviors reported from the field, and this MAY be one of them.
In any case, at least one other poster has reported the same problem with losing space in VRDB-related activity. At the risk of “post hoc, ergo propter hoc”, this may need some further attention from Avast coders-- if that problem is not already involved in their decision to kill VRDB in version 5.
Sorry but there is no logic to that either, regardless of when it happened, before or after doing a generate now as the VRDB has a limited sub-set of files that it protects and the limited information on the files (not copies of the files) is stored in the avast.int file and nowhere else.
So unless the avast.int file is 1.5GB then that isn’t the culprit.
There are over 90 million avast users and if there was any possibility of this being the case then these forums would be awash with this and in the five and a half years on the forums I simply haven’t seen that. If by at least one other has found this you mean the original poster, then that was an assumption on there part which was cleared up.
The reason there will be no VRDB in version 5.0 is nothing to do with what you suggest, it is simply that this is old technology, which when first implemented was very effective. Now however, today’s virus infections are much more difficult to repair as they are frequently encrypted and the existing VRDB methods I believe aren’t effective against that.
Is the Recycle Bin Empty?
RE: Missing 1.5 GB Free Space
Thanks for your interest, Bill, and thanks to all others who offered insights and assistance. I am happy to report I have found a workaround which bypasses the whole issue of the sudden loss of 1.5 GB of free space, after running “Generate VRDB Now!”.
As you have read in preceding posts, I already have been informed the file avast.int is the file directly involved in the VRDB, and that file is never more than a few MB in size. I also have been told there are no other (hidden) files.
That leaves the matter of accounting for the sudden loss of 1.5 GB of free space (after running VRDB) a mystery, but since I was approaching critical congestion on this drive, I had to do something immediately.
The workaround was simply to use an excellent (free) utillity called “Tree Size” (www.JAM-software.com/customers). Tree Size permitted me to review the entire drive (some 16 GB of data) with a relatively fine-grained search for space-robbing files and folders, some of which were duplicated elsewhere.
Tree Size permitted me to drill down on each directory/folder to make sure everything inside (1) belonged on the drive and was not duplicated elsewhere and (2) at least the major folders had retention value.
In the end, I managed to unload about 4 GB of material which could be placed elsewhere-- leaving me with some 11.7 GB of solidly OS-bound data, and 5.18 GB free space.
And since I routinely run most of my desktop activity on a much larger IDE drive, and have pointed XP to that location, matters are back to normal.
The space issue after running the VRDB is first problem of any kind with Avast! after running it for about three years without significant problems.
BTW-- In answer to your question, I never leave anything in my Recycle Bin. But that is a good question because the user community-- believe it or not-- is still somewhat divided on what “Recycle Bin” means.
Years ago, after I had cleared the RB of one user who had complained of a slow system, he nearly hit the ceiling of his office-- “Wadidja do THAT for!?”
I told the user I was sorry, I had presumed recycle bin contained files to be discarded.
“Why do ya think they call it a REcycle bin!?” he demanded.
A very hard question to answer.
I look at mine as a Garbage Bin. All Deleted Files go there. When it is at 1-2GB I scan it for Files I want to save. Then I Erase it with 3 passes. I took a fast look at Tree Size. It looks like a very good Program .