Large size of definition update files: 4mb/ overwriting?

[gatrboots]

Hello,

I am a new user of Norton 2003 Antivirus and I just started downloading the "intelligent updates" each day. These updates are 4mb each and I was wondering if anyone knows if these files overwrite the previous ones or do they keep adding up on to my hard drive and decreasing free space?

Thank You.
Sincerely,

gatrboots

 

[gluckmac]

gatrboots,

The files do not overwrite each other because they have different names due to the release date being part of the file name.

Two recent files were 20030902-005-i32.exe and 20030905-008-i32.exe.

Unless you delete the files after running them to update the anti-virus definitions they will take up more and more disk space.

gluckmac

 

[gatrboots]

Hello gluckmac,

Thanks for your reply. When I download these intellegent updates, I save them to my desktop and installl them. Once I am finished installing them, I delete themm from my desktop. But I am not sure you answered my question. Even if I delete the file from my desktop, since you said that the files don't overwrite, then I am assuming that they will pile up rather fast in the folder that holds all of the symantic stuff like these update files. Is this correct?

This seems kind of ineffecient. Downloading 4mb files everyday or two, will start to take up a heck of a lot of space after a while I imagine?

Thanks again for your help. Please advise me if you have any tips.

Sincerely,

gatrboots

 

[polymath5]

The files that you download update the definitions. They are merged with the definition tables that NAV reads. Only new or revised defs are added/changed in the tables.

So, while your def table size will grow slightly on each update. It's not like the the entire 4-8 meg download file is added and stored somewhere. As Gatrboots said, delete the files you downloaded after you run the update. That's all you need to do to keep disk useage to a minimum.

Does that help clear things up for you? If not let us know.


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[gatrboots]

Hello Polymath5,

Yes, that totally clears things up. Thanks so much. I now see what you mean by "merging", as only the new stuff since the last update takes up new storage space. This is a relief to my drive space worries. Thanks again.

Sincerely,

gatrboots

 

[polymath5]

Glad I could help you out. Now if someone asks you, you can help them!

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Mens et Manus
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[gluckmac]

Instead of posting the definitions for new virus, Symantec posts defintion files that have all the previous definitions included. That way a user never has to worry that he or she is missing a definition. Also, Symantec doesn't have to post a list of thousands of definition files.

Eventually, the definition files might be a lot larger than 4MB if the virus writers keep going at the current pace.

 

[polymath5]

Good points. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me to see larger than 4-5 MB def files in the future.

Of course if they publicly executed, by slow electrocution, these virus writers...

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