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Symantec Definitions Folder Eating My Hard Drive

Using Symantec System Center to centrally manage Symantec AntiVirus on clients.

There is a folder on the main server called "definitions" that keeps growing, with files with these extensions:

.nlm
.is4
.aix
.lin
.sol
.x86

... and more.

The folder just keeps growing and growing, completely filling my 2.5gb e-drive. I could add a bigger hard drive, but how do I tell symantec to start using it and do I need to keep all these files.

jimmymcp02

there might be corrupt definitions under that folder. but the files that you listed above i dont see them under my sav definitions. If you search for a couple of those files they point to autocad or other programs. im looking under \Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\VirusDefs\ i dont see any of the files that you have listed.

You can try the following
stop the antivirus services from services.msc

the delete the following files from Program Files\SAV any file with extension tmp, xdb .vdb, .wdb

then delete everything under this folder \Program Files\SAV \I2_LDVP.VDB\

also delete everything under \Documents and Settings\All Users\Application data\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ Downloads

restart your antivirus.

then when the new definitions are downloaded check the space and monitor your virus definitions and space.

gateguard

ASKER

This is symantec corporate system center, main console, not the client. I'm pretty sure these files are related to the definitions download for the system center and it look like they download every day in a set of 6: .x86 .nlm .is4 .aix .lin .sol

It also looks like the entire set generally gets bigger with each download, which makes me think that each download is complete and that I don't need to keep the older downloads.

Does that sound logical?

jimmymcp02

Try this

Open symantec antivirus where you are running ssc and to to live update then go to configure live update.
Turn down the amount of space that live update is currently using also click on remove all files from catched. see attachment

Now go back to the symantec system console and check how the paret is set to retrive updates if you have set it to continues live update this will fill up your hard drive because everytime it finds an update it will download it. instead use a set schedule for weekly this will ensure that bandwidth is not over use and disk space is not over used.
Test and post back

liveupdateconfig.JPG

gateguard

ASKER

Thanks, Jimmy, I'm going to do as you suggest and I'll let you know how that worked.

But can I ask you a quick question in advance:

Each of those update-download-sets that it's saving is cumulative and complete, right?

I can delete the old files (going back a couple of years), right?

Thanks.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

jimmymcp02

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Pgh_Habitat

gateguard - any update on how this worked? I'm working on a similar situation. Thx.

jimmymcp02

any updates?

gateguard

ASKER

Sorry about not getting back until now.

Yes, it appears that each download is cumulative. I've been moving the old ones off the server onto external storage with no adverse results.

I'm going to just start deleting them now.