Is AVG too big for it's boots ?!

Dear All,

Hope this is the correct Forum.

About 7 weeks ago I installed AVG Free Edition anti virus software.

Before installation my HD "used space" was 4. something GB.

I carried out my first "Complete Test" scan and the "Bytes Tested" figure started at Zero - reasonably enough.

On subsequent scans I noticed that the BT figure started at 2.79 GB and my HD "used space" had risen to nearly 7 GB.

Someone at "AskMe" said that AVG may be using a "mirroring" technique and this might have caused the sudden large increase in my HD "used space ".

I e mailed Grisoft who produce AVG, told them what had happened and asked them the following question:-

"Is AVG using a "mirroring" technique and, if so, is it likely to have caused my HD "used space" to shoot up as it has done ? "

Their verbatim reply was as follows (I think they're Scandinavian):-

"No. AVG is using a comparation database which stores the information about all files where is possibility of infection. But just file size, name and checksum is stored to monitor file changes caused by viruses. The size of this DB is in scale of MB (I have 4MB in my 6GB drive) ".

Frankly, I'm not sure whether this answer confirms or denies the use of a "mirroring" technique !

Now, I've found a file called "Gobackio.bin ". It's file type is "AVG Update file" and it's size is, GUESS WHAT(?!), 2.79 GB !! Some file size, eh ? I cannot open this file. I get messages like "There is not enough free memory to run this program. Quit one or more programs and then try again ", (doesn't work), and "The file Gobackio.bin cannot be opened for Quick View. It may be open or locked by another application or you may not have access to it ".

After all this, it seems obvious that AVG has caused the massive increase in my HD "used space ".

BUT ----- has a "mirroring" technique been used or not ? Further, what is in my "Gobackio.bin" file, why is it so enormous and why can't I open it ? Why does "Bytes Tested" figure now start at 2.79 GB when scanning ?

So, can anyone express an opinion as to what on earth is going on ?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards Graham Newey

 

Hi Graham. This is just a WAG but with some basis in fact. Goback is a mirroring utility that uses some percentage of your harddrive to create a mirror image for recovery purposes. I just asked Google about gobackio and this came back which you might want to look at. :
http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=gobackio.bin
I suspect that AVG somehow uses some version of Goback(which , by the way, is a very good restore utility and liked by a lot of folks) but other than that, I have not much idea. Just a little light, hopefully, on a shady subject. I used to have Goback on a 4Gb HDD computer and it used 10% of HDD by default(chooseable) so I dedicated 400Mb to Goback at that time. Hope this clears up some HDD mysteriously used space. I'm not a computer Guru, so take it for what it's worth. Luck to you.

 

I just did a search on my 2 Windows boxes (ME and XP) for the file Gobackio.bin, using several search parameters, as I have AVG installed on the both of them, and the search returned a negative result - I don't have any such file on either of the boxes previously mentioned.

 

No gobackio.bin here

I have had the free version of AVG and now I have the registered version and I do not have gobackio.bin anywhere on my Windows 2000, Windows NT or Windows ME boxes.

When you say "Now, I've found a file called 'Gobackio.bin'. It's file type is 'AVG Update file' ", I don't think this file is related to AVG in any way. I looked on all my workstations and what has happened is when AVG was installed, the bin extension was simply associated as an AVG Update file. This means that all files on your hard drive(s) with the bin extention will have an AVG file type association. This will not affect other applications/services that use bin file types.

I too did a Google search on gobackio.bin and all signs point to the fact that you have, or at least had, GoBack installed. This would be the reason that file is so big and why your disk space has increased.

 

Having had a little time on my hands after my Internet time yesterday, since I was somewhat intrigued by the scenario outlined by you and my initial and partial look into it I looked into this further on my 2 Windows boxes whereupon I have AVG installed and found that what Hulka said seems indeed to be the case. Files with bin extensions are automatically being associated with AVG as of the type AVG Update File even though such is not always the case. I think, therefore, you have to look elsewhere for the correct program association pertaining to that file.

Forget not that computers, OSes and software generally are still quite primitive. When such become smart, as it were, a correct association will be automatically assigned to every file, instead of the generalised association we often find at present.

 

The GOBACKIO.BIN file is the cache file used by the program called GoBack to store any changes you make to your files and allow restoring to previous versions, etc. It's size is selected when you install GoBack and by default it will be 10% of the entire drive space except that if 10% isn't available, it will adjust to 1/2 of the free space available. It can be user changed to a value you prefer but it can only be done at the install process. If you alrerady have it installed you would have to uninstall it to change that, in which case you will lose your present cache history content.

 

Re file sizes

From what I can understand, the folder/file called Gobackio.bin is not actually related to AVG. It is a folder installed by the program called Go back, which I assume u have/had installed. It was likely installed as a reference for the Go back program to record your AVG settings etc, so in the event that you had to roll back your system to a period earlier (Using Go back) it can restore your AVG settings automatically to that earlier perios. I could be wrong of course (if you dont have Go back installed!) I use AVG, and have no file/folder called Gobackio.bin on my H/D, but I also dont have Go Back either Hope this helps Chris

 

While on this subject and in addition to that which I've already said, it should be kept in mind that the file may be only designated as type AVG Upgrade File simply because of the same file extension. I say this, after some investigation on my Windows boxes, since a few files thereon that have absolutely no connection with the normal operation of AVG or the program associated with the other file are still designated as type AVG Update File. An example of such a file is the config.bin file that is a part of the GUI version of SETI@home, which is assigned on both my Windows boxes (ME and XP) as type AVG Update File.

 

Gentlemen All,

Very many thanks for your time and trouble taken in answering my question.

Frankly, a good bit of what you've said is a little above my head.

The general consensus seems to be that Gobackio.bin relates to "Go Back" (which I DO have installed) and not to AVG.

My exact HD space (according to pcpitstop) is 29276 MB = 28.58 GB (Belarc reckons it's slightly larger). Gobackio.bin is 2.79 GB ie approx 10% of HD --- which seems to bear out what Don and bobmc32 say.

Normally, I'd agree that this would seem to settle the matter ----- BUT there is one LITTLE thing that's still bothering me !!!

I bought my computer in September 2000 with "Go Back" pre installed. One day at the end of November 2001 I carried out a pcpitstop "full test" and the used HD space was 4. something. I didn't tell you this before ---- sorry ! The following day I installed AVG and the day after that I did another pcpitstop "full test ". My used HD space was now just under 7 GB. Within 48 hours my used HD space had suddenly risen by 2. something GB (2.79 GB ???)------- Why ?

Vot u tink ?!

Look forward to any further comments. Graham

 

Graham,

The numbers you report are a clear indictment that you likely had GoBack disabled when the larger figure was reported. When disabled, the gobackio.bin file is automatically deleted. There might be one other slim possibility that something was amiss on your drive and caused the drive paging to operate in "MsDos Compatability mode" which renders GoBack inoperative.

I'm happy you don't have any real problem but I also understand your concern for the unknown. Perhaps we'll never know for sure.

Good luck