ZoneAlarm tvdebug.log file

I came across the file tvdebug.log and found from Google that it's one of those miscellaneous files created by the ZoneAlarm firewall I'm using. Apparently it's a file that just grows and grows. I also found from Google that there's a 30KB freeware program called dellater.exe that I could use to delete it, rather like CCleaner does, on the next boot. ZoneAlarm will create the log file again, but it will now start off from zero bytes, not from a few megabytes.

But this means I have to run both CCleaner and dellater when I shutdown my PC. It would make life easier if CCleaner also dealt with tvdebug.log. Can this be added sometime? It already deals with some ZoneAlarm log files, but not this one.

Thanks for the heads up on this bloated file!

For now here's a way to delete it with CCleaner.

1. Open Notepad and input the following:[ZoneAlarm (tvDebug.log)]LangSecRef=3022Detect=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarmDefault=TrueFileKey1=%windir%\Internet Logs|tvDebug.log2. Save the file in the CCleaner program folder as:winapp2.iniIt will now display under the other ZoneAlarm log cleaning in CCleaner.3. In order for CCleaner to delete the file you must right click the ZoneAlarm icon next to the system clock and select exit. If you're using an always on connection (broadband) this isn't recommended hence you won't have any firewall protection when you exit ZoneAlarm.

If you wish to use a simple batch file here's how to delete it, again you'll have to exit ZoneAlarm.

1. Open Notepad and input the following:DEL "%windir%\Internet Logs\tvDebug.log"EXIT2. Save the file where you wish as (just an example name):Delete ZoneAlarm tvDebug log.bat

There is a very simple alternative to shutting down ZoneAlarm and then deleting the file tvDebug.log. I found this a couple of days ago in a ZA forum and it woked perfectly for me. However, I do not see how it can be integrated into CCleaner. Anyway, the trick is this:

1. In any safe place you like, create an empty file named tvDebug.log. I did this by creating an empty file with Notepad and then renaming it appropriately.

2. Then, simply replace C:\Windows\Internet Logs\tvDebug.log by copying the empty file to that location anytime you wish to do so. Since I have a "Copy to Folder" option in my context menus, I used that, but many other ways are possible.

The scheme might be implemented in a .bat script or even at the command prompt. The essential point is to realize that although tvDebug.log cannot be deleted, it can be replaced!

@ pudelein

Very cool, it works perfectly. And a nice first post to :)

Here's a .bat script to do it:

1. Open Notepad, save an empty file as (use the quotes):

"%windir%\Internet Logs\tvDebug.1"

2. Now copy these switches into the empty Notepad window (use the quotes):

cd "%windir%\Internet Logs"

copy "tvDebug.1" "tvDebug.log"

exit

3. Save the Notepad file where you wish, as for example (use the quotes):

"ZoneAlarm tvDebug.log Emptier.bat"

Thanks, Andavari!

I wrote a script for the same purpose myself: see the attachment. Note that I used 'xcopy' since Microsoft claims 'copy' will not handle a zero-length file. I also stored things a little differently: I keep a Unix-like Local folder in my Programs Files for things like this.

Note that I used 'xcopy' since Microsoft claims 'copy' will not handle a zero-length file.

Thanks, learnt something new! I was wondering why the file when copied would automatically get a filesize, now I know why.

Updated script

(added xcopy without prompting, and archive attribute since the original file created by ZoneAlarm has the archive attribute set):

cd "%windir%\Internet Logs"

xcopy /y "tvDebug.1" "tvDebug.log"

attrib +a "tvDebug.log"

exit

Not real familiar with ZA but wanted to get rid of tvDebug.log file and found this foruim thread.

I saw the "bat" step: Save the Notepad file where you wish, as for example (use the quotes):

"ZoneAlarm tvDebug.log Emptier.bat"

My question is: is there a command-line available for ZA? Not sure what "ZoneAlarm tvDebug.log Emptier.bat" means?

Thanks for the help.

My question is: is there a command-line available for ZA? Not sure what "ZoneAlarm tvDebug.log Emptier.bat" means?

Thanks for the help.

The "ZoneAlarm tvDebug.log Emptier.bat" was just a name I gave the batch file, you can name it whatever you wish. If you don't understand exactly how to create it here's some more instructions:

1. Open Notepad.

2. Save an empty document as (use the quotes):

"%windir%\Internet Logs\tvDebug.1"

3. Close Notepad, and then re-open Notepad and input the following three lines (copy and paste):

XCOPY /Y "%WINDIR%\INTERNET LOGS\tvDebug.1" "%WINDIR%\INTERNET LOGS\tvDebug.log"

ATTRIB +A "%WINDIR%\INTERNET LOGS\tvDebug.log"

EXIT

4. Save this document anywhere you wish as (use the quotes):

"ZoneAlarm tvDebug.log Emptier.bat"

You can move the *.bat file anywhere you wish, I put it in the "C:\Windows\Internet Logs" folder and then created a shortcut to it in the ZoneAlarm start menu program group. It's only purpose is to copy the 0 bytes file tvDebug.1 to the tvDebug.log.

The "ZoneAlarm tvDebug.log Emptier.bat" was just a name I gave the batch file, you can name it whatever you wish.

Thank you Andavari,

i was confused by name with two dots (periods) .... thought there was a ZoneAlarm cmd line command (ZoneAlarm) where u specified file to act on (tvDEBUG.log) and the bat file (Emptier.bat) that performwed the4 action.

do you know if their's a bat/script for win XP 'shutdown' that i could put a ref to the bat in ... then the 'delete' of the log file would automatically be done at shutdown time?

thanks again!

do you know if their's a bat/script for win XP 'shutdown' that i could put a ref to the bat in ... then the 'delete' of the log file would automatically be done at shutdown time?

This will do it. It will delete the log file and then shutdown Windows.

Note: Save any open documents you have before running it, since Windows will shutdown in three seconds after running the batch file.

XCOPY /Y "%WINDIR%\INTERNET LOGS\tvDebug.1" "%WINDIR%\INTERNET LOGS\tvDebug.log"ATTRIB +A "%WINDIR%\INTERNET LOGS\tvDebug.log"shutdown -s -t 3 -c "System Shutdown"EXIT

worked great

THANK YOU

I added the following lines to my autoexec.bat file:

cd C:\WINDOWS\Intern~1

echo. 2>emptyfile.tmp

copy emptyfile.tmp tvDebug.log

del *.tmp

This will replace the tvDebug.log file with a zero length file each time you reboot. It also has the added advantage of deleting any tmp files left over by ZoneAlarm in the "Internet Logs" folder.

Just a 'thank you' - I only noticed this recently when scanning for large files - mine was up to 17Mb.

Your solution works a treat.

Cheers :)

I added the following lines to my autoexec.bat file:

cd C:\WINDOWS\Intern~1

echo. 2>emptyfile.tmp

copy emptyfile.tmp tvDebug.log

del *.tmp

This will replace the tvDebug.log file with a zero length file each time you reboot. It also has the added advantage of deleting any tmp files left over by ZoneAlarm in the "Internet Logs" folder.

Is this now what the bat file appears as:

cd "%windir%\Internet Logs"

xcopy /y "tvDebug.1" "tvDebug.log"

attrib +a "tvDebug.log"

exit

cd C:\WINDOWS\Intern~1

echo. 2>emptyfile.tmp

copy emptyfile.tmp tvDebug.log

del *.tmp