Whence RDB files? (solved)

[ChrisGreaves]

I was watching my RoboCopy backup this morning, and noticed a slew of files *.RDB being copied across to the external drives.
Sizes were around 1MB, and I wondered where they came from.

A WinXp search turns up nothing.
A DOS DIR /S command turns up two files in C:\Windows\Internet Logs:

Code: Select all

 Directory of C:\WINDOWS\Internet Logs
05/20/2010  06:59 AM         1,348,608 BACKUP.RDB
05/20/2010  06:59 AM         1,348,608 IAMDB.RDB
               2 File(s)      2,697,216 bytes

A search of Woody's Lounge turn's up Big Al's post on ZoneAlarm

... but I'll swear I saw screens full of files, not just two.
(signed) "Just curious is all" of Toronto.

(later) "System Volume Information", several out-of-date System restore points were found on my backup drives.

[Bigaldoc]

I was watching my RoboCopy backup this morning, and noticed a slew of files *.RDB being copied across to the external drives.
Sizes were around 1MB, and I wondered where they came from...

I don't know if there'll be anything of help to you Chris, but here a bunch of stuff that Google turns up:

http://tinyurl.com/26st7kc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[HansV]

The .RDB extension appears to be used by different applications: see File Extension RDB. The location C:\Internet Logs points to ZoneAlarm indeed, any idea about other locations?

[ChrisGreaves]

(later) "System Volume Information", several out-of-date System restore points were found on my backup drives.

Although this poses another question:
Since RoboCopy can copy them, and display their status in the DOS window - it seems strange to me that in Windows Explorer, even with "Search System Folders" and "Search Hidden Folders" checked ON, still the files do not show up.
It's one thing to inhibit my touching the files - fair enough - but quite another thing to inhibit me observing them.

[ChrisGreaves]

I don't know if there'll be anything of help to you Chris,

Thanks Al, but no. I had previously done a search (my first line of attack!) and discovered that every man and his dog seems to have appropriated RDB as an extent, and none of the applications were relevant to my system (or couldn't account for 00's of files). But please see my addendum "later" in my original post.

[ChrisGreaves]

The .RDB extension appears to be used by different applications:

Indeed, but this quote "Correcting your registry probably can repair most of your issues with RDB file formats." seems closest to suggesting System-via-Registry.
Strange though that they would suggest that correcting the registry would fix problems with files which, if System restore files, are what you would use to fix the registry!

I guess that they are talking about all the other RDB files, and not the System Volume Information files that nobody discusses.

any idea about other locations?

But please see my addendum to my original post.

[HansV]

Most websites that list the meaning of file extensions are actually advertisements for registry checkers/cleaners, and the one I pointed to is no exception.