A guide to the Grc.dat file in Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition version 10.x

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A guide to the Grc.dat file in Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition version 10.x

Question/Issue:
This document discusses the Grc.dat file and how it is used in Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.x

Solution:
Role and function of the Grc.dat file
The Grc.dat file is a text file containing configuration information for the clients of a Symantec AntiVirus server. When you change client options with the Symantec System Center, the parent server writes the changes to the Windows registry, under the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\INTEL\LANDesk\VirusProtect6\CurrentVersion\ClientConfig

The server recreates the Grc.dat file with the contents of the ClientConfig key whenever you make client configuration changes in the Symantec System Center, and also whenever the Symantec AntiVirus Server Service starts. This means that it is not useful to edit a parent server's Grc.dat file manually by using a text editor such as Notepad, because any changes to the file will be lost the next time the server recreates it.

After recreating the Grc.dat file, the parent server copies the updated file to its client computers. It is also possible to copy this file to the client manually at any time. The client will process the Grc.dat file by adding the contents of the file to the Windows registry, under the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\INTEL\LANDesk\VirusProtect6\CurrentVersion\

After copying the Grc.dat to the client, it may take up to seven minutes for the client to process the file. You can force a client to process the Grc.dat by stopping and then restarting the Symantec AntiVirus client service. After the client processes the Grc.dat file, it deletes the local copy of the file, so it is normal to be unable to locate this file on a client.

Default location of Grc.dat
The default location of the Grc.dat depends on the operating system and on whether or not the installation of Symantec AntiVirus was upgraded from a previous version. Drive letters and paths may also differ, depending on the configuration of the operating system.

If Symantec AntiVirus was upgraded from a previous version, read the document for the previous version for the default locations:

For Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition 7.x, read the document A guide to the Grc.dat file and its uses in Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition 7
For Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 8.x or 9.x, read the document A guide to the Grc.dat file in Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 8.x and 9.x

Symantec AntiVirus Servers:

Windows
The location is \Program Files\SAV or \Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus
NetWare
The location is SYS:\SAV

Symantec Client Security Servers:

Windows
The location is \Program Files\SAV\Symantec AntiVirus
NetWare
The location is SYS:\SAV

In addition, Symantec AntiVirus and Symantec Client Security servers always share the file as \\<servername>\VPHOME\Grc.dat

Client Groups
If you are using Client Groups, there is a separate Grc.dat file for each client group, since different client groups can have different configurations. These are kept on the primary server of the server group, in the following locations:

Symantec AntiVirus Servers:

Windows
The location is \Program Files\SAV\Groups\<group name>\ or \Program Files\Symantec AntiVirus\Groups\<group name>\
NetWare
The location is SYS:\SAV\Groups\<group name>\

Symantec Client Security Servers:

Windows
The location is \Program Files\SAV\Symantec AntiVirus\Groups\<group name>\
NetWare
The location is SYS:\SAV\Groups\<group name>\

This appears in the VPHOME share as \\<servername>\VPHOME\Groups\<group name>\Grc.dat

Clients
For Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.x clients, place the Grc.dat file in the following folder:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition\7.5

Notes:

If you are configuring clients to communicate with a new parent server, you must also copy a certificate. Read the document Moving Symantec Client Security 3.0 or Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.0 clients from one parent server to another for more information.
The Application Data folder may be hidden. To show hidden and system folders, read the document How to make Windows show all files.
If Windows is configured with a non-default location for user profiles, the %AllUsersProfile% environment variable has the correct drive and path to the directory that contains user profiles.

Available Translations:

Document ID: 2005041910541048
Last Modified: 05/26/2009
Date Created: 04/19/2005
Product(s): Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.0, Symantec Client Security 3.0, Symantec AntiVirus 10.1, Symantec Client Security 3.1
Release(s): SAV 10.0 [All Releases], Symantec Client Security 3.x [All versions], Symantec AntiVirus 10.1, Symantec Client Security 3.1