The diffusion properties of a Ni-Zr metallic glass formed at the interface of a bulk diffusion couple have been studied in conditions far from a fully relaxed state. The growth kinetics of the interlace film have been enhanced by both plastic deformation and high energy electron irradiation. Different results have been obtained in the two cases, since in the first case the film grows exponentially with time, while in the second case the usual square root dependence on time is observed. This behaviour has been interpreted as a consequence of the annihilation kinetics of the excess free volume introduced in the glass by the above methods. Two different mechanisms of free volume annihilation, namely exchange with a crystal vacancy at the glass-crystal interface and structural relaxation in the bulk glassy phase have been considered to be operative so that the nature of the growth kinetics has been found to depend on the mechanism predominant in each experimental condition.