Emsisoft Emergency Kit Review

Overview

Is there a second chance for already infected PC? Can you get the control back? We have an answer. Emsisoft Emergency Kit has its name for a good reason – it is indeed an immediate aid if your PC was exposed to threats.

It is a swiss knife of software, being a portable and free malware scanner. Emsisoft Emergency Kit can be a part of Emsisoft package or downloaded free from the official website or partner websites. Emsisoft Emergency Kit does not only search for viruses but any malware. We will review key aspects of the Emergency Kit so that you can decide.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware has quite a limited variety of features. Mostly in focuses on checking for any viruses, cleaning up space, and getting rid of suspicious or outdated software. There is no active protection, but for the first 30 days, it offers full protection from any hacker attacks. On the other hand, the paid version has quite all it has to be in the Anti-Malware product to protect your PC. It runs with Windows 7 and later versions and fully available on x64 systems. Emsisoft requires 1GB RAM for doing its best and not causing any troubles with PC performance.

On the other hand, we can argue that lack of macOS platform support, parental control, password manager, webcam, and microphone protection leaves a big room for improvement. We believe that Emsisoft would eventually lay their talented hands to cover these areas. At least you are sure that there is no malware lurking around your programs and OS.

The List of Pros and Cons

Reliability and Security

We would note that some of the third-party tests are quite outdated by the standards of using them as an example. However, 2018 AV-Comparatives test on Malware Removal, using 40 malware samples that weren’t destructive for the system, gave Emsisoft advanced award. Real-World protection test shows that Emsisoft had 0 false positives, 99.5% of blocked threats on July (and 99% of blocked reports on August 2018).AV-Tests gave Emsisoft 5.5 out of 6 points for 99.9% detection of prevalent malware and 98.7% for protection against 0-day malware.

We used prevalent industry-standard tests, and Emsisoft managed to pass it with several instances of false positives. We tested on latest Windows 10 version. We also do trust the reviews of the customers that are predominantly positive and other specialists opinions in this question. At the same time, we still believe that there must be more standardized tests by labs and usage of other products for understanding the nuances of Emsisoft engines.

Emsisoft manages to block the vast majority of threatening codes that can corrupt your system. Ransomware protection is an integrated part of the Behavior Blocker feature. Emsisoft Ransomware protection shows good results in coping with attacks. However, there are some aspects of phishing protection that should be improved.

We want to focus on Emergency Kit that is rather an after tool for dealing with already infected files and programs. It detects and cleans viruses so that you can gain back your access to needed documents.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware and Emergency Kit both use the same dual-scanner technology. It helps to detect even the most hidden parts of malicious codes, viruses, and other malware that is dangerous. Emsisoft offers you a variety of settings and features that are built-in Anti-Malware and allow you to set a decent level of protection. You can check the information on apps on the interface and then allow or disallow their installment.

Ease of Use

Emsisoft is pretty much straightforward with its interface. You can access any time all necessary functions for scanning and reviewing the status of your PC. You can manage all preferred setting in the special section of the interface, adjusting permissions, remote management, and exclusions. Moreover, Emsisoft interface is quite intuitive and has infortips.

The key component of anti-malware is scanning options. Emsisoft has three classic ones modes, all quick and quite reliable. Quick Scan checks active programs and malware traces. Quick Scan is good for updating any moment on the situation when the computer is not infected seriously.

Malware Scan searches for all known malicious codes in the system. Therefore, you can utilize it at any moment when you notice any unusual activity. Custom Scan allows you to scan specific files and folders. It is better for searching for any hidden malware, or rather inactive malware that can lurk in your files.

Emergency Kit also does not require any specific knowledge on creating the copy for the USB driver or installing it. It is ready to go program that functions as a repair instrument. The .exe file can be saved on your computer’s folder, or anywhere else. You can easily access it and run the scanning and removal of malware.

Is Emsisoft Emergency Kit free?

Emsisoft Emergency Kit is free or 30-days trial version, downloadable from the official website or partner websites. All you need to use it is a USB driver and downloaded the .exe file. You can sign up for Emsisoft newsletter, which is not compulsory, after downloading it from the official website. If you are a newsletters fan, you will appreciate this gesture from the developers.

On the other hand, Emergency Kit is included in the Anti-Malware pack for free, which does not provide active protection. But it includes Commandline Scanner feature and the customer support ready to help you out with any questions associated with Emsisoft products. It is also a part in the Anti-Malware Home package for $19.99/year for one device as well as Anti-Malware Home & Mobile package for $26.66/year. Business suit offers Emergency Kit Pro that can work with 250 devices for $99.00/year, (if more, the price will be higher).

How to Install and Scan

Emsisoft Anti-Malware allows you to create your portable Emergency Kit by following easy steps. You have to open the Emsisoft Anti-Malware interface, reach the Scan tab, and then click Emergency Kit maker in the second menu row. You can choose both or one of the x86 (32 bit) and x64 (64 bit) Windows platforms. Note: both will take double space.

Then you have to click the “Save to” button and pick up the device, where you want to save it. You can save it either to a USB drive or any other portable device connected to your computer at the moment. Also, it is recommended to create the special Emergency Kit folder, so that all extracted files would be installed there. Then you finish the process by picking up the “Create Emergency Kit” button.

Emsisoft Emergency Kit does not require installing as we traditionally understand the process. You click on the Emergency Kit file and wait until the start window is opened, leaving disc C by default as a pathway for extraction, and choose “Install.” You also have to allow Emergency Kit to make changes on your device, and then when seeing Emsisoft Emergency Kit interface, click on Malware Scan. Then you can either delete or quarantine found problems.

Support and Customer Services

We were quite pleased with Emsisoft Support and Customer Service. Emsisoft values every user of their product and provides excellent customer experience with their support team. Overall, we were able to have all the needed answers as soon as possible. We reached the team both via email, chat, and looked for their support website (and also checked social media and blogs for fun).

The chat section is standard. We described the problem and thought that we would have an answer for the next day. We were surprised to have a response within ten minutes, which was the answer that we expected to have. Kudos there for such immediate reach back.

Emsisoft support also is attentive for emails and any suggestions regarding their services. We appreciate that Emsisoft provides any relevant contact information for reaching them on behalf of specific concern. We believe that there are teams of responsible people who do a decent job of keeping up with their customers and potential partners.

Also, we would love to note that it is possible to find a way to talk with Emsisoft on Facebook and read their latest updated on Twitter. In the epoch of social media relevance, the aspect of being updated is something worth of trust.

Emsisoft Anti-Malware

The benefit of Emsisoft Anti-Malware is being multifunctional but yet dedicated to its purpose software. Emergency Kit is a default part of any Emsisoft package. It goes with the Commandline Scanner and Emergency Kit Maker that allows you to secure your device.

Our Verdict

Of course, it is always about being secured from any threat, and there is no chance for a mistake. Emsisoft gives you a fair price for a decent security product, excellent customer support, and the opportunity to have a backup plan. You can have both Anti-Malware products and included Emergency Kit for a reasonable price in a year.

We believe that there is so much more ahead of Emsisoft in their journey of securing PCs and mobiles. We would love to discover soon that Emsisoft would be available for other platforms and to see new tests on their protection capabilities. We recommend you giving Emsisoft a try and a credit for working on yet another excellent product.