Over on the Emsisoft blog, we’ve compiled dozens of comprehensive guides that span a wide range of cyber security topics, including malware removal, ransomware, social media safety, security essentials and more.

Simple to read and full of helpful information, these guides are an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to learn more about keeping their devices and personal data safe.

Visit the blog to check out the protection guides. Happy reading!

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Opening from the Windows Notification Tray 

Find the Emsisoft Anti-Malware icon by hovering the mouse over the icons in the notification tray, which is the area of small icons near the time in the corner of your screen. Our icon may be underneath a “nesting” icon that looks like a small up-arrow. Once you find the icon, select (left-click) on it.

Opening from the Windows Start Menu 

Click the Windows start menu button and navigate down the list of programs until you find Emsisoft Anti-Malware Guard, then right-click Emsisoft Anti-Malware Guard, and select (left-click) “Security overview”. 

On Windows 10, the list is immediately visible. It is under the “All programs” button on Windows 7, or on Windows 8.1 the tiled interface that appears when the Windows start menu button is clicked.  

Opening from Windows Search (Cortana on Windows 10) 

Click the Windows start menu button and click into the search box, or simply type in the search box on your taskbar in Windows 10, or the search box in the slide-in menu on Windows 8.1. 

Type “Emsisoft”, and when “Emsisoft Anti-Malware Guard” appears, right-click on it, then select (left-click) “Security Overview”. 

Creating a Quick-launch icon 

You may find it convenient to add a quick launch icon to your Windows taskbar to make it easier to start the program. To do this, use one of the above methods to start Emsisoft Anti-Malware. Once it is running, you should see a blue icon with a lighter-blue shield with a white border in your taskbar. Right click on it and ‘pin’ the icon to the taskbar.

Installing Emsisoft Anti-Malware: If you haven’t already installed Emsisoft Anti-Malware, please take a look at our Download and installation guide.

Note: Emsisoft Anti-Malware can be installed alongside another active antivirus software, but it is not recommended. Conflicts reducing your level of protection, poor performance, or crashes can happen in some situations. 

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• Security Overview – Opens the program to the Overview screen.
• Protection status – Allows you to enable/disable all protection components or individual components, and to enter or exit Silent mode.
  • Enter Silent mode – Silent mode ensures your full-screen sessions can proceed without interruptions by suspending updates and notifications, and silently and automatically answering alerts according to the recommended default actions. When Silent  mode is active a yellow arcade game character is displayed over the Emsisoft shield icon as a visual reminder.
  • Enter Network Lockdown mode – Network Lockdown mode blocks network access to and from the computer, except to Emsisoft services, so it is still possible to receive support, update your Emsisoft software, etc.
• Pause protection – Allows you to pause protection for an interval of either 10 minutes, 60 minutes or until reboot.
• Application rules – Opens the program to the Application rules section.
• Host rules – Opens the program to the Host rules section.
• Scan computer – Takes you directly to the Scan section where you can select your scan type and configure detailed settings related to scans.
• Update now – Initiates an online update check for signature and program updates.
• Shut down protection – Closes the program and stops real-time protection.

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The shield icon changes color to provide a simple indication of your current protection status, at a glance:

• Green – The solid green shield indicates that all protection features are enabled and signatures are up-to-date. Small yellow indicators over the shield can include a small circular game character showing that silent mode is active, for example, blocking updates, scanning, and notifications while it is active.
• Brown – Brown indicates something is potentially wrong, such as protection has been paused, a component is turned off, or something more serious may have occurred. Click to open Emsisoft Anti-Malware, and it will indicate with the same color (red or yellow when things aren’t right) as the first of four large colored tiles to make it easier to spot problems. Normally the first tile is green to show all is well.

When an update is in progress, the shield icon flashes with a white overlay over the color of the current protection status.

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• Enable PUP detections – Selecting this option will alert you to Potentially Unwanted Programs. PUPs are applications such as browser toolbars, search provider switching programs, adware and unnecessary system optimizers. They are usually bundled with and installed alongside other useful programs, which causes many users to install them accidentally. Although they are not a security risk, they can affect your computer's performance and speed, and in some cases, cause a change in behavior. 
• No, thanks – PUPs will not be detected. If you later change your mind you can enable detection by going to the Protection section of the program and selecting the File Guard menu item

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• Join the Emsisoft Anti-Malware Network – The Emsisoft Anti-Malware Network is an online database that stores information about clean and dangerous files. It allows better decisions to be made on detected threats and reduces false positives to a minimum. Participation is not an obligation, but helps to increase the quality of the product for everyone. Read how Emsisoft deals with data: Privacy Policy 
• No, thanks – If you don’t wish to join, select this option. If you change your mind and wish to join the Emsisoft Anti-Malware Network later, you can do so by going to the Settings section of the program and selecting the Privacy menu item. 

The software will now perform an online update. The time required for this can vary and may take a while, depending on the size and number of update modules and the speed of your Internet connection. When you receive the message “Update process was successfully completed”, you can continue by clicking the Next button. 

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• Test for 30 days, free – If you want to test the program more thoroughly then select this option. If you have already used your trial period, you will be asked if you wish to use the scanner-only freeware mode. 
• Enter license key – If you already have a valid license then enter the key you received with your order (sent to the email address you provided when purchasing) and confirm the information by clicking the Next button. If you have a license key with multiple seats, the program will automatically map a free seat with this computer. The license key can't be used on more personal computers or servers than it is licensed for. Note that you can easily transfer a license to a new computer at any time, however there is a limit of 3 hardware changes per 24 hours. 
• Order now – If you haven't yet purchased a license key and wish to do so now, then select this option to be taken to the Emsisoft online store. 

If your Internet connection uses a Proxy Server then you can configure the corresponding settings such as server address and user information in the dialog displayed when you click the Proxy settings button. 

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