Reader Support
How do I make my Expresscard work?
Is Andreamosaic a Trojan?
Q I subscribe to your excellent magazine and regularly try out the sites and apps you recommend. However, when I downloaded the Andreamosaic app featured in your ‘Turn your photos into mosaics’ Workshop in Issue 605 (page 40), my antivirus flagged it as a Trojan. I tried twice but got the same result. Is there a problem with this program? Mike Brameld
We don’t know why your A antivirus software is warning you that Andreamosaic is a Trojan. We’ve checked the shortcut address we published for the software ( www.snipca.com/37973) and it’s correct. So, assuming you typed it in correctly, you should have ended up at the legitimate download page for Andreamosaic.
We’ve also checked all the download links and passed all the downloadable files through several different antivirus tools, all without any problems. Finally, we ran the entire Andreamosaic website itself through Virustotal ( www.virustotal. com), a well-known and trusted security website that uses over 70 different scanners. The software came up clean, with zero concerns from the dozens of security companies that contribute to the service. You can see the results for yourself at www.snipca.com/38763 (see screenshot).
We can only assume that your antivirus software is being overcautious and throwing up a false positive – flagging a problem where there isn’t one. We don’t know which security software you use but, after all the precautions we’ve taken, you should be safe to click the Ignore or Allow option in your antivirus software, or create an exception for www. andreaplanet.com, which hosts the downloads for Andreamosaic.
How do I make my Expresscard work?
Q My laptop has an Expresscard slot, so I was interested to read in your ‘Master your PC ports’ Cover Feature in Issue 607 that I could put it to good use by adding two USB 3.0 ports. I bought the Csl-branded 54mm adapter mentioned in the article and followed the instructions that came with it. After plugging it in, however, I received no indication that any drivers had been installed.
As a result, I can’t tell if the adapter is working. I think the company that makes it may have gone out of business, because I haven’t received any replies to the emails I sent to the address on the box. Have you any advice? I’d really like those USB ports. Alan Ashton
Sadly, poor customer service A is rife in this industry, so we’re not surprised to hear that the manufacturer hasn’t rushed to your aid. That aside, your Expresscard should have come with a CD containing the drivers. If you didn’t get this, you could return the entire package to Amazon for a refund or replacement.
However, a simpler and more effective solution – given that you want to keep the Expresscard and make it work – is to download the drivers from the company’s website at https://downloads. ganzeinfach.de (the .de domain shows it’s a German firm). The site was still online at the time of going to press, so there’s no indication that the company has gone out of business. Just select the appropriate options from the four dropdown menus, and a list of drivers will appear. Click to download the one with the same model number as your Expresscard. You should find this number on a label on the underside of the device.
Why can’t I make QR codes?
Q I’ve been trying to generate a QR code using the Qrcode Monkey website ( www.qrcodemonkey.com) mentioned in your ‘Master and create QR codes’ feature in Issue 608). I managed to create QR codes on both my Kindle and Samsung A7 tablet but I’ve had no joy on my Windows 10 laptop. Any idea why? David Thow
We’re not sure about this, but it A occurred to us that, unlike some QR code-generating apps for IOS and Android phones, the Qrcode Monkey website is a bit fussy about how you enter information. If you’re creating a QR code for a website URL, for example, it’s important to enter the full address – including the http://’ or ‘https:// at the start (see screenshot above). If you don’t do this, the website will display an error message when you click the green Create QR Code button. So, check your entries carefully for mistakes like this before you press ahead.