Canon admits problem installing s/w- may crash your PC

Hi, I hope this helps someone avoid these problems.

Installing the software with a Canon digital camera can destroy your operating system. Canon has confirmed this may ONLY be installed on the drive where Windows is, although it allows you to specify ANY location.
It destroyed my W2000 Windows (STOP error), and failed to complete install on XP when I specified the path as D:\Programs\Multimedia​..... making it very hard to uninstall (I had to use Norton Cleansweep).

.....more-read on!

Recently I bought a Canon A610 Powershot digital camera. I was horrified at the problems I had installing the software (Photstitch 3.1 etc) on a drive other than C: (where Windows happened to be). I have my programs installed on a separate partition, data on another and so on, as recommended by many experts. As usual, I specified the installation path to D:\Programs... as allowed during the install sequence. This wiped out my W2000 operating system (irrecoverable STOP error), and gave an error and failed to install on XP.
Canon gave several irrelevant answers until I insisted they read my question properly. They then sent this:

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding your Canon product.

We can confirm that the installation of the Canon software you are installing requires that the software resides on the same drive as the operating system. In the example you have provided to us your operating system is on your C: drive, therefore all files relating to your software installation also need to be installed on the C: drive. The software cannot be installed on a disk drive other than the system drive.

Canon are not in a position to change this, and as the software is functioning as designed and fully operational when installed as detailed above, we do not consider that your software displays any erroneous behaviour.

"we do not consider that your software displays any erroneous behaviour" - what, I specify something allowed by it and it fails to install, then they say I shouldn't do that?
What a load of rubbish. I though Canon was a professional company.
Error messages:
Photostitch:
From normal CD- Europe,UP
1628: Failed to complete installation. File transfer error. Installation failed. The wizard was interrupted before Solution disk could be completely installed.
An error occurred while saving to D:\Programs\Multimedia​\Canon\ZoomBrowser EX\Photrecord\art\art_​summar.ici'. Your file has not been saved.
** This error also occurs when trying to start the application
Camera Window MC Setup
Camera access Library setup
Camera Window DVC Setup
X Could not find any previously installed compliant products on the machine for installingthis product.

After that, in common with some other users I found you really do have to use large capacity rechargeable batteries so as to take a reasonable number of pictures before the camera complains about the batteries being discharged.
It does not do well with alkaline batteries, as there is plenty of power left when it rejects them. (Try putting them in a torch!).

These problems aside, it takes great pictures.

Beware! David Lawrie

hmmm
ive alwasy been told by many many many experts, to install all programs on in the drive windows is
then have another drive for other stuff, your stuff, movies, pics, files....

that makes more sence to me then putting programs which call attention to windows files on a separate drive

anyways, i have no problems what so ever on the 3 computers we have the software installed on....

so maybe that means you shouldnt install programs on a drive where windows files arent

90% of all Windows programs install files into your Windows install location not matter where you install the program. If you use the windows install methodology, application store stuff in the local application data directory for the user. They also store stuff int he registry hive. If what the original poster says is true, Canon has a crap QA department, because that software should have never left the building. Something you may want to try to work around the issue...did you install the software as a user with admin rights on the machine? That is a common issue for software dealing with the new multi user paradigm that Microsoft intruduced with XP. Win2000 works a little different but still allows multiple user accounts, so make sure you are an admin user when installing software.