I have a problem with this term 'patch' as used on this forum.
In the computing world I know, a patch is a modification to an executatle image to improve/modify its behaviour. I have written and issued many patches (many cos of all my mistakes, I suppose) and had to apply manufacturer's patches to programs I have bought.
However, the PD8 release is not a patch, it is a replacement , that is why it is a reinstallation. The previous version of the progam is replaced and any activation/authorisation must be picked up by the replacement program. This is NOT happening properly with this release.

I have read some other threads, on PowerDVD for example, where they have experienced similar problems. It is interesteing that Dafydd, who is doing strerling service as a patch for the service one should be getting from CL is needed to provide a formula of steps to undo damage - steps I might add which are not for the computer-naive to perform. The implication is that only people prepared to play around editing their registry and run baseline service programs should buy the CL products. I also find it interesting and insulting that a telephone service is available for this (Taiwan-based) company in the US. Why is there no European custemer facility?

I should declare myself, in order to offer some weight to my opinion – I am a retired university professor, Director of IT studies. After retirement, I went back into the IT industry as the Director of IT for an international company, with our specialized software applications appearing around the world. I never had any professional experience of Video processing, but I don’t think the realease and support principles differ. The level of care going into Cyberlink’s releases is appalling. The level of support to fix the problems they induce is equally deficient. This is a great pity as the software appears to offer great potential value for money. Whatever the excuses which may be offered, one has to consider that other software companies are able to distribute software which installs over previous releases without the disturbance suffered with CL. (That is not to suggest that all those other companies do not issue software which is buggy, nor that their support is magically perfect).

I suspect that this critique will/would be rejected by CL, and possibly by their loyal supporters on this forum, but how good it would be if it actually reached some non-deaf ears at CL. i7 980x; W7 Pro; 12GB; Nvidia GTX 285; 2x300G Velociraptors in Raid 0; 2x1.5TB Barracuda in Raid 1; 2TB WD Studio Ed.II (eSATA); NEC SpectraView Reference 2690 + MultiSync EA232