I have Roxio Creator 8 Suite-Home. I am running Windows XP-Media Edition, Service Pack 3. EMC is extremely buggy and unstable. I am especially encountering problems with Label Maker application. I downloaded the patch from Roxio website and it will not install.
Questions: (1) Why is EMC so bad? For a program that has been around so long, why will it not work well with Windows? (2) Will the patch help? (3) If so, why won't patch install?

There is a note in that update page that the update is for retail CD-ROM purchases only. Is this true in your case?
Important Note:
This updater is intended for CD-ROM purchases acquired from a retail vendor only. Do not apply this update if you have downloaded your version of Easy Media Creator 8.

Is that an EMC 8 version you purchased from Roxio or a store, or is it one that came with a pc or hardware you purchased?

What errors or other messages are you getting when you try to install the update?

What issues with which Label Maker app are you having?

EMC 8 is compatible with XP, provided you have not installed IEv8 or WMP v11.

Yes, I purchased EMC 8 from a retail store. The Version is 3.0.0 and the Build is 3.0.91a, and YES, (unfortunately) I DO have Media Player 11, thanks to Bill Gates' damned autoupdate.
I'm having all sorts of problems with Label Maker. Specifically, I can't import images, when I try and save a project, I get an error message saying EMC is out of memory, and it gets worse from there.
By the way, I'm a little skeptical about software whose bug fixes boil down to, "buy the latest version." I started with Adeptec EZ CD Creator 4 and have bought 5, 6, and now 8. I gave at the office. Any advice will be appreciated.

Unfortunately those version numbers for EMC 8 from the Home app aren't really useful (they changed it in later versions because of that). To get one to compare against the update version, you need to open one of the apps like Creator Classic, VideoWave, or MyDVD and look at the version number it shows under Help->About.

What messages do you get when you try to install the v8 update you downloaded?

At this point, my advise to try and get it working again would be:

1. Uninstall WMP 11 and roll it back to the prior version [probably 10]. Here's a couple links that would help with that:
**** IE 7 & WMP 11 Uninstall Post
http://forums.support.roxio.com/index.php?showtopic=23162

**** MS instructions for removing WMP 11
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme.../11/readme.aspx

2. Do a "Clean Install" of EMC 8. You should then be able to install the update.
*** CLEAN INSTALL LINK ****
v 7.5, 8, 9, 10
XP: http://kb.roxio.com/content/kb/Creator/000086CR


BTW, most of us fellow users here recommend disabling [hiding] the Windows updates for WMP 11 and IE versions 7 and 8 so they don't get installed via Auto Updates in XP.

BTW, the issues with IE 7/8 and WMP 11 breaking Roxio/Sonic software only applies to EMC 8 versions and older. The later versions (EMC 9, EMC 10 and Creator 2009) don't have those issues.

First, I DO appreciate your time and efforts.
I can't even open several of the apps, like Creator Classic, Video Wave, or My DVD. When I double-click on these apps, the Roxio box disappears for a couple of seconds and I'm back to my desktop. Then the Roxio box reappears, looking just like it did, with no other action(s) having been taken. I did, however, manage to open Label Creator (the same way) and it tells me that it is Build 805B30B. The same Build number shows up on Disc Copier, so I assume this is the one you're looking for.
The error message I get when I try to install the patch reads as follows: "The upgrade patch cannot be installed by the Windows Installer Service because the program to be upgraded may be missing (it's not, of course) or the upgrade patch may update a different version of the program." (There's another sentence following this, but I'm sure you're familiar with this pop-up.)
I'm going to have to be away from the computer for a few hours, so I didn't want you to think I didn't appreciate the help. When I get back I'll try and uninstall WMP 11 and roll back to 10.
Second, could you be a little more specific on how I disable the auto update in XP so that this won't happen again? Any help you can offer will be appreciated. I'll be back on line this evening.
Thanks again,
Jimmy

You already have the latest update (Build 805B30B)....follow ALL the instructions in post #5.