In addition to the above, random file icon associations are missing as a result. I guess it is a result of the fact the default icon package is corrupt...i.e. MS Word files....but not Excel files. Re-installing the app does not help and I have also tried to create a new user...same result.

That's because they released this product without testing to see if the basic functions work.

Please, whilst I understand that you are only trying to be helpful, there is no need to create a cloud of ignorance here.
My problems with this application have been listed in a seperate thread, see here: https://forums.stardock.com/320230

Everyone that is using Vista experiences either the same or similar issues. There are no 'if's' or 'but's'; we're talking about issues that keep cropping up.
Problems with the most basic features of the application, problems that do not take some kind of vastly different software installation or hardware make-up to cause.

There are no flukes, they are not caused by conflicting applications, they ARE caused by IconPackager.
I have already e-mailed Stardock numerous times now about issues, the 3rd time my e-mail was ignored and a ticket was not placed.
They did acknowledge the e-mail I sent about the Activation.exe bug, but because I did not visit this forum prior to using IconPackager, I was unware that this issue had already been escalated to their dev team.

If they fix these problems in the next release, great, I really hope they do. It might the only thing that puts some kind of belief into me that they are actually trying to support Vista.
We should not be paying for a product that means to restore something back to normal would be to re-install the OS completely.

P.

Regarding the issues, you just stated "I'm not saying that they are not real or that they don't need to be addressed", and then claimed to know that Stardock would not release buggy software.

I'm sorry, but are we missing something here?

There is an abundance of threads complaining about the same problem and you're trying to defend Stardock? isn't the point of this thread to actually report bugs, discuss how to fix them and warn users of potential problems?

I might have been a little more forgiving if I hadn't been using Stardock products since 2006, then making the move onto Vista; it was just an appauling introduction for me to experience so many problems within the space of a few hours.
First impressions count, and to experience these problems on a perfectly maintained machine did not leave me with a confident feeling in my stomach.

I do not think it was misplaced, but I look forward to hearing what they have to say, and also how the next version performs.