With Vista, I had to install a driver update for StarForce - see
http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=83&id=957
And, yes, I think it is best to install anywhere BUT "program files" as it bypasses Vista's UAC. I have had issues with games patches where the patch, by all accounts, seems to install fine, but in fact really does not run as it is in the UAC imposed hidden AppData directory in the user's home directory (and the actual game binary needs to find it in the game's true install directory). The SHIV 1.3 patch behaved like this for me originally - it seemed to install properly, but the game still came up as v.1.0 - the patch had gone into (hidden) AppData, not the SHIV directory in "program files", and of course, SHIV is not VISTA UAC-aware.