@Sameer is the new desktop version available for general download? marcardis might want to give the latest version a whirl to see if it fix things.
Asawi reported it resolving a similar issue here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...4&postcount=17
@TedJ: I think the Kobo Desktop is a Qt application, with a dash of SQLite if I'm not mistaken. I find it interesting that regional versions (of Windows) cause such grief, though I know from experience (in a former life) when we did a rollout in Japan we had no end of issues.
The Handbrake windows port isn't .NET is it? Your associate does a fine service, love Handbrake.