App install gives "unknown error 18" (Android)

I just released my first app for Android and I am getting reports that the app will not install on some devices (seems to be mostly Droid in fact) due to "unknown error 18". Searching Google return a lot of forum post. It is a very well documented error and there are ways around it for the user (linky).

As a developer is there any thing I can do to prevent this error instead of changing instal开发者_C百科lLocation in the manifest?

As a developer is there any thing I can do to prevent this error instead of changing installLocation in the manifest?

Probably not.

While the author of the post you, um, linky'd to posted an issue, I think that this issue might be more specific for your case (the other issue is for updates, not new installs). If accurate, preferExternal installs don't work if the external storage is presently mounted. And, if accurate, that's gotta be a bug. If nothing else, the install should more gracefully give the user the option of stopping the install and unmounting or continuing with the install with the app going on internal storage.

You could warn prospective users via your Market listing, to make sure they unmount before installing, but that's likely to have modest impact.