Difference between 「～かかわらず」 and 「～かまわず」

Question

I never knew the differences between 「～かかわらず」 and 「～かまわず」 and assumed they were more or less the same until I tried saying

*「ソフトの機能にかまわず、。。。」

and was told to use 「かかわらず」.

What am I missing?

Answer 1

〜かまわず is the 〜ず negative form of [構]{かま}う, meaning to "care about/mind/pay attention to". It has an emotional/personal sense to it to.

• 鉛筆で書いても構いませんか¹　→　May I write with a/in pencil? ("Do you not care if I write in pencil?")
• 彼は身なりのことはかまわない²　→　He doesn't care about his appearance.

〜かかわらず is the 〜ず negative form of かかわる, meaning "have to do with/concerning/related to" (関係のある〜・〜について・〜に関して）. This is more objective in its use.

• そのことには何もかかわっていません¹　→　I have nothing to do with the matter.
• それは命にかかわることだ¹　→　It's a matter of life (and death).

So when you say ソフトの機能にかまわず、。。。, it sounds like what follows is some kind of emotional relationship to the software, when you were probably going for something like Regardless/Irrespective of the software's functionality, ....

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¹ Examples from プログレッシブ英和・和英中辞典
² Example from ウィズダム英和辞典／ウィズダム和英辞典

Answer 2

I think the difference can be summarized by the glosses

「〜かかわらず」⇒ "regardless of ~"
「〜かまわず」⇒"without minding ~"

I guess they are somewhat similar, but using one instead of the other does result in a different meaning in every sentence I can think of.

Here's an example where 「〜かかわらず」 doesn't work:

私に構わず行ってください。
"Don't mind me and go ahead."

?私にかかわらず行ってください。
?"Go ahead, despite me."