An eigenvector method with constraints (EVC) is proposed as a flew orbit correction scheme for synchrotron light sources. EVC efficiently corrects the global orbit in a storage ring, and can simultaneously perform exact correction of local orbits without deterioration of the global orbit. To demonstrate the advantages of EVC over the ordinary eigenvector method (EV), we carried out experimental studies at the Photon Factory storage ring (PF-ring) and the Photon Factory Advanced Ring (PF-AR) at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK). The performance of EVC was systematically examined at PF-ring and PF-AR. The experimental results agreed well with the simulated ones. Consequently, we confirmed that EVC easily realized orbit correction for both global and local orbits, and that it was very effective for the beam stabilization of synchrotron radiation (SR) sources. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.