kX Driver Readme - generated "Aug 19 2003" "02:27:51"
kX Audio Driver (c) 2001-2003 Eugene Gavrilov. All rights reserved.

The kX Project is an on-going independent development project; visit the kX Project website for the latest news and updates: www.kxproject.com
Please review both the FAQ and the list of Known Issues at the kX Project website prior to installing the kX Driver. Read the bug reporting procedure prior to submitting bug reports.

Contents

1. Description

The kX Driver is a WDM (Windows Driver Model) driver for all EMU10K1 and EMU10K2-based soundcards manufactured by Creative Technology Ltd. and/or E-mu Sytems Inc., including the SoundBlaster Live! series, the E-mu Audio Production Studio (APS) card, and the Audigy / Audigy2 series of cards.
The kX Driver package includes driver system files and setup files as well as a powerful audio mixer application (the kX Mixer), which acts as a Graphical User Interface, providing access to many of the driver's internal functions.

2. Features

The following features are either fully supported or partially supported in this release of the kX Driver:
Development of the kX Driver is on-going and new features are continually being added; visit the kX Project website for news and updates.
A Software Developers Kit (SDK) for the kX Application Programming Interface (API) is available as a separate download from the kX Project website.

3. System Requirements

The kX driver is a WDM driver and will only install on systems running Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millenium Edition, Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

4. Installation

Removal of any and all manufacturer-supplied drivers and software is recommended.
To install the kX Driver, run kxsetup.exe from any temporary directory; the driver files will be installed into the windows system directory. Follow the directions on-screen and re-boot once all drivers have been installed.
On windows 98 systems only, it may be necessary to re-boot a second time after installing, to ensure proper functioning of the kX Mixer.
Should setup fail, the kX Driver can be installed manually via the Windows Device Manager (Update Driver function). When asked to Specify Location, browse to the kx.inf file in the directory on your harddrive where the driver package has been uncompressed.
Verify that that the following Multimedia Audio Properties are properly set: (control panel/multimedia/audio/advanced properties)
These settings are required for proper operation of the kX Driver and kX Mixer.
To launch the kX Mixer, double-click the kX icon in the windows tray. Right-click the icon for access to additional functions.

5. Known Issues

Known Issues

General

DSP

SoundFonts

Hardware-Dependent

OS-Dependent

Other Software

6. Contact

Post your comments & bug reports to our forum.
Visit the kX Project website for the latest updates and more information: www.kxproject.com
kX Project Forums: In urgent cases use the following contact e-mail: kxproject@hotmail.com

7. Version History and Changelog

(Skip)

8. Planned Future Development

9. FAQ

(Skip)
FAQ

General

Installation / Uninstallation

ASIO

DSP

SoundFonts

Troubleshooting

Q. What is the kX Project?

A. The kX Project is a totally independent development project whose aim is to provide WDM Audio Drivers for newer operating systems for kX-Compatible audio cards. The kX Project is led by Eugene Gavrilov, Max Mikhailov and Hanz Petrov (full list of contributors here).

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Q. Is the kX Driver FREE?

A. Yes, the kX Driver is FREE and will remain FREE. However, you can support the development effort by donating to the kX Fund.

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Q. How do I install the kX driver under Windows 2000 or Windows XP?

A. Windows 2000 and Windows XP provide their own certified drivers for some EMU10kX-based audio cards. Our kX Audio Driver has not been certified by Microsoft (WHQL-ed) and thus a special installation procedure is required. It is recommended that you first try running kXSetup, and if that fails, follow our Windows XP installation guide.

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Q. Will there be GSIF support?

A. GSIF is supported since 3533 release.

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Q. Why am I experiencing serious CPU load when I use kX ASIO driver under Logic?

A. You should try disabling unused kX ASIO inputs and outputs. Logic opens all 16 inputs and 16 outputs by default.

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Q. Why are the Front and Rear outputs swapped by default?

A. Refer to the Front and Rear outputs explanation for details.

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Q. Why do I experience clicks and data corruption while copying / burning CDs? I have a VIA 686B Southbridge chipset.

Please read our article Via 686B Southbridge and SBLive / Audigy issues.

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Q. Why does Windows tell me that I am missing required DLLs when I try to install the kX driver?

A. The kX Mixer and kX Setup are statically linked to certain Windows DLLs, which may or may not be found on every system. You can download the required files from the kX Download page if they are not present on your system.

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Q. How can I uninstall kX drivers?

A. Run 'kxsetup --clean' from the command line or execute Start Menu - Programs - kX Audio Driver - Uninstall kX Software.

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Q. What are the minimum system requirements for running the kX driver?

A. The kX driver will only install on systems running Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millenium Edition, Windows 2000 or Windows XP. At least one Creative Labs Audigy or EMU10k1-based soundcard, or E-mu Systems APS soundcard, is also required. DirectX 8 or newer should be downloaded and installed prior to installing the kX driver. A minimum of 32 MB of RAM and a video adapter capable of displaying HiColor (16 bit) or TrueColor (24bit) are also highly recommended (actually - required).

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Q. Why do I get the following message: 'The ordinal 11 could not be located in the dynamic link library DSOUND.DLL'?

A. You have not installed DirectX 8 or newer.

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Q. Why do I get the following message: "Error creating input buffer: -2147467263 (#0) [size=4096] ret=-2147467263"?

A. You have not set 'Hardware Acceleration' to 'Full' in the Control Panel.

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Q. Why do I get the message that kxsetup.exe is linked to missing export SHELL32.DLL:SHGetSpecialFolderPathA?

A. Your Operating System is Windows 98 Lite - this OS is partially supported by the latest kX Driver releases.

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Q. Why does Cubase cause Unrecoverable Application Error (Blue Screens) in the file emuaps.vxd

A. You haven't completely uninstalled E-mu APS drivers and removed all APS-related files from your Windows\System directory.

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Q. Which soundcards can I use with the kX driver?

A. Currently, kX-compatible soundcards include all EMU10k1 and EMU10k2-based PC soundcards manufactured by Creative Technology Ltd. and/or E-mu Systems Inc., including:

  • The E-mu Audio Production Studio (APS) card
  • The motherboard models of 10k1 cards (M002, M003 and others)
  • PCI256 (CT4890, CT4891 and CT4893) and PCI512 (CT4820 and SB0150) including OEM model (CT4790)
  • The original Live! (CT4620) and Live! Value cards (CT4670)
  • The Live! X-Gamer, Live! MP3+, Live! Player 1024, Live! Platinum cards (CT4760) and value cards (CT4780)
  • The Live! X-Gamer 5.1, Live! MP3+ 5.1, Live! Player 5.1, Live! Platinum 5.1, Live! Digital Entertainment 5.1 cards (SB0060, SB0100, SB0102, SB0220, SB0222, SB0103 and SB0105) and Value 5.1 (SB0101)
  • The generic and custom OEM Live cards (CT4830, CT4831, CT4832, CT4850, CT4870, CT4871 and CT4872)
  • The Audigy series, including the Audigy MP3+, X-Gamer, Platinum and OEM cards (CT0070, CT0072, SB0090 and SB0092).

    • Audigy2 series support is experimental at the moment, due to the fact that we do not have an Audigy2 card for testing. However, as soon as we have enough money to buy one, support will be implemented. If you'd like to help, please make a donation to the kX Fund.

    The Dell OEM SB Live! (SB020x) is not yet supported since it uses a custom version of the EMU10k1, whose details are unknown. Experimental support may be provided when more information about it becomes available.

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    Q. Will there be support for the Creative Labs Extigy?

    A. Not at the moment. The Extigy is NOT 10k1/10k2-based card (most of it's functionallity is software-based), and since it is a USB audio device it is not currently kX-compatible.

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    Q. Under which Operating Systems can I use the kX driver?

    A. The kX driver conforms to the WDM (Windows Driver Model) specification and is therefore compatible with the following Microsoft Windows operating systems: Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98 (Second Edition only), and Windows Me. Windows .NET Server 2003 may also be supported, however, this has not been tested. Windows 98 (First Edition) will not be supported since it has no built-in support for WDM drivers (v1.1 or later).

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    Q. Why should I use the kX driver and not the drivers that came with my soundcard? What are the advantages of the kX Audio Driver?

    A. The kX driver may or may not suit your own particular needs, although you have little to lose by giving it a try. The kX driver is part of an independent development project, and already offers most if not all of the same features included in the original manufacturers' drivers. In fact, the kX driver set is continually being updated and improved, with frequent driver and supporting application releases.

    general advantages

    better functionality
    better ASIO support
    better MIDI support

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    Q. Are the kX drivers aimed at musicians or gamers or both?

    A. At present the kX driver is aimed primarily at musicians, and especially those who wish to get the most out of their soundcards (and who have traditionally been left behind by the big soundcard manufacturers, who prefer to concentrate their efforts on the more lucrative gamers market). Features designed specifically for gamers will however be added as development of the drivers continues.

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    Q. Does the kX driver have ASIO support? ASIOv2?

    A. ASIO v2.0 - based hosts are fully supported, however, some ASIO2 features are not implemented due to hardware limitations. 24-bit ASIO support is planned for both 10k1 and 10k2 as soon as possible (for the 10k2 initially, to be followed by the 10k1).

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    Q. What kind of latency can I expect to see?

    A. The minimum expected ASIO latency is expected to be 5.33 ms (and possibly as low as 2.66 ms, depending on your hardware/software setup).

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    Q. Will I get low latency with Cakewalk's Sonar?

    A. The kX driver is a kernel-streaming WDM driver, and a latency as low as 10 ms can be expected under Sonar (depending on your hardware/software setup).

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    Q. Does the kX driver incorporate DirectX support?

    A. Currently, DirectSound2D is fully supported and DirectSound3D is supported in software only. Note that any offers to help with implementing support for DirectSound3D would be gladly accepted (skilled programmers only please!).

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    Q. Does the kX driver support multiple soundcards? How many?

    A. Multiple soundcards are indeed supported by the kX driver. In theory, an unlimited number of soundcards could be used at once, but in reality you're likely to be limited by the number of PCI slots in your machine. Any combination of EMU10k1 and/or EMU10k2-based cards can be used with the kX driver (together with soundcards by other manufacturers, running their own drivers).

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    Q. Can I use SoundFonts with the kX driver?

    A. Yes, your soundcard will continue to function as a SoundFont-compatible device under the kX driver. SoundFonts can be loaded and unloaded via SoundFont-aware applications, or via the kX Mixer's SoundFont control page. Currently only SF2 files are supported, however SF1 (SBK) files can be converted to SF2 files using a freely available utility.

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    Q. Is there a SoundFont control panel included with the kX driver set?

    A. Yes, the kX Mixer includes a SoundFont control panel, which allows loading and unloading of SoundFonts to compatible soundcards running under the kX drivers.

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    Q. Can I use the Vienna SoundFont editor with the kX drivers?

    A. The current kX driver version provides support for the Vienna SoundFont editor (with the exception of 'wave playback' feature).

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    Q. Can I use the Alive SoundFont editor with the kX drivers?

    A. The Alive editor is currently not fully compatible with the kX driver (improved support is under investigation).

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    Q. Is there a 32MB limit on sample playback? Does this apply to the Audigy as well?

    A. SoundFont sample playback is limited to 32MB of wave data at one time, although SoundFonts larger than 32MB can be loaded.

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    Q. Can I use the standard Windows Mixer with the kX driver?

    A. Basic Windows Mixer functionality is provided, although the audio mixer (kX Mixer) included with the driver package allows access to many more features. The Windows mixer allows Master, Wave and Synth Playback and Record levels to be controlled. A Line-in slider has also been added for compatibilty with TV-card software.

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    Q. Is there a dedicated mixer included with the kX driver set?

    A. Yes, the kX driver package includes a feature-rich audio mixer, the kX Mixer.

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    Q. What are the mixer features? Can I save and restore my mixer settings?

    A. The kX mixer includes level controls for all inputs and outputs, full control over the AC97 Codec, separate record level controls, selectable digital output mode, etc., etc. The kX Mixer supports save, load and restore of all mixer settings.

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    Q. Are DSP effects supported by the kX driver?

    A. Yes, the kX driver supports DSP effects, with Reverb and Chorus loaded by default for MIDI Synth compatibility.

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    Q. Is there an effects control panel included with the kX driver set?

    A. The kX mixer includes a DSP control panel, allowing editing, loading, patching and unloading of custom DSP effects. A command-line utility is also included with the kX driver package, allowing direct access to many functions.

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    Q. Are there new effects included with the kX driver set?

    A. Yes, in fact all effects included with the kX driver package are new, custom-programmed DSP effects. Currently, Reverb Lite, Stereo Chorus, Delay, Overdrive, M4Tube (TubeSound), Chorus, AutoWah, CL Reverb, ProLogica, RingMod, Eq10a, APS Flanger, APS AutoWah, Stereo/Mono Vocoders, Overdrive2, Encode4, APS Fuzz, Stereo Mix, Mono Mix, Pan, Pan x2, EQ Bandpass, EQ Highpass, EQ Highshelf, EQ Lowpass, EQ Lowshelf, EQ Notch, EQ Peaking, Frequency Splitter and Timbre effects are included with the kX driver package; other effects will be available in the near future.

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    Q. Can I write my own DSP effects for use with the kX driver set?

    A. Yes, the kX driver package includes a DSP compiler and loader, allowing skilled users to program their own DSP effects.

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    Q. Where can I get support for the kX Audio Driver?

    A. The kX Forums have been set up to allow users to ask questions and exchange helpful tips and information with each other. kX developers and collaborators will sometimes drop in to answer questions, but on a limited basis (mainly due to time constraints :-P). Note that the kX Project email address should be used for Bug Reports and suggestions only - support questions will be referred to the kX Forums.

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    Q. Why do I experience shutdown problems with the kX Mixer?

    A. This is a known issue with Windows 2000 / Windows XP. See Microsoft support site for details. Windows 2000 users are advised to install the latest Service Pack - this has reportedly solved the shut-down problem for many kX users.

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    Q. Why do I get 'Debug assertion failed' message (Expression 'SUCCEEDED(hr)&&gpPicture')?

    A. This error indicates that your Internet Explorer installation is corrupted. In order to solve this, re-install Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher.

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    Q. Why can't I load large SoundFonts?

    A. This is caused by Windows memory management restrictions. Try tweaking the following register keys (for Windows 2000 and Windows XP only): 

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory 
ManagementPagedPoolSize
NonPagedPoolSize
NonPagedPoolQuota
PagedPoolQuota
    Please search our forum and Microsoft Knowledge Base for details.

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    Q. How do I tweak my computer for optimum performance?

    A. Start by reading the following explanatory documents: Top

    Q: My MIDI playback is crackling no matter what SoundFont I use - what should I do? I have VIA chipset and AMD processor.

    A: If you are using any cooling software like VCool, CPUCool, CPUIdle, etc you need to disable it(in VCool you need to disable NB Cool Bit, in CPUIdle disable 'AMD hardware-specific' options).

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    Q: Why is there no 'Wave 2/3' device?

    A: 'Wave 0/1', 'Wave 4/5', 'Wave 6/7', 'Wave 8/9' are the only wave devices available for WinMM / DirectSound applications. They are routed to the corresponding FxBusses, that is, 'Wave 0/1' is routed to 'stereo' mix which goes to 'front' output by default, 'Wave 4/5' is routed to front only, 'Wave 6/7' is routed to rear only, 'Wave 8/9' is routed to center and subwoofer.
    Read our Routing guide     for details.

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    Q: Why is my CT4830/SB0090/SB0220 recognized as CT4832/SB0092/SB0222?? Does this affect sound quality?

    A: The CT4830 and CT4832 are almost identical cards with different PCI IDs (as programmed into the onboard EEPROM). A CT4832 card is generally an OEM version of the CT4830, although both cards might be marked as 'CT4830'. Neither kX Audio driver performance nor sound quality are affected by the way in which these cards are recognized by kX (the same applies to SB0090/SB0092 and SB0220/SB0222 cards).

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    Q: Does kX support ASIO 2 Direct Monitoring?

    A: When this option in the Audio System Setup dialog is activated, monitoring is handled by the actual audio hardware, that is, the monitored signal does not pass through Cubase VST. Instead, the ASIO driver for the audio hardware is instructed to send the audio from the monitored input directly back to a specified output, thus providing monitoring with practically no latency, i.e. ASIO2 Direct Monitoring simply provides zero latency monitoring of inputs. However, zero latency monitoring is already provided by kX ("direct monitoring" is enabled when you unmute an input on the kX Mixer's "Ins'n'Outs" page), so there is no reason to tax your CPU with ASIO2 direct Monitoring. Contrary to what many people believe, ASIO direct monitoring does not allow monitoring of the incoming signal with VST effects; it only provides monitoring of the dry input signal. In other words, this means that the only thing missing without ASIO2 "direct monitoring" in kX is the lack of direct control from Cubase (or other ASIO host) over hardware pan/level/peakmeter for unprocessed dry signal, although even these can be controlled via the kX Mixer. And of course you can always apply VST/DirectX plug-ins to as many input channels as you want using the kX ASIO driver.

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    Q:Why cannot kX Mixer find kxskin.kxs file, although it is in the same folder?

    A: You should not try executing kX Mixer from the folder you have manually copied it to. kX Mixer should be installed into your Windows/System32 folder by the setup application. Do not try to install it manually - simply re-run the installation program.

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    Q:After installing kX Driver I cannot hear anything. Why?

    A: Before you can enjoy the sound quality offered by the kX Audio driver you need to make sure it is configured correctly. For example, Front and Rear outputs are swapped by default -- make sure you have your speakers plugged into the 'Rear' jack, or disable the swap on the 'Master' page of the kX Mixer. If you have more than 2 speakers (4.0/4.1 or 5.0/5.1 speaker set) - set the desired configuration in the 'Surrounder' window (you can access it via 'Effects' submenu or by clicking the 'Surrounder' button on the main page of the kX Mixer).

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    Q:Why do I hear audio feedback when using NetMeeting? How do I turn off the recording feedback?

    A: kX Audio driver enables 'What you hear' recording mode by default. In order to turn it off, open the kX Mixer, and set Wave and Synth recording levels to the appropriate values on the 'Recording' page.

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    10. Trademarks & Legal Disclaimer

    Copyright

    Legal Trademarks and Copyright

    kX Project is in no way affiliated, associated or connected with E-mu Systems Ltd. or Creative Technology Inc.

    11. License Agreement

    
PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT 
CAREFULLY BEFORE INSTALLING 
THE SOFTWARE.

EUGENE GAVRILOV 
SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT:

This is a legal agreement  between you (individual 
or entity) and Eugene Gavrilov  ('the Author'). 
This Agreement states  the terms and conditions upon 
which Eugene Gavrilov offers to license the software,
including, but not limited to, the executable programs,
drivers, libraries, DSP microcode both in source and
in binary form and data files associated with such 
programs (collectively, the 'Software'). 
The Software is licensed, not sold, ownership remains 
with the Author. By installing, copying, or making any 
use of this Software you agree to be bound by the terms 
of this agreement. If you do not agree, do not use or 
install the Software -- immediately remove any and all 
downloaded or installed versions from your computer 
system and/or storage archives.

LICENSE:
The Author grants you a conditional license to use the 
Software, subject to the terms included herein.

ASSIGN OR TRANSFER OF LICENSE:
License may not be assigned or transferred to another 
person or entity, without prior written permission from 
the Author. 

COPYRIGHT:
This Software is the proprietary property of the Author 
and is protected by Copyright Law. You do not acquire 
any rights of ownership whatsoever.  

DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS:
You agree to not permit or cause any removal or 
modification of copyright or proprietary notices, 
file name changes, or any modification or additions 
to the Software files of any kind. You agree the 
Software may not be sold or included in any product 
or package without specific written permission of 
the Author -- and that only sites designated by the 
Author are allowed to distribute this Software,

NO OTHER DISTRIBUTION IS ALLOWED. 

DECOMPILING, DISASSEMBLING, 
OR REVERSE ENGINEERING:
Except to the extent expressly permitted by this 
Agreement or by the laws of the jurisdiction where 
you are located, you may not decompile, disassemble
or otherwise reverse engineer the Software, or 
engage in any other activities to obtain underlying 
information that is not visible to the user in 
connection with normal use of the Software.  

TERMINATION:
The Author may terminate this agreement should you 
fail to comply with any of these terms and/or 
conditions. In such event, you agree to immediately 
remove this Software from your computer system and 
destroy any copies on hand.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY -- NO WARRANTY:
The Author expressly disclaims any warranty for this 
product, including all descriptions, documentation, 
and on-line documentation. This Software is provided 
'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, including 
without limitation, any implied warranties of fitness 
for a particular purpose or result.
Eugene Gavrilov does not warrant that the functions 
contained in the Software will meet your requirements 
or that the operation of the Software will be 
uninterrupted or error-free or free from malicious code.
For purposes of this paragraph, 'malicious code' 
means any program code designed to contaminate 
other computer programs or computer data, consume 
computer resources, modify, destroy, record, or 
transmit data,or in some other fashion usurp the 
normal operation of the computer, computer system, 
or computer network.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY -- NO LIABILITY:
The Software is provided 'AS IS'. You agree to assume 
the entire risk for any damage or result arising from 
its download, installation and use, including the license 
process. In no event will the Author (or his agents 
and/or associates) be liable to you for any incidental 
or consequential damages or losses whatsoever, 
including without limitation, damage to data, 
property or profits, arising from any use, or 
from any inability to use said Software. 

FINAL PROVISIONS:
This agreement and the interpretation thereof shall be 
exclusively subject to the laws of Russian Federation. 
If any one stipulation of this License contract should 
be or become invalid, completely or in part, this shall 
not affect the validity of the remaining stipulations. 
The parties undertake instead to replace the invalid 
stipulations with a valid regulation which comes as 
closely as possible to the purpose originally intended.
Amendments, supplements and notices of termination 
of this agreement must be made in writing. The 
rescission of this agreement or an alteration to the 
requirement of the written form must also be made 
in writing.
Subsidiary agreements have not been concluded. 
Place of jurisdiction for all disputes is Moscow.

(c) 2001,2002,2003 Eugene Gavrilov.  All rights reserved.
Contact information: www.kxproject.com