This is an uncomfortable but common reality. Many workshops use cloned or emulated dongles. If you move a cloned dongle from the original machine it was paired with to another PC, the hash stored inside the clone will not match the new hardware – triggering error 345 immediately.
Error 345 in the AutoData system indicates a critical security mismatch between the software license (stored on the physical USB dongle/hardware key) and the computer’s current hardware configuration. This mechanism prevents unauthorized copying of licensed software to multiple machines. This is an uncomfortable but common reality
Before you start: Ensure you have administrator access to your PC. Also, locate the original installation CD or setup files for Autodata 3.45. Error 345 in the AutoData system indicates a
To understand the fix, you must first understand how Autodata 3.45 was protected. The software utilizes a hardware dongle protection system (specifically a SafeNet Sentinel or Rainbow Technologies dongle). The software checks for the presence of this physical USB key upon startup. Also, locate the original installation CD or setup
In the context of widespread installations today, most users are running "cracked" or "fixed" versions of the software that emulate the dongle. The error usually appears because the software’s Driver is not correctly communicating with the Dongle Emulator, or the USB Drivers installed by default by Windows are blocking the communication.
If you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11, the operating system strictly enforces signed drivers. If the dongle emulation driver is unsigned, Windows will block it, resulting in the hardware mismatch error.
Error Message: "AutoData 345: The hardware information does not match with your dongle."
