If the dongle is physically dead (no LED on multiple PCs) or the HID has changed spontaneously (rare but possible due to power surge), you need a new dongle. Contact your Autodata distributor. They will send a replacement, but you will likely pay a fee (typically 50-100 EUR/USD for the hardware).
For technicians with a second Autodata installation (e.g., on a laptop), you can compare hardware IDs.
Using the HASP Diagnostic Tool:
Now, on the problematic PC, open the license file (the .lic file inside C:\ProgramData\Autodata...) with Notepad. Somewhere in the encrypted text, you may see a plaintext or hex string. If the HID from the tool does not match the HID in the license file, your dongle has been physically changed or the license file belongs to a different dongle. If the dongle is physically dead (no LED
Solution: You must contact Autodata support (or your reseller) to issue a new license file linked to the current HID of your dongle.
The error—"AutoData: The hardware information does not match with your dongle"—is a security feature, not a bug. It is designed to prevent software piracy, but it frequently punishes legitimate users who simply updated Windows or moved a USB cable.
The solution almost always lies in driver management (reinstalling Sentinel HASP drivers) or hardware consistency (using the same USB port and BIOS settings). Now, on the problematic PC, open the license file (the
If the software was working yesterday and fails today, suspect a Windows Update or a loose USB connection. If it fails after a hardware upgrade, you must contact AutoData support for a license rehost. Do not attempt to crack or bypass the dongle; modern diagnostics databases are heavily encrypted, and cracked versions are riddled with malware and incorrect wiring diagrams.
Final Pro Tip: Keep a dedicated, offline, low-spec Windows 10 PC in your workshop just for AutoData. Disable Windows Update completely, never connect it to the internet, and tape the dongle into the rear USB port. You will never see this error again.
Here’s a short analytical piece on that common yet frustrating message: Here’s a short analytical piece on that common
The most common fix is to refresh the communication between the OS and the dongle.
Before fixing the problem, you must understand the architecture. AutoData, like many high-value professional software suites, uses Dongle Protection (Hardware Lock). The dongle (USB key) contains a unique cryptographic signature that the software reads to verify a legitimate license.
The error message breaks down into three components:
In plain English: Your dongle thinks it is plugged into a different computer than the one it was paired with.