The phrase “dongle free” can be misleading. In this context, it likely means “the dongle is absent or not recognized” or refers to a “dongle-free” (software-only) crack that has failed. The complete message—“The hardware information does not match”—suggests that the software has read some hardware ID from the computer (e.g., motherboard serial number, hard disk ID, or network adapter MAC address) and compared it to an expected value stored either in the dongle or in a license file. Because the two do not match, the software refuses to run.
The cracked version of Autodata 3.45 often relies on a modified vUSB (Virtual USB) driver.
Incompatible system locale settings (often needing to be set to English (US) ). Step-by-Step Resolution Guide 1. Verify Sentinel Drivers and Emulator
Run the ComponentFixer.exe utility found inside the directory.
: Autodata often requires your system's regional format to be set to English (United States) to function correctly. Sentinel Driver & Emulator Check your Device Manager . Under "Universal Serial Bus controllers," you should see "SafeNet Sentinel Hardware Key" If it is missing, you must manually run the Start Emulator script or reinstall the Sentinel Protection Installer. Disable Antivirus The phrase “dongle free” can be misleading
Follow these troubleshooting methods in sequence to resolve the hardware mismatch error. 1. Run the Software as Administrator
: The virtual dongle emulator (often a "Sentinel" emulator) is not running or failed to install correctly. Regional Settings
The emulator or keygen is often mistakenly flagged as a virus and deleted.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ or look for folders related to Sentinel , HASP , or EEPROM . Because the two do not match, the software refuses to run
Contact support if:
What are you running? (Windows 10, 11, 64-bit?)
Right-click the problem device and choose . Check the box to delete the driver software if prompted. Phase 3: Regenerate the Unique Hardware ID (UID)
If it still fails, find the file inst.bat or install.bat inside the installation folder. Step-by-Step Resolution Guide 1
Look for or HASP driver with a yellow warning triangle.
In essence, the error is a designed to prevent copying the software to another computer without the authorized dongle.
Ensure your computer's date and time are accurate. The license files sometimes include temporal protections that will fail if the system time is out of sync. Best Practices for Installing Autodata 3.45