If you are seeing this error, try these immediate steps before diving into deeper troubleshooting: Reconnect the Dongle
Temporarily disable your antivirus to check if this resolves the issue. If it does, add the security device driver executable as an exclusion. Summary of Fixes Potential Result Plug directly into PC (No Hub) Resolves power issues. 2 Check USB port light Confirms physical connection. 3 Update Drivers (HASP/CodeMeter) Fixes software-hardware communication. 4 Disable USB Power Savings Prevents computer from turning off the key. When to Contact Technical Support
Right-click your USB Root Hub (or the specific dongle entry) and choose . Go to the Power Management tab.
If you’ve ever encountered the frustrating error message , you know how abruptly it can halt your workflow. This error typically appears when launching licensed software, running an update tool, or attempting to access protected features that rely on a hardware dongle (USB key) for authentication.
Old driver remnants can conflict with new software. Use the vendor’s cleanup tool: If you are seeing this error, try these
Scroll down to find the service associated with your dongle brand (e.g., , CodeMeter Runtime Server , or HASP Loader ). Right-click the service and select Restart . Ensure the "Startup type" is set to Automatic . On macOS: Open the Activity Monitor .
If you have completed all the steps above and the software still refuses to launch, you are likely facing a hardware failure or a licensing mismatch.
Security dongles rely on dedicated background services to act as an intermediary between the USB hardware and your application. If this service stalls, the software cannot see the key. Press Windows Key + R , type services.msc , and press Enter.
Add the folder path of your licensing driver (usually found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Aladdin Shared\ or similar paths depending on the brand). 2 Check USB port light Confirms physical connection
When this connection breaks, your software locks you out. Here is a comprehensive guide to troubleshooting and fixing this issue. 1. Fast Hardware Checks
The error fires for three fundamental reasons:
Plug the dongle directly into the motherboard ports on the back of your computer. USB hubs often lack enough power to run security keys.
Overzealous antivirus programs or Windows Defender can flag the licensing services or local communication ports as suspicious activity, blocking the software from verifying the key. When to Contact Technical Support Right-click your USB
Open and expand Universal Serial Bus controllers .
Right-click the Windows Start button and select .
This error typically indicates that your software cannot detect the physical USB security key required for authorization.