Autodata uses a physical USB dongle (hardware lock) as its primary form of copy protection and licensing. The software on your computer stores a unique “fingerprint” of that specific dongle. When you see the “hardware information does not match” message, it means one of two things:
This article provides a comprehensive guide to understanding why this error occurs and the steps you can take to resolve it, ensuring your software is back up and running. What Does This Error Mean?
: Installing Autodata on a new computer or upgrading components (like the motherboard or hard drive) on your current system changes the PC's UID.
Check the or Protection History log to see if any Autodata files or .dll files were blocked. Autodata uses a physical USB dongle (hardware lock)
Unplug the dongle and insert it into a different USB port (preferably a USB 2.0 port directly on the motherboard, not a USB hub).
Outdated or broken Sentinel/HASP USB dongle drivers.
If you are using a legitimate, licensed version of Autodata and the steps above do not work, you must follow the error message's explicit advice: . What Does This Error Mean
Before modifying software settings, eliminate basic hardware failures.
If you upgraded your computer's motherboard or hard drive, Autodata must manually reset your license on their activation servers to match your new hardware configuration.
If a Windows update broke the link, resetting the local license registration files might force the software to re-read the dongle. Unplug the dongle and insert it into a
Go to Windows Settings > Update & Security > View Update History > Uninstall Updates . Remove the most recent quality or feature update.
If the steps above do not work, you must contact Autodata support. The error implies the signature on your dongle no longer matches the machine fingerprint.
Before you panic or assume your dongle is broken, let’s break down what this error actually means and how to fix it.