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RECORDER Manual


Help : USB key (dongle) information


This dialog box provides information on the physical Avisoft-RECORDER USB key (dongle).

USB key type Reports the dongle type. The type is either Sentinel HL (driverless configuration) for new (and updated) keys or Hardlock / Sentinel HL (Hardlock configuration) for old keys.

USB key ID Reports the unique USB key id number. This number can be copied into the Windows clipboard by clicking at the Copy ID button.

Copy ID Copies the unique ID number of the USB key into the clipboard.


The Avisoft-RECORDER software (version 4.3.00 or higher) supports three different USB key versions:

Hardlock USB
distributed from 1999 to 2014
Sentinel HL (Hardlock Configuration or Driverless Configuration), Blue
distributed from 2015 to 2021
Sentinel HL (Driverless Configuration), Purple
distributed from 2021
Hardlock USB and Sentinel HL (Hardlock configuration, blue) require to install the Seninel HL / Hardlock USB key device driver software. This is done automatically by the Avisoft-RECORDER installer including Sentinel HL / Hardlock USB key device driver installation. The device driver can also be installed manually from the Thales Customer Support Portal. In order to force the installation of the legacy Hardlock device driver, the command line tool must be executed with the followong parameters: haspdinst.exe -i -ld -kp -fss

The new (purple-colored) Sentinel HL (Driverless configuration) USB keys do not require to install any driver, which means that the Avisoft-RECORDER installer without Sentinel HL / Hardlock USB key device driver installation can be used.

The Seninel HL / Hardlock USB key device driver software can be uninstalled using the command-line installer available from the THALES Customer Support Portal. The command line is as follows: haspdinst -r -fr -purge


Legacy parallel port dongles are not supported anymore. These keys can be exchanged. Send an email to info@avisoft.com to arrange that.

Hardlock E-Y-E
distributed from 1993 to 1995
Hardlock II Twin
distributed from 1996 to 1999
Avisoft Bioacoustics

last modified on 18 May 2021