This article addresses compatibility concerns and setup limitations related to using Thales (Sentinel HASP) USB dongles on ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3) running Windows 11 through Parallels Desktop.

Thales (Sentinel HASP) USB dongles are commonly used for software licensing and protection in FlexNet Publisher. These dongles rely on drivers provided by Thales, which are designed for x86/x64 versions of Windows. However, Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3) running Windows 11 ARM via Parallels Desktop introduce a critical compatibility issue.

Driver Architecture Mismatch

The Sentinel HASP drivers are not compatible with ARM. They are developed exclusively for traditional Intel/AMD architectures (x86/x64) and cannot function in ARM-based environments.

No ARM-Compatible Drivers Available

As of now, Thales has not released ARM-compatible drivers for Sentinel HASP dongles. Consequently, the dongle is not recognized when plugged into an ARM-based Mac running Windows 11 via Parallels Desktop.

Conclusion

As a result, Sentinel HASP USB dongles are not supported on ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs running Windows 11 via Parallels Desktop, since Thales does not provide support for this configuration. Users must use a native x86/x64 Windows machine to ensure compatibility.