Archive for the ‘Windows OS’ Category

Local vs Roaming Profile in Windows 10/11

Saturday, February 10th, 2024

In Windows 10, user profiles play a crucial role in storing user-related settings and data, ensuring a personalized experience across the operating system. The key difference between local profiles and roaming profiles lies in how they store and access this data across different computers in a networked environment.

Local Profile
  • Location: A local profile is stored directly on the computer’s hard drive.Accessibility: It is accessible only on the computer where it is stored.Usage Scenario: Ideal for users who only use a single computer, as it ensures that their settings, preferences, and files are saved locally on that machine.Performance: Typically, local profiles offer faster load times since the data is directly accessed from the local hard disk.Data Synchronization: There is no synchronization across multiple devices. Each local profile is unique to the computer it resides on.
  • Roaming Profile
  • Location: A roaming profile is stored on a network server and downloaded to a computer when a user logs on.Accessibility: It can be accessed from any computer within the network that the user logs onto, allowing for a consistent user experience across multiple devices.Usage Scenario: Ideal for environments where users need to move between different computers, such as in educational institutions or large offices. It ensures that users have access to their personal settings, documents, and applications regardless of which computer they log on to.Performance: The initial logon and logoff times might be slower compared to local profiles, especially if the user has a lot of data, since the profile is downloaded from and uploaded to the server at the beginning and end of each session, respectively.Data Synchronization: Changes to the user’s profile are synchronized with the server copy at logoff, and these changes are applied the next time the user logs on to any computer in the network.
  • Key Differences Summarized:
  • Storage Location: Local profiles are stored on the local computer, while roaming profiles are stored on a network server.Accessibility: Local profiles are accessible only on one computer; roaming profiles can be accessed from any computer in the network.Performance: Local profiles generally provide faster access to data, while roaming profiles might experience slower logon and logoff times due to network synchronization.User Scenario: Local profiles are suited for single-computer users, and roaming profiles are designed for users who need their settings and files across multiple computers.
  • In summary, the choice between a local and a roaming profile depends on the specific needs of the user and the network environment. Local profiles are straightforward and fast, suited for stationary users, while roaming profiles offer flexibility and consistency for users who move between different workstations.

    I have my own business and I work alone. Why Do I have a Roaming Profile on my laptop?

    If you’re working alone and primarily use a single Windows 10 laptop, it might seem unusual for your system to create or use a roaming profile since roaming profiles are typically used in environments with networked computers where users need to access their profiles from different machines. However, there are a few scenarios or settings that might lead to your Windows 10 laptop creating or being set to use a roaming profile:

    1. Domain Membership

    If your laptop is joined to a Windows domain (common in business environments, even small ones, to facilitate management of policies and security), the domain’s policies might dictate the use of roaming profiles for all users, including you. This is often configured by network administrators to ensure that users’ settings and files are available across different devices, but it can apply even if you only use one device.

    2. Manual Configuration or Software

    You might have accidentally configured your user profile as a roaming profile, or specific software that you installed could have changed your profile settings as part of its setup process, especially if it’s designed for use in multi-user environments.

    3. Misinterpretation

    Sometimes, what appears to be a roaming profile might actually be other features of Windows 10 at play. For example, features like OneDrive folder redirection can sync your Desktop, Documents, and other folders across devices, mimicking some aspects of a roaming profile without actually using one.

    4. Previous Network Settings

    If you previously used your laptop in a different environment (e.g., at a former employer) where roaming profiles were used, and the profile was not fully converted back to a local profile upon leaving that environment, your system might still attempt to use roaming profile settings.

    Addressing Unwanted Roaming Profile Use

    If a roaming profile is not desired, especially considering your solitary work situation, you can take steps to revert to a local profile:

    • Check Domain Membership: Ensure your laptop is not part of a domain that enforces roaming profiles. You can leave the domain if it’s not required for your business, but be cautious as this might affect other domain-based services and policies.
    • Adjust Profile Settings: You can manually change your profile type. This process might involve editing the registry or local group policy settings, so it’s important to proceed with caution and back up your data first.
    • Professional Help: If you’re not comfortable making these changes on your own, consulting with an IT professional who can understand your specific setup and provide tailored advice might be beneficial.

    In any case, understanding and managing user profiles in Windows 10 requires a bit of technical knowledge, especially when it comes to distinguishing between local and roaming profiles and making adjustments to suit your needs.

    Final Thoughts

    Local profiles in Windows 10 are stored directly on a computer’s hard drive, making them accessible only on that specific machine. They’re ideal for users who work primarily on a single computer, as they ensure that personal settings, preferences, and files are kept locally. In contrast, roaming profiles are stored on a network server and are downloaded to any computer within the network that a user logs onto, allowing for a consistent experience across multiple devices. This setup is particularly useful in environments where users need to move between different workstations, as it ensures their personal environment follows them. However, roaming profiles can lead to slower login and logout times due to the need to synchronize data with the server. The choice between a local and a roaming profile depends on the user’s needs, with local profiles offering speed and simplicity for single-computer users, and roaming profiles providing flexibility for those frequently switching between different computers.

    How To Access Two Identical External Drives

    Saturday, January 21st, 2023

    Key Points

    • In order to access storage devices, Windows Operating System (7, 10, 11) assigns a unique signature to each storage devices
    • When there is a conflict with drive letter assignments or signature collisions, one or more internal or external drive may be invisible to the operating system
    • This post will provide you with a detailed step-by-step instructions on how to resolve this issue

    Problem

    I own two, 1 TB external, portable hard drives made by Western Digital (“My Passport Essential SE”):

    • WDBACX0010BBL-01: My Passport SE, 5600 RPM, USB3, Blue
    • WDBACX0010BBL-01: My Passport SE, 5600 RPM, USB3, Silver

    When I plugged both drives at the same time using two separate USB cables, Window 10’s FILE MANAGER was only able to see the drive that was plugged in first (in my case, the blue drive).

    The second “invisible” (silver) My Passport drive was not even detected in the DISK MANAGEMENT TOOL.

    mvirtualoffice-access-two-external-hdd-not-showing-disk-mgmt-fl

    This invisible drive issue can also happen if you clone a drive with a different brand/model.

    • Only one external hard drive shows when two are connected
    • Disk offline because it has signature collision with another disk online
    • windows 10 external hdd signature collision
    • windows 10 two external hdd cannot access one drive
    • why can’t I see my second hard drive in Windows 10
    • Why is only one of my hard drives not showing up?

    Possible Causes

    There are three primary reasons why one of the drive cannot be seen by the operating system:

    • Defective drive and/or USB cable
    • Conflict with drive letter assignments – drives are not visible in FILE MANAGER
    • Conflict with signatures – drives are not visible in DISK MANAGEMENT TOOL
    Disk Management Tool
    Windows 7, 10, 11 Disk Management tool (DMT) allows users to manage and organize storage devices by assigning a unique name or ID to them.

    DMT offers basic functions such as creating, formatting, deleting partitions as well as offer more advanced capabilities like extending and shrinking partitions.

    You can access DMT by right-clicking on the four-pane Windows Start in the system tray and selecting “Disk Management” from the popup menu.

    You can learn more about it from here (external link to Microsoft).

    Troubleshooting a defective drive and/or USB cable

    Before diving into more complex solutions, we want to verify that both portable storage devices, USB cables, and USB ports are in good working order.

    First, simply plug in your external hard drives individually to make sure that each drive can be accessed by the FILE MANAGER.

    If your desktop or laptop has three USB ports, try attaching each portable drives to all ports.

    Lastly, you should swap the USB cables between two drives when plugging them into your computer.

    While viewing the content of your drives in FILE MANAGER, make a note of the drive letters. If you see that both drives have the same drive letter (in my case, drive letter “G” was assigned to both blue and silver drives), we will need to change the drive letter on one drive.

    If your drives can be accessed by your computer, you can move on to the next troubleshooting step.

    Changing the Drive Letter Assignment

    With both external drives plugged in, if your one of your drive is not listed in the DISK MANAGEMENT TOOL, there is a conflict with the driver letter assignment.

    As stated previously, I had erroneously assigned the letter “G” to both drives so we need to change the drive letter on one of the external drives:

    • STEP 1: Plug in one external drive only (in my case, a blue My Passport drive)
    • STEP 2: From the desktop, right click on the Window icon (bottom left), then click DISK MANAGEMENT
    • STEP 3: Right click on the external HDD (in my case, Disk 2, Bolt-1-tb), then click on CHANGE DRIVE LETTER AND PATHS
    • STEP 4: Change the drive letter to whatever you want (in my case, drive letter X). You may be prompted with a message “Some programs that rely on drive letters might not run correctly. Do you want to continue?“. Although changing a drive letter does not impact the content, some of your applications that need to re-map to your drive with the new drive letter assignment. Click YES to proceed.
    • STEP 5: Look at the DISK MANAGEMENT dashboard and confirm that the drive letter has been changed from G: to X:
    • STEP 6: Plug in your second My Passport external HDD (in my case, a silver My Passport)
    • STEP 7: Your DISK MANAGEMENT should now list this second drive, but the drive is still missing a letter and thus cannot be accessed just yet. If you click on the exclamation with a blue circle, you will see the error message “The disk is offline because it has a signature collision with another disk that is online”

    Fixing Signature Collision

    Each disk (internal and external) gets a unique “name” (a.k.a. identifier or signature) during the initialization so that Microsoft Windows can differentiate between multiple storage devices.

    When two or more devices have the same name, the OS gets confused and only identifies the FIRST DRIVE you plug in and blocks access to subsequent storage drives with the same identifier.

    You can use two methods to fix this problem:

    • Option A – DISKPART
      • Built-in Microsoft tool
      • Clean and change the identifier via UNIQUEID command on a target drive
    • Option B – HEX editor
      • Change the identifier stored in the 0 sector in the Master Boot Record (MBR)
      • You can also use DM Disk Editor (DMDE), which is free, to make these changes

    I will show you how to fix the “Disk offline because it has signature collision with another disk online” issue using the DISKPART tool.

    How to Change the UNIQUE ID

    We will need to use a command prompt tool (CMD) to change the UNIQUE ID for the second drive.

    Two things to be aware:
    (1) You need to be the administrator for your computer
    (2) Although changing UNIQUE ID should not impact accessing your data, it is always a good idea to perform a backup before making this change.
    • STEP 1: From the desktop, right click on the Window icon (bottom left), then click COMMAND PROMPT (ADMIN)
    • STEP 2: Type diskpart then hit the enter key
    • STEP 3: Type list disk then hit the enter key
    • STEP 4: Type select disk 2 the hit the enter key (this step will select my BLUE external drive)
    • STEP 5: Type uniqueid disk the hit the enter key; the UNIQUE ID for my BLUE drive is 00042ADA
    • STEP 6: Type select disk 3 then hit the enter key (this step will select my SILVER external drive)
    • STEP 7: Type uniqueid disk the hit the enter key; ; the UNIQUE ID for my SILVER drive is 00042ADA
    • STEP 8: Since we confirmed that both BLUE and SILVER drives have the same UNIQUE ID, I will be change the value for the SILVER DRIVE
    • STEP 9: Type select disk 3 then hit the enter key
    • STEP 10: Type uniqueid disk id=00042add (this new value has to be in hexidecimal form so the easiest way is the change the last letter to 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, A,B,C,D,E, or F)
    • STEP 11: Type uniqueid disk the hit the enter key to verify that the new UNIQUE ID is now 00042add
    • STEP 12: Type online disk to bring up the drive online

    Take Aways

    Now that both blue and silver external drives have their own unique ID (name or signature), I am able to access both drives at the same time (as shown in the FILE MANAGER screen capture).

    Remember that this problem also occurs if you clone a drive.

    I hope you found this post to be helpful. If liked the post, please leave a comment below. Thanks!

    Reference Links