How to Fix Disk Signature Collision Error in Windows 11

Disks are a critical part of the PC and store both the operating system and the personal files. While some users have reported slower disk performance, it doesn’t pose as big a problem as the Disk Signature Collision error, which turns disks inaccessible.

The error message when hovering over the disk in Disk Management reads, This disk is offline because it has a signature collision with another disk that is online. Any of the affected disks will be listed as Offline. So, let’s find out all about the error!

What does a signature collision mean?

Disk Signatures are unique IDs allotted by Windows to each storage device to distinguish between them and perform operations. This data is a part of the MBR (Master Boot Record) and is vital for various reasons.

So, when two drives have identical disk signatures, Windows turns one offline to avoid conflicts.

Here are a few reasons you come across the Disk Signature Collision error:

• Cloning: The problem usually arises after cloning a drive using a dedicated cloning tool since the cloned drive has the same disk signature as the one it was cloned from. Here, you will have to change disk ID after cloning.
• Creating a virtual drive: Even when creating a virtual drive using a physical one, the disk signature will be identical, triggering the error.
• A Disk was replaced: Though rare, a few users reported that replacing an old drive with a new SSD led to a similar situation.

How do I fix the Disk Signature Collision error?

1. Turn the disk online

Tip

Proceed with this method only when the affected disk doesn’t have the operating system installed. Otherwise, you may encounter errors booting Windows.

1. Press Windows + X to open the Power User menu, and select Disk Management from the list of options.
2. Right-click on the disk labeled as Offline, and select Online from the context menu.

That’s it! Often the simplest solution to fix disk signature collision errors in Windows 10 is to turn the drive online.

2. Change the disk signature

1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type cmd, and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
2. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
3. Now, paste the following command and hit Enter to start the Diskpart utility:diskpart
4. Use this command to view the available disks:list disk
5. Now, run this command to select the affected disk where X is the number allotted to it:select disk X
6. Finally, execute the following command to set a new disk signature where XXXXXXXX is the new ID:uniqueid disk ID =XXXXXXXX

The disk ID is a simple eight-digit alpha-numeric figure. We choose 1415ADEB as the disk signature for the ID, while you can choose anything else. And this will help fix signature collision with another disk.

Also, if you get an Access is denied error when you change identifier using uniqueid command of Diskpart, disable Controlled Folder Access to proceed since it is blocking the change.

3. Run Startup repair

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings, and click on Recovery on the right in the System tab.
2. Now, click on the Restart now button next to Advanced startup.
3. Select Troubleshoot.
4. Click on Advanced options.
5. Next, choose Startup Repair from the options listed here.
6. Select an account to proceed.
7. Type the password for the account in the text field, and click on Continue.

When nothing else works, the built-in Startup Repair utility should do the trick in the case of the disk signature collision error. Since the problem has the potential to prevent Windows from booting, Startup Repair looks for it and eliminates any inconsistencies.

Which is the command to capture disk signature in Windows?

1. Press Windows + S to open Search, type Command Prompt in the text field, and click on Run as administrator.
2. Click Yes in the prompt.
3. Execute the following command:diskpart
4. Use this command to view disks:list disk
5. Replace X in the following command with the number allotted to the drive to select it:select disk X
6. Finally, run this command, and Windows will list the disk signature:uniqueid disk

That’s all there’s to fixing the disk signature collision error in Windows 11, as well as any other iteration of the OS.

And once you are done, do not forget to check some quick tips to increase the file transfer rate in Windows.

For any queries or to share which solution worked for you, drop a comment below.