IT issues when someone else uses docking station

[MBo1986]

We have a "hot-desking" policy at our office where first in gets first picking of a seat which means we move around a lot. However, because of this for some reason it causes major issues IT wise. For example, my colleague has been off a week and so someone else used her docking station. She has returned today and it will not allow her to logon using the docking station. I know others have had the same issue and require to hard restart a number of times before it works. Any ideas why this would happen? Are docking stations only designed to be used by one specific laptop because I feel that would make them really useless in the type of environment we work in. Our IT dept can't seem to figure it out so I am trying on here! 

Thanks 🙂

[TheOldMan]

It might help if you could provide more information.

1) are the docking stations wired or does the laptop connect wireless?

2) what type of Windows 7 ( Enterprise, Home, Pro) is being used and does everyone have the same type Windows installed?

3) are all of the docking stations the same make and model?  I see you specified the HP Docking Station A7E2AA but are all of the stations that model?

[MBo1986]

1) the docking stations have ether cables to connect to our network so when we dock our laptops we connect to the network

2) Windows 7 Enterprise - everyone has the same

3) all the docking stations are the same make and model

Thanks 🙂 

[TheOldMan]

I forgot the ask if Windows Enterprise, are you using a Domain Sign-in or a local account sign in?  That is most likely where the problem is. 

[MBo1986]

I am not sure if it is Domain or Local. I know that we can swap laptops between one another (though this is a rare occourence), but only when we are connected to the network will it recognise a user name and password from someone who doesn't normally use the laptop. Hope that helps?

[TheOldMan]

I suspect the user may not be paying attention to the log on screen close enough.  Since the docking stations are wired, it might be trying to assign the last user to the logon instead of the current user.

See this and check the screens to make sure the user logging on is the correct one.

http://web.cgu.edu/media/oit/tutorials/win7-logon.pdf

[MBo1986]

Thanks for the help, when the problem arises again I will see if this works, but if you are using your own laptop that noone else has used, how does the docking station change the assigned user on the laptop?

[TheOldMan]

If the domain signin is being used, the network might be aware of the IP address assigned to the docking station rather than recognizing that a different laptop has connected.  I am not a "domain" user and therefor not familiar with how this might work exactly.

One last thing - is the user's laptop already on, or asleep and then awakened when placed in the dock, or starting from a cold start? 

If you all are using a local account instead of the domain, then siging in from a cold start, it should not matter,  I suspect.

[MBo1986]

OK thanks, I will trial this out and see if the issue comes up. We all usually dock the laptop on the station first and then switch on from cold start.