Azure Autopilot Simplifies Windows Device Enrollment

Azure Autopilot simplifies Windows device enrollment by eliminating the need for IT to manually configure each device. This streamlined process saves time and reduces errors.

With Azure Autopilot, devices can be enrolled in just a few minutes, compared to the hours or even days it would take with traditional methods. This is especially beneficial for large organizations with many devices.

Azure Autopilot uses a unique identifier to match devices with their corresponding Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) user accounts, allowing for seamless integration and management. This eliminates the need for IT to manually configure each device.

If this caught your attention, see: Azure Devices

Before you can start using Azure Autopilot, you need to ensure you have the right setup. Ensure you have configured Azure Active Directory as directed in Enrolling Windows Modern Devices with Azure Active Directory Join.

You'll also want to check if you meet Windows support and licensing requirements. The following Microsoft Windows 10 editions are supported for Windows Autopilot:

One of the following subscriptions is required for Windows Autopilot:

Check your subscription status by navigating to Azure Active Directory > Overview > License.

To configure Azure Autopilot, you'll need to log into Microsoft Endpoint Manager as an Administrator and set up Autopilot registration. This involves selecting Devices > Enroll Devices > Windows Enrollment > Windows Autopilot Deployment Program > Devices, and clicking Import to upload the AutopilotHWID.csv file.

The process of importing the file can take up to 15 minutes to complete. You'll also need to create a device group for Windows Autopilot by selecting Groups > New group and setting the Group type to Security.

A device group is essentially a collection of devices that share similar characteristics or requirements. To create a device group, you'll need to set the Group name, and set Azure AD roles can be assigned to the group to No. You'll also need to set Membership type to Assigned, and click the No members selected link to add your users to the group.

Here's a summary of the steps involved in creating a device group:

Once you've created the device group, you can create a Windows Autopilot Deployment Profile by selecting Devices > Enroll Devices > Deployment Profiles > Create Profile > Windows PC. You'll need to name the profile and set Convert all targeted devices to Autopilot to No, and click Next.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Delete Autopilot Device from Azure Ad

To create an Autopilot deployment profile, you can follow these steps: sign into the Microsoft Intune admin center, select Devices in the left-hand pane, and then select Windows from the By platform dropdown menu. Up to 350 profiles can be created per tenant.

To configure the profile, you'll need to enter a Name and optional Description on the Basics page. You can also set Convert all targeted devices to Autopilot to Yes to automatically register corporate-owned, non-Autopilot devices in assigned groups.

For the Out-of-box experience (OOBE) page, you'll need to select one of the two deployment modes and configure the Join to Microsoft Entra ID as option. You can also select groups to include and exclude from the Assignments page.

The profile can be edited by selecting Properties to change the name or description, or Settings to make changes to the OOBE settings. Changes to the profile are applied to devices assigned to that profile, but the updated profile won't be applied to a device that is already enrolled in Intune until after the device is reset and enrolled again.

If this caught your attention, see: Azure Intune

Here's a summary of the steps to create an Autopilot deployment profile:

To build and deploy a custom Autopilot profile, you'll need to create a .Intunewin file and modify the FinalToastNotification_Trigger.ps1 script to detect the apps that you want to be present on the device to consider it as provisioning complete. You can then build another .Intunewin file with the modified script and deploy it to your test devices.

Azure Autopilot can be finicky, so let's cover some common issues that might arise.

If you're experiencing issues with device enrollment, check that the device meets the system requirements, which include Windows 10, version 1803 or later.

Make sure you've followed the correct enrollment process, which involves creating a group in Azure AD, adding the device to the group, and then enrolling the device in Autopilot.

Device configuration issues are often resolved by checking the device's power settings, which should be set to "instant on" for Autopilot to work properly.

To prevent users from accessing the Desktop screen until the "Hybrid join" process is completed, we need to find a solution.

Enabling user ESP is not an option for HAADJ Autopilot in a Managed Domain environment due to the same issue of Azure AD PRT.

The device ESP can lead to failed provisioning if it fails to hold the device for a time that is long enough to buffer the time required for the backend process to complete.

If the device ESP fails, the device will not receive the AzureAD PRT on the Windows login event post device ESP.

This can cause the device to not receive user-targeted policies, leading to an inevitable ESP timeout.

The lack of AzureAD device identity is the root cause of this issue, making it essential to find an alternative solution.

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A probable solution to the challenge is to execute an app during the device ESP process. This app can be a PS script packaged as a win32 executable.

Additional reading: Azure App Insights vs Azure Monitor

The app will display a Windows 10 OOBE like Splash Screen to mask the Desktop screen post the Windows sign-in after device ESP. This will hide the cursor and the taskbar, effectively disabling user activity on the device until the setup completes.

To achieve this, the app can be designed to fetch the Azure AD PRT during the sign-in event. This will ensure that the device is ready for production use once the setup is complete.

Here's a step-by-step overview of the solution:

Azure Autopilot provides a robust testing and security framework for organizations to ensure their endpoints are secure and up-to-date.

Microsoft Intune integrates with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, an enterprise endpoint security platform, to provide real-time threat detection and response.

Organizations can use Windows Autopilot to reset, repurpose, and recover devices, reducing the risk of security breaches.

With Azure Autopilot, organizations can automate updates using Windows Autopatch, a cloud service that streamlines the update process.

Microsoft Intune allows administrators to create policies that respond to threats, providing an additional layer of security for endpoints.