User-driven Microsoft Entra join: Deploy the device

• Applies to:

  ✅ Windows 11, ✅ Windows 10

Autopilot user-driven Microsoft Entra join steps:

• Step 1: Set up Windows automatic Intune enrollment
• Step 2: Allow users to join devices to Microsoft Entra ID
• Step 3: Register devices as Autopilot devices
• Step 4: Create a device group
• Step 5: Configure and assign Autopilot Enrollment Status Page (ESP)
• Step 6: Create and assign Autopilot profile
• Step 7: Assign Autopilot device to a user (optional)

• Step 8: Deploy the device

For an overview of the Windows Autopilot user-driven Microsoft Entra join workflow, see Windows Autopilot user-driven Microsoft Entra join overview

Deploy the device

Once all of the configurations for the Windows Autopilot user-driven Microsoft Entra join deployment have been completed on the Intune and Microsoft Entra ID side, the next step is to start the Autopilot deployment process on the device. If desired, deploy any additional applications and policies that should run during the Autopilot deployment to a device group that the device is a member of.

To start the Autopilot deployment process on the device, select a device that is part of the device group created in the previous Create a device group step, and then follow these steps:

1. If a wired network connection is available, connect the device to the wired network connection.

2. Power on the device.

3. Once the device boots up, one of two things occurs depending on the state of network connectivity:

   • If the device is connected to a wired network and has network connectivity, the device may reboot to apply critical security updates (if available or applicable). After the reboot to apply critical security updates, the Autopilot process begins.

   • If the device isn't connected to a wired network or if it doesn't have network connectivity, it prompts to connect to a network. Connectivity to the Internet is required:

     1. OOBE (out of box experience) begins and a screen asking for a country or region appears. Select the appropriate country or region, and then select Yes.

     2. The keyboard screen appears to select a keyboard layout. Select the appropriate keyboard layout, and then select Yes.

     3. An additional keyboard layouts screen appears. If needed, select additional keyboard layouts via Add layout, or select Skip if no additional keyboard layouts are needed.

        Note

        When there's no network connectivity, the device can't downloaded the Autopilot profile to know what country/region and keyboard settings to use. For this reason, when there's no network connectivity, the country/region and keyboard screens appear even if these screens have been set to hidden in the Autopilot profile. These settings need to be specified in these screens in order for the network connectivity screens that follow to work properly.

     4. The Let's connect you to a network screen appears. At this screen, either plug the device into a wired network (if available), or select and connect to a wireless Wi-Fi network.

     5. Once network connectivity is established, the Next button should become available. Select Next.

     6. At this point, the device may reboot to apply critical security updates (if available or applicable). After the reboot to apply critical security updates, the Autopilot process begins.

4. Once the Autopilot process begins, the Microsoft Entra sign-in page appears. At the Microsoft Entra sign-in page, if a user was assigned to the device, their username may be pre-populated in this screen. Enter the Microsoft Entra credentials for the user and then select Next (Windows 10) or Sign in (Windows 11) to sign in. If necessary, proceed through the multi-factor authentication (MFA) screens.

5. After authenticating with Microsoft Entra ID, the Enrollment Status Page (ESP) appears. The Enrollment Status Page (ESP) displays progress during the provisioning process across three phases:

   • Device preparation (Device ESP)
   • Device setup (Device ESP)
   • Account setup (User ESP)

   The first two phases of Device preparation and Device setup are part of the Device ESP while the final phase of Account setup is part of the User ESP.

6. Once Account setup and the user ESP process completes, the provisioning process completes, the ESP finishes, and the Desktop appears. At this point, the end-user can start using the device.

Deployment tips

• Before starting the Autopilot deployment, you may want to have:
  
  

  • At least one type of policy and at least one application assigned to the device(s).
  • At least one type of policy and at least one application assigned to the user(s).

  These assignments ensure proper testing of the Autopilot deployment during both the device ESP phase and user ESP phase of the ESP. It may also prevent possible issues when there are either no policies or no applications assigned to the device(s) or the user(s).

• Depending on how the Autopilot profile was configured at the Create and assign Autopilot profile step, additional screens may appear during the Autopilot deployment appear such as:
  
  
  • Language/Country/Region or Keyboard screens before the Microsoft Entra sign-in page.
  • Privacy screen when the user ESP/Account setup begins but before the user is automatically signed in.

• To view and hide detailed progress information in the ESP during the provisioning process:
  
  
  • Windows 10: To show details, next to the appropriate phase select Show details. To hide the details, next to the appropriate phase select Hide details.
  • Windows 11: To show details, next to the appropriate phase select ∨. To hide the details, next to the appropriate phase select ∧.

More information