Windows 10 Deployment solutions and tools, Windows Auto Pilot

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Customers with EA and MSPA agreements can now subscribe users to Windows 10 Enterprise E3 or E5 and activate their subscriptions on up to five devices.

Deployment Solutions

1. Windows Autopilot:

Windows Autopilot is designed to simplify all parts of the lifecycle of Windows devices, for both IT and end users, from initial deployment through the eventual end of life. Windows Autopilot streamlines and automates the process of setting up and configuring new devices, with minimal interaction required from the end user. You can also use Windows Autopilot to reset, repurpose and recover devices.


Once deployed, Windows 10 devices can be managed by tools such as Microsoft Intune, Windows Update for Business, System Center Configuration Manager, and other similar tools. 

Windows Autopilot configuration requirements

Configure Azure Active Directory automatic enrollment.

Configure Azure Active Directory custom branding.

Enable Windows Subscription Activation if desired, in order to automatically step up from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Enterprise.

Upload Hardware ID’s: To define a device to the Windows Autopilot deployment service, a unique hardware ID for the device needs to be captured and uploaded to the service.file configuration. These Devices need to be added to Windows Autopilot to support most Windows Autopilot scenarios. Hardware ID’s / Hashes collected from a vendor, scripts or using SCCM.

Add Profiles: Once devices have been added to Windows Autopilot, a profile of settings needs to be applied to each device. The following profile settings are available:

    • Skip Cortana, OneDrive and OEM registration setup pages.
    • Automatically setup for work or school.
    • Sign inexperience with company branding.
    • Skip privacy settings.
    • Disable local admin account creation on the device.
    • Skip End User License Agreement (EULA).
    • Disable Windows consumer features.

Networking Requirements

Windows Autopilot depends on a variety of internet-based services; access to these services must be provided for Autopilot to function properly. In the simplest case, enabling proper functionality can be achieved by ensuring the following:

  • Ensure DNS name resolution for internet DNS names
  • Allow access to all hosts via port 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), and 123 (UDP/NTP)

Licensing Requirements

One of the following, to provide needed Azure Active Directory (automatic MDM enrollment and company branding features) and MDM functionality:

  • Microsoft 365 Business subscriptions
  • Microsoft 365 F1 subscriptions
  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 or E5 subscriptions, which include all Windows 10, Office 365, and EM+S features (Azure AD and Intune)
  • Enterprise Mobility + Security E3 or E5 subscriptions, which include all needed Azure AD and Intune features
  • Azure Active Directory Premium P1 or P2 and Intune subscriptions (or an alternative MDM service)

2. Upgrade Readiness

The Upgrade Readiness tool moved from public preview to general availability on March 2, 2017.

Upgrade Readiness helps you ensure that applications and drivers are ready for a Windows 10 upgrade. The solution provides up-to-date application and driver inventory, information about known issues, troubleshooting guidance, and per-device readiness and tracking details.

3. Update Compliance

Update Compliance is a solution built using OMS Logs and Analytics that provides information about status of monthly quality and feature updates.

4. Device Health

Device Health is the newest Windows Analytics solution that complements the existing Upgrade Readiness and Update Compliance solutions by helping to identify devices crashes and the cause.

5. MBR2GPT

MBR2GPT.EXE converts a disk from Master Boot Record (MBR) to GUID Partition Table (GPT) partition style without modifying or deleting data on the disk. Previously, it was necessary to image, then wipe and reload a disk to change from MBR format to GPT

6. Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT)

MDT build 8443 is available, including support for:

  • Deployment and upgrade of Windows 10, version 1607 (including Enterprise LTSB and Education editions) and Windows Server 2016.
  • The Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 1607.
  • Integration with Configuration Manager version 1606.

7. Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK)

The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) contains tools that can be used by IT Pros to deploy Windows.

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