Can I create a Entra Sync without having a Windows Server Operating system?

Question

I work for a small business and we have gone through a few laptops and users without ever updating names or owners. Im looking to fix this in Entra and while ive made all changes locally I cant seem to get them to show on Entra. Is there a way to force a sync through my group without doing the cloud sync which requires a Windows server operating system which I dont have. If it matters I am talking about 10 devices total.

Answer 1

Hi Dooood,

Since you don't have a local Windows Server, you are in a "Cloud Only" environment (Entra ID Joined or Registered). You are currently chasing a feature that doesn't exist. In a Cloud-Only environment, there is no "Sync Engine" to force. The communication happens directly between the laptop and Microsoft.

When you rename a computer locally in Windows 10/11, it does not automatically update the "Device Name" you see in the Entra ID portal. This is a known design behavior. Entra ID captures the name at the moment of the "Join" and rarely listens for updates afterward.

=> For 10 devices, do not waste time trying to script this. You must rename them manually in the cloud to match the physical device.

Besides, In Entra ID, the "Owner" is immutable in specific scenarios.

If Entra Joined: The Owner is permanently stamped as the user who typed their email/password during the Windows OOBE (Out of Box Experience) setup. You cannot change this attribute in the portal; it is grayed out.

If Entra Registered (BYOD): The Owner is the person who signed into the Office/Teams app.

Since you want the "Owner" to be correct for the new staff member, you can't just "update" a field. You have to swap the identity on the device itself. You can try one of the two options:

Option A: The "Clean" Re-Join (Recommended)

On the laptop, log in as the NEW user => Go to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school => Select the connected work account and click Disconnect. (This removes the device from Entra) => Click Connect (or "Join this device to Microsoft Entra ID" if you want a full join) => Have the NEW user sign in.

Result: This creates a new device record in Entra with the correct Name and the correct Owner immediately. You can then delete the old stale record in Entra.

Option B: Leave it alone (Cosmetic) If the new user can log in fine and access their email, the "Owner" field in Entra is mostly administrative. It doesn't stop the new user from working. You can just add the new user as a Local Admin if needed, rename the device in the Portal (Step 1), and ignore the Owner field.

I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to ACCEPT ANSWER. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!

VPHAN"