Device reset options

• Applies to:

  ✅ Windows 11, ✅ Windows 11 SE, ✅ Windows 10

There are different scenarios that require a device to be reset, for example:

• The device isn't responding to commands
• The device is lost or stolen
• It's the end of the life of the device
• It's the end of the school year and you want to prepare the device for a new school year
• The device has hardware problems and you want to send it to the service center

Intune for Education provides two device reset functionalities that enable IT administrators to remotely execute them:

• Factory reset (also known as wipe) is used to wipe all data and settings from the device, returning it to the default factory settings
• Autopilot reset is used to return the device to a fully configured or known IT-approved state

Factory reset (wipe)

A factory reset, or a wipe, reverts a device to the original settings when it was purchased. All settings, applications and data installed on the device after purchase are removed. The device is also removed from Intune management.

Once the wipe is completed, the device will be in out-of-box experience.

Here are the steps to perform a factory reset from Intune for Education:

1. Sign in to the Intune for Education portal
2. Select Devices
3. Select the device you want to reset > Factory reset
4. Select Factory reset to confirm the action

Consider using factory reset in the following example scenarios:

• The device isn't working properly, and you want to reset it without reimaging it
• It's the end of school year and you want to prepare the device for a new school year
• You need to reassign the device to a different student, and you want to reset the device to its original settings
• You're returning a device to the service center, and you want to remove all data and settings from the device

Tip

Consider that once the device is wiped, the new user will go through OOBE. This option may be ideal if the device is also registered in Autopilot to make the OOBE experience seamless, or if you plan to use a provisioning package to re-enroll the device.

Autopilot Reset

Autopilot Reset is ideal when all data on a device needs to be wiped, but the device remains enrolled in your tenant.

Once the Autopilot reset action is completed, the device will ask to chose region and keyboard layout, then it will display the sign-in screen.

Here are the steps to perform an Autopilot reset from Intune for Education:

1. Sign in to the Intune for Education portal
2. Select Devices
3. Select the device you want to reset > Autopilot reset
4. Select Autopilot reset to confirm the action

Consider using Autopilot reset in the following example scenarios:

• The device isn't working properly, and you want to reset it without reimaging it
• It's the end of school year and you want to prepare the device for a new school year
• You need to reassign the device to a different student, and you want to reset the device to without requiring the student to go through OOBE

Tip

Consider that the end user will not go through OOBE, and the association of the user to the device in Intune doesn't change. For this reason, this option may be ideal for devices that have been enrolled in Intune as shared devices (for example, a device that was enrolled with a provisioning package or using Autopilot self-deploying mode).

Wiping and deleting a device

There are scenarios that require a device to be deleted from your tenant, for example:

• The device is lost or stolen
• It's the end of the life of the device
• The device has been replaced with a new device or has its motherboard replaced

Important

The following actions should only be performed for devices that are no longer going to be used in your tenant.

To completely remove a device, you need to perform the following actions:

1. If possible, perform a factory reset (wipe) of the device. If the device can't be wiped, delete the device from Intune using these steps
2. If the device is registered in Autopilot, delete the Autopilot object using these steps
3. Delete the device from Microsoft Entra ID using these steps

Autopilot considerations for a motherboard replacement scenario

Repairing Autopilot-enrolled devices can be complex, as OEM requirements must be balanced with Autopilot requirements. If a motherboard replacement is needed on an Autopilot device, it's suggested the following process:

1. Deregister the device from Autopilot
2. Replace the motherboard
3. Capture a new device ID (4K HH)
4. Re-register the device with Autopilot

   Important

   For DFCI management, the device must be re-registered by a partner or OEM. Self-registration of devices is not supported with DFCI management.

5. Reset the device
6. Return the device

For more information, see Autopilot motherboard replacement scenario guidance.