Edit

Enroll Windows devices

  • Article
  • 3 minutes to read

Applies to:

  • Windows 10
  • Windows 11
  • Windows 11 SE

After you've set up Intune for Education with your information — such as student records, apps, and settings for devices — connect the devices to Intune for Education. On new devices, a connection is established during initial device setup.

When to use Set up School PCs vs Windows Autopilot

The following table describes when to use Set up School PCs, Windows Autopilot, or both for initial device setup. Use the Points to consider column to consider your own school's environment and setup needs.

Points to consider Set up School PCs Windows Autopilot
IT staff IT staff performs device unboxing, first power-on, and configuration of devices is performed by the IT Staff. Optimized for limited engagement from IT staff. Students and teachers can perform device unboxing, first power-on, and initial configuration.
Device user Best for shared devices and for younger students. Best for 1:1 devices and for older students.
Apps Best for deploying large apps simultaneously on a slower network. Works well with apps of all sizes.
Network Reliable internet connection required; best for low-bandwidth networks. Reliable internet connection required; network bandwidth consumption based on number of concurrent device setups and size of required apps. Students can setup devices on their home network.
First day of class Devices are ready for sign in and use immediately. Students need to unbox and connect to network; setup completes automatically.
Deployment time Can take as little as 1-2 minutes; time increases based on the number of concurrent device setups, network bandwidth, and size of required applications. Can take as little as 1-2 minutes; time increases based on the number of concurrent device setups, network bandwidth, and size of required applications.
OEMs/Partners Not applicable. Requires registration of device IDs for the Windows Autopilot service by a partner (CSP) or OEM provider.
Existing on premises configuration Supported with Windows Configuration Designer only. Supports Hybrid AD join; device must be on same network as Active Directory Domain Controller.

Setting up devices with Windows Autopilot

To set up your devices with Autopilot, go to Intune > Device enrollment > Windows enrollment > Devices.

Setting up devices with Set up School PCs app

You can add devices to Intune through the Set up School PCs app. The app walks you through the steps to create a configuration profile with settings and apps, save it to a USB drive, and distribute it to multiple PCs during device setup.

For more information about the app, see What is Set up School PCs?.

Set up Windows devices

Complete the following steps to add your Windows devices to Intune for Education. During setup, devices must have access to the internet.

  1. Power on the new device.

  2. On a new or reset device, the first setup screen reads, Lets start with region. Is this right? Select the region where your PCs are located. Then select Yes.

    Example screenshot of the beginning setup screen in the Windows 10 OOBE. United States is highlighted as the selected region

  3. Choose a keyboard layout. This step configures the onscreen keyboard to match your keyboard's physical layout. It also configures language and keyboard characters. Select Yes to continue.

    Example screenshot of the keyboard layout screen, with US highlighted as the selected layout.

  4. If you want to add another keyboard layout, select Add layout. Otherwise, select Skip.

    Example screenshot of the second keyboard layout screen, with options to Add layout and Skip in lower-right corner.

  5. Select Set up for work or school. Then select Next.

    Example screenshot of the How would you like to set up? screen, highlighting the option to Set up for work or school.

  6. Type the email address associated with your school's admin or enrollment manager account. Then select Next.

    Example screenshot of the Sign in with Microsoft screen, with Microsoft logo, and an empty Email field.

  7. Enter the password for the account. Then select Next.

    Example screenshot of the Enter your password screen, with your organization's logo, and an empty Password field.

  8. Choose privacy settings for the device. Configure these settings based on your school's policies. Some of the settings, such as Speech recognition and Location are turned on by default.

    Example screenshot listing the privacy setting options, with some settings turned on by default.

  9. Select Accept to finish device setup. It might take a few minutes to complete setup, so feel free to begin setup on another device.

Next steps

Now that devices are set up and ready for school use, learn how to update, monitor, and troubleshoot them.