Windows Autopilot

The old way to set up an office computer: unbox it, wipe it, install a custom image, add apps, join the domain, apply settings and hand it over hours later. With Windows Autopilot, the PC's hardware ID is registered to your organization (often by the vendor at purchase). When the employee unboxes it, connects to the internet and signs in with their work account, Windows recognizes it as yours and pulls down its configuration from Intune automatically.

During that first setup, the device joins Entra ID, gets your security policies — BitLocker encryption, Windows Update rules, Defender for Business — and installs the apps that user's role needs. If a PC ever needs a fresh start, an Autopilot reset brings it back to a clean business-ready state without a technician rebuilding it by hand.

Why it matters: consistent setups are secure setups. Every machine gets the same protections, nothing is forgotten, and new hires get a ready computer on day one. For a business with staff in several places, laptops can ship straight from the vendor to the employee's home.

Autopilot requires licensing that includes Intune (such as Microsoft 365 Business Premium) and works best with business-class hardware bought from vendors who can register devices for you.

Example: a growing software startup hires three developers in a month. Each laptop ships directly to the new hire, who signs in on the first morning; within the hour the machine is encrypted, protected and has the tools they need. That's the approach in our software startup case study.