Windows Autopilot Part 1: Prerequisites & Getting Started

Ready to automate your Windows device deployment? Windows Autopilot lets you take a brand-new PC straight from the box and transform it into a fully managed, ready-to-use machine — without ever touching it in your IT lab.

In this first part of our series, we’ll cover everything you need before you can start using Autopilot.

What is Windows Autopilot?

Think of Autopilot as the “magic button” for new devices. Instead of imaging computers manually (loading Windows onto each one, installing apps, configuring settings), Autopilot handles all of that automatically when a user first turns on their new PC.

Why IT teams love it:

No need for imaging labs or USB drives
Less hands-on time per device
Consistent configuration across your organization

Why users love it:

Faster setup — they’re productive quicker
Simple, guided experience
They get a professionally configured machine from day one

What You Need Before Starting

Before you can use Autopilot, make sure you have these prerequisites in place:

1. The Right Microsoft Licenses

You need one of the following:

Microsoft 365 Business Premium (includes everything)
Intune Plan 1 or Plan 2 (standalone)
Microsoft 365 E3/E5 with Intune

💡 Tip: Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the easiest starting point — it includes Intune, Azure AD, and all the features you need.

2. Azure AD Premium (Included)

Autopilot requires Azure Active Directory (now called Microsoft Entra ID) to join devices. This is included with M365 Business Premium, or you need Azure AD P1/P2 for standalone Intune.

3. Windows Version

Your devices must run:

Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or
Windows 11

The Windows edition should be Pro or Enterprise (Home won’t work for Autopilot enrollment).

4. An Admin Account

You’ll need an account with one of these roles:

Global Administrator (full access)
Intune Administrator (manages Intune only)
Device Enrollment Manager (specifically for enrolling devices)

Step-by-Step: Check Your M365 Licenses

Let’s verify you have Intune available in your tenant.

Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Navigate to Billing → Your products
Look for your subscription and verify Intune is listed

Screenshot:

If you don’t see Intune, you may need to add it or upgrade your subscription.

Step-by-Step: Enable Device Enrollment

Now let’s make sure devices can actually enroll in Intune.

Open the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center
Go to Devices → Enrollment
Click on Enrollment options

Screenshot:

Here you can configure:

MDM authority — set this to “Intune” (it usually is by default)
MAM user scope — decide who can enroll devices
Device enrollment restrictions — set limits on who can enroll what types of devices

⚠️ Warning: Don’t disable enrollment unless you have a specific reason — you won’t be able to deploy new devices!

Step-by-Step: Verify Azure AD Device Settings

Autopilot devices join Azure AD, so let’s check your tenant settings.

Go to the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center
Navigate to Devices → Azure AD devices
Click on Device settings

Screenshot:

Check that:

Users may join devices to Azure AD is set to “All” or a specific group
Maximum number of devices per user is appropriate for your organization
Device sync is enabled

Account Setup Checklist

Before moving on to Part 2, verify you’ve completed these items:

Global Admin or Intune Admin account ready
User with Device Enrollment Manager role (optional but helpful)
Azure AD tenant configured and working
At least a few test users created in Azure AD
Microsoft 365 subscription with Intune enabled

💡 Tip: Create a dedicated “test user” account in Azure AD — you’ll use this to test your Autopilot deployments before rolling out to real employees.

What’s Next?

Once your prerequisites are in place, you’re ready for Part 2: Registering your first device and creating deployment profiles. We’ll show you how to get the hardware hash from a device and import it into Intune.

Questions? Drop a comment below if anything in this guide wasn’t clear!