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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor a Windows device that is permanently leaving your organization, delete its managed device record from Intune first, then delete its Windows Autopilot registration. Record the device’s serial number before you delete the Intune record; you’ll need it to find the Autopilot entry. Wait until deregistration finishes, and handle any related directory object according to the device’s join state.
Before you delete anything, decide whether the device is leaving or being reused
Deleting the Intune and Autopilot records is for retiring a device from management and tenant registration—not for preparing it for another user. If the device is being reused, use Autopilot Reset; it prepares the device for reuse while preserving its Intune enrollment and Microsoft Entra ID.
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For a device permanently leaving the organization, Microsoft says it should be deregistered from Windows Autopilot. Intune deletion and Autopilot deregistration are separate operations, and the recommended order is important.
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In the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Devices > Windows and locate the device. Note its serial number before deleting the managed device record. Open the device properties, select Delete, and confirm.
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Go to Devices > Windows > Enrollment > Windows Autopilot > Devices. Search for the device using the serial number you recorded. If an unassign-user action is available, unassign the user first. Select the device and delete it from Windows Autopilot.
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Wait for deregistration to complete. Refresh the device list until the entry is no longer present. Microsoft notes that Sync may speed up the process.
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Use the device’s join state to decide whether any directory cleanup is needed. Do not delete a Microsoft Entra device object as a routine step.
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Microsoft documents this ordered workflow in its Windows Autopilot registration overview.
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Handle directory records according to join state
Microsoft Entra joined
After deregistering the device through Intune, Microsoft says no additional steps are required for an Entra-joined device. Do not manually delete its Entra device object as a cleanup shortcut. Depending on the enrollment history, that object may remain, and deleting it can cause Windows Autopilot enrollment failures.
Hybrid Microsoft Entra joined
Delete the device’s computer object from on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to prevent it from syncing back to Entra. Microsoft says no additional Intune or Autopilot actions are required after that.
Autopilot record for a device not enrolled in Intune
There is a separate case: Microsoft’s manual registration guidance says an Autopilot device that is not enrolled in Intune can be deleted from the Autopilot devices page. That instruction applies to an unenrolled device; it does not replace the ordered Intune-first deregistration workflow for a device permanently leaving the organization.
Do not confuse Autopilot device association with Autopilot registration
Device association is a separate feature from a device’s Windows Autopilot registration. Removing an item from the Device association list does not clear the tenant affinity already stored on an associated device.
Pre-associated device
For a pre-associated device, go to Devices > Enrollment > Device association > Devices and delete its association record. Microsoft describes this process in Remove a Windows Autopilot device association.
Associated device
First clear the listed Device Link UEFI variables on the device, then delete its Intune association record. Clearing those variables removes only the association: it does not reset the TPM, unenroll the device, or delete its Intune or Entra records. Follow Microsoft’s association-removal guidance for the device-side steps.
Troubleshoot an Autopilot registration that blocks CSV import
If importing a Windows Autopilot CSV fails because the hardware is already registered, check the Autopilot devices list for the matching record and delete it before trying the import again. If the record is not visible in Intune, Microsoft says you may need to contact Microsoft Support. Include the device CSV and proof of ownership with the support case. See Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance for errors 806 and 808.
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