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Microsoft Intune offers three different reset paths: Wipe for a factory reset, Windows Autopilot Reset to prepare an eligible Windows device for reuse while retaining enrollment, and Fresh Start to remove Windows apps with an optional user-data retention choice. They are not interchangeable. Intune’s Wipe documentation describes removing data and settings, but does not establish compliance with a media-sanitization standard or guarantee that data is forensically irrecoverable.
Which Intune action fits your goal?
| Goal | Action to consider | What distinguishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Restore a supported device to factory settings | Wipe | Removes data and settings; options and outcome vary by platform. |
| Reassign an eligible, Microsoft Entra-joined Windows device while keeping it enrolled | Autopilot Reset | Removes user content and reapplies the original configuration while retaining Intune and Entra enrollment. |
| Remove managed or preinstalled apps from Windows, with a user-data retention option | Fresh Start | Windows-only; retaining user data changes the result. |
| Remove company-managed data from a personally owned device while preserving personal content | Retire | Removes managed MDM content and unenrolls the device; the action takes effect at its next check-in. |
| Remove a device permanently from organizational inventory | Wipe if possible, then clean up applicable records | Resetting the device and removing its Intune, Autopilot, or Entra records are separate tasks. |
Confirm the device’s platform, ownership, and enrollment type before choosing an action. A lost or stolen iOS device may call for consideration of Lost Mode rather than assuming Wipe is the right first step; Microsoft discusses this in its Education reset guidance.
How to wipe a device in Intune
- In the Intune admin center, go to Devices > All devices.
- Select the target device and choose Wipe.
- Review the platform-specific options before confirming. For example, the default behavior preserves certain eSIM plans unless you select the option to remove the device data plan.
- After the action, handle any required directory or provisioning cleanup separately if the device is leaving the organization.
Microsoft defines Wipe as restoring a device to factory settings and removing data and settings. Its documented behavior varies by platform: on iOS/iPadOS and supported corporate-owned Android Enterprise devices, eSIM plans are preserved by default unless removal is selected. For ChromeOS, administrators can choose between removing user profiles and a full factory reset (Powerwash). Microsoft says a ChromeOS device must be deprovisioned first to avoid automatic re-enrollment when it reconnects to Wi-Fi. See Microsoft’s Wipe guidance for the applicable platform options.
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Microsoft’s Intune documentation says a tenant can submit up to 500 Wipe actions per day. That cumulative limit includes individual device actions, bulk actions, and Microsoft Graph requests; it is an action-submission limit, not a statement about how quickly devices complete a wipe.
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When to use Windows Autopilot Reset
Autopilot Reset is for eligible Windows devices being returned to service or reassigned. It removes user data, settings, and apps, reapplies the original device configuration, and keeps the device’s Microsoft Entra ID and Intune enrollment. Wi-Fi profiles and credentials, along with region, language, and keyboard settings, are retained. Microsoft describes the behavior in its Intune Autopilot Reset guidance.
Eligibility and limits
- Microsoft Entra hybrid-joined devices and Surface Hub devices are not supported; Microsoft says a full device wipe is required for those cases.
- Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) must be correctly configured and enabled.
- For a remote reset, the device must be MDM-managed and Microsoft Entra-joined. Microsoft’s Windows Autopilot Reset documentation names the Intune Service Administrator role for remote reset.
After a remote reset, the previous primary user and Entra device owner are removed. The next user to sign in becomes the primary user and owner; shared devices remain shared.
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When Fresh Start is the better fit
Fresh Start removes apps from managed Windows devices, including preinstalled OEM apps. In the documented interface, find it at Devices > All devices > [device] > Remove data > Fresh Start. The Fresh Start documentation describes two different outcomes depending on whether you select Retain user data on this device.
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With user-data retention
The device remains Microsoft Entra-joined, the user’s Home folder is preserved, and apps and settings are removed. When an Entra-enabled user signs in, the device automatically re-enrolls in MDM.
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Without user-data retention
Microsoft describes a different out-of-box experience. BYOD devices are removed from Entra ID and MDM in this path, so check ownership and expected enrollment before proceeding.
Why Retire is not a reset
Retire is intended to remove company data without performing a full wipe or factory reset. It unenrolls the device and removes managed apps, settings, and MDM profiles while preserving personal data. The action runs when the device next checks in, so it is not an immediate local reset. Microsoft identifies personally owned devices and transitions out of organizational control as situations where Retire may fit; see Retire a device.
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- WITH AI BUILT IN — With a dedicated AI chip (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite), this Copilot+ PC[5] on Windows 11 helps you work smarter and faster. Prompt, create, and automate with ease - ready for even your most demanding tasks.
- A 15" TOUCHSCREEN YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE — Sharp colors, real detail, smooth 120Hz scrolling on the PixelSense touchscreen[1] with LCD display[2]. Tap, scroll, or pinch to zoom - whichever feels right for streaming, editing photos, or daily work.
- 19 HOURS OF BATTERY (LEAVE THE CHARGER) — Up to 19 hours of video playback[3] on a single charge. Work from a coffee shop, take it to class/work, or binge an entire season on a long flight — it'll keep up.
- Two USB-C / USB4[4] ports and a microSD card reader for fast charging, big file transfers, or hooking up to three 4K monitors when you want a full desktop. Wi-Fi 7 keeps you online and fast wherever you are.
There is an important BitLocker consideration for Microsoft Entra-joined devices: retiring or deleting an Intune object for a device protected by BitLocker triggers a sync that removes key protectors and suspends BitLocker on the OS volume. Before retiring such a device, back up critical data, including the recovery key and local administrator credentials.
What to clean up when a device leaves the tenant
A local reset does not necessarily remove the device from organizational identity and provisioning systems. Microsoft says administrators may also need to remove Windows Autopilot registration and the Microsoft Entra ID record. For a complete tenant-removal workflow, its Education guidance treats wiping, where possible, and deleting applicable Autopilot and Entra records as distinct steps. Check the applicable records for the device rather than assuming the Intune action handles them all.
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- Brilliant Display – Stunning 13.8" PixelSense touchscreen[1], with brilliant LCD display[2], unleashes luminous whites, deeper blacks and colors so richly saturated bringing vivid life into every frame – perfect for work, school, streaming and creative tasks.
- Power that lasts all day – With 20 hours of battery life[3], the new Surface Laptop powers through your entire day, so you can create, work and stream from morning to night without reaching for a charger.
- Work at the speed of your ideas – Built with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite (12 Core) processors, Surface Laptop delivers fast, AI‑accelerated performance—making it the most powerful Surface laptop for everything from multitasking to demanding workloads.
- The ports you need – Charge on-the-go, transfer data fast, or create the ultimate desktop set up with two USB-C / USB4[4] ports.
- Built-in AI Companion – Work smarter, create freely, and communicate with confidence—Copilot[5] on Windows 11 is always there to help.
What “secure erase” does—and does not—mean here
Microsoft’s Intune Wipe documentation supports describing the action as a factory reset that removes data and settings. It does not establish that Wipe meets a named media-sanitization standard or guarantees forensic irrecoverability. If your organization requires a documented sanitization level, use its approved media-disposal procedure and verify the applicable device and storage requirements rather than treating an Intune Wipe command as proof of that standard.
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