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For 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 deleting anything, and wait until the Autopilot entry disappears. Do not routinely delete the related Microsoft Entra device object; what to do with directory records depends on the device’s join state.

Choose cleanup or reset for reuse

Use record deletion and Autopilot deregistration when a device is permanently leaving the organization. For a device that will be reused or reassigned, use Autopilot Reset instead: it prepares the device for reuse while preserving its Microsoft Entra ID and Intune enrollment.

Delete a departing device in the correct order

  1. Record the serial number. In the Microsoft Intune admin center, go to Devices > Windows, locate the device, and note its serial number before deleting its Intune record. Open the device properties, select Delete, and confirm.
  2. Delete the Autopilot registration. In Intune, go to Devices > Windows > Enrollment > Windows Autopilot > Devices. Search for the serial number from the previous step. If a user-unassignment action is available, unassign the user first. Select the device and delete it from Windows Autopilot.
  3. Verify deregistration. The process can take time. Refresh the Autopilot devices list until the entry is gone; Microsoft notes that selecting Sync may speed up the process.
  4. Apply the directory cleanup for the device’s join state. Use the guidance below rather than deleting related directory objects by default.

Intune deletion and Autopilot deregistration are separate operations. For a device leaving the organization, Microsoft’s Windows Autopilot registration overview gives this order: delete the Intune device record, then remove the Autopilot registration.

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Handle related directory records by join state

Microsoft Entra joined

After deregistering an Entra-joined device through Intune, Microsoft says no additional steps are required. Do not manually delete its Entra device object as a routine cleanup step. Removing an Autopilot registration does not always remove the related Entra object, particularly for devices that are or were enrolled in MDM. Microsoft warns that manual deletion can cause enrollment failures because Windows Autopilot deployment relies on the object.

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Hybrid joined

Delete the device’s computer object from on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to prevent it from syncing back to Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft says no further Intune or Autopilot action is required after that directory step.

When the device is not enrolled in Intune

For a Windows Autopilot device that is not enrolled in Intune, Microsoft separately documents deleting its entry directly from the Autopilot devices page. This scenario-specific instruction is different from the ordered deregistration workflow for a device that is permanently leaving the organization after being managed by Intune.

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Remove an association without confusing it with deregistration

Windows Autopilot device association is a separate feature from deleting an Intune device record or an Autopilot registration. Removing a device from the association list does not clear tenant affinity already stored on an associated device.

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  • For a pre-associated device, delete its record under Devices > Enrollment > Device association > Devices.
  • For an associated device, first clear the listed Device Link UEFI variables on the device, then delete the Intune association record.

Clearing Device Link UEFI variables removes only the association. Microsoft states that it does not reset the TPM, unenroll the device, or delete its Intune or Entra records. Follow Microsoft’s device association removal guidance for the applicable device state.

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Troubleshoot an existing registration that blocks CSV import

If a Windows Autopilot CSV import fails because the hardware is already registered, check the Autopilot devices list and delete the matching entry if it is present. Microsoft says the existing record must be removed before the CSV can be imported. If the record is not visible in Intune, Microsoft Support may need to remove it; Microsoft advises including the device CSV and proof of ownership with the support case. See Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance for Autopilot CSV import errors 806 and 808.

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Why the removal order matters

The serial number connects the managed device record to its Autopilot registration, so capture it before deleting the Intune record. Then remove the Intune record first and the Autopilot registration second, verifying that deregistration has completed. Treat Entra and on-premises directory objects separately: their cleanup depends on join state, and manually deleting an Entra object can disrupt enrollment.

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