Services Technology and Tools

Solving the Autopilot Motherboard Repair Challenge

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Reducing Costs with Microsoft Windows Autopilot

Microsoft Windows Autopilot is an innovative solution that reduces the cost of device provisioning and deployment. It has enabled Dell to offer services like Connected Provisioning, enhancing our customers’ end-user experience and reducing the time to value for new devices.

Addressing Repair Challenges for PC Manufacturers

However, Autopilot has posed a challenge for PC manufacturers regarding repairs, as most OEMs use refurbished parts to cut costs and reduce waste. This challenge arises from Autopilot’s reliance on a device identity (or hardware hash) derived from motherboard components, and a common misunderstanding about who should de-register the device identity.

The Importance of De-registering Device Identity

Microsoft intended for customers to de-register the device when it reached the end of its life or when the motherboard was replaced. However, customers often didn’t consider a motherboard change as creating a “new” device, since the OEM serial number remained the same.

What Happens When Devices Are Not De-registered?

If Customer 1 doesn’t de-register the Autopilot identity of Motherboard 1 when it’s removed from PC1, the identity persists until someone de-registers it. The registration record is stored in the Autopilot cloud infrastructure, not on the motherboard, so refurbishment doesn’t break the link. Previously, Customer 2 had to contact Microsoft via Intune to request de-registration, proving ownership of PC2, a process that could take several days.

Microsoft collaborated with OEMs to introduce an EFI marker-based solution, but this was short-lived. The revised Autopilot (v2) aims to address this issue.

Dell’s Solutions for Improved Customer Experience

Dell received feedback from customers unhappy with the turnaround time for Microsoft’s assistance and asked Dell to get more involved. In response, Dell has implemented two solutions that are already delivering results:

    1. Automatic De-registration: This component routinely de-registers identities associated with devices that have received a replacement motherboard, without customer intervention or access to their infrastructure. This significantly reduces the likelihood of customers receiving a blocked replacement motherboard.
    2. Enhanced Support: Dell support teams can now assist customers more efficiently. They can verify if a service tag belongs to the customer they are communicating with, eliminating the need for proof of ownership. Customers only need to provide the motherboard serial number, easily found using our BIOS diagnostics.

Simplifying Repairs for Autopilot-Enabled Systems

These solutions work well for de-registering devices where the factory-fitted motherboard is being replaced. During the repair process, motherboards get a new Windows license key which materially changes the content of a hardware hash. To use a repaired system (with a replacement motherboard) with Autopilot, customers must capture the new hardware hash and upload it via Intune to register the device. Dell has been made aware by Microsoft that systems that are registered in this way can only be de-registered by the customer themselves via Intune or by Microsoft. Microsoft will require the hardware hash for this process.

Dell’s Recommendation for Customers

Whether a device is repaired, or it reaches the end of its life, Dell recommends that customers de-register the Autopilot identity before releasing the device or, in the case of a repair, the motherboard. This helps maintain clean Entra ID device records and ensures that a device doesn’t remain attached to your environment when it changes hands.

About the Author: Colin Sainsbury

Colin joined Dell in 2010 as a Solution Architect before becoming a Solution Principal (technical presales) at Dell Technologies Services. Having shown a keen interest in modern management strategy, in 2020, he took the opportunity to move into the Services Client Product Group to help drive Dell’s efforts in this area. He provides the strategic guidance and technology expertise that organizations need to transform their end user computing environments. The Service Client Product Group is responsible for shaping Dell’s Services Strategy regarding Modern Management and Provisioning as well as helping Dell’s customers adopt Windows 10 and optimize their deployment processes. A significant element of this work is to reduce the time to value when a user receives a device, whether that device is new and provisioned via our configuration centres or re-provisioned via our lifecycle management hubs. Colin has 25 years of experience in the IT industry. He started out as a tier 2 helpdesk analyst for the Computing Centre at Imperial College, London. Shortly after taking this role, he was asked to deploy Microsoft Exchange 4.0 into the College as it began to move from a UNIX SendMail email system. Having gained significant experience by deploying one of the earliest Exchange environments, he moved into Exchange consultancy roles. Three years after that initial implementation, he was working as an Exchange consultant for Compaq. Lady luck intervened once more, and Colin was asked to perform an Exchange upgrade for a branch of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). This led Colin to specializing first in MoD engagements, then branching out into the wider Central Government space dealing with several key Government departments. This specialization naturally brought with it an understanding of the security concerns and drivers in these sensitive environments. However, since joining Dell he has used this experience across all industry sectors.