Autopilot without Autopilot: zero-touch Windows deployment with Fleet

Windows provisioning packages can provide an alternative to Microsoft Autopilot for enrolling new Windows Pro, Enterprise, or Education devices in Fleet before end users reach the desktop. Built with Windows Configuration Designer and applied from a USB drive during initial setup, these packages install Fleet’s agent, allowing devices to enroll once online and later receive Windows MDM policies, disk encryption settings, and updates. The approach avoids Autopilot’s hardware-registration requirements and may eliminate the need for Microsoft Entra ID P1 licenses, which are required for Autopilot or Entra automatic enrollment unless already included in subscriptions such as Microsoft 365 E3 or E5. Resellers, OEMs, or internal IT staff can apply packages before shipping devices, although the process still requires someone to physically handle each device. Key limitations include no Entra ID device join, MDM configuration activation only after the user’s first sign-in, lack of identity verification during enrollment, the need to protect and rotate the package’s enrollment secret, and no MDM support for Windows Home editions.

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