Any Windows device management plan must account for the full lifecycle of the endpoint, from enrollment and active use to reassignment, loss, compromise and retirement.
In Microsoft Intune, removing a device is not a single action. IT teams have several removal and reset options, and the right choice depends on whether the goal is to preserve personal data, cut off corporate access, prepare the device for reuse or fully erase it.
The 5 ways to remove Windows devices from Microsoft Intune
Before IT admins remove or retire Windows devices from Microsoft Intune, they should learn the different options to achieve that. IT has several options for removing Windows devices from Intune, and all of these options have their own pros and cons. Often, the best option depends on the reason for removing that specific device. For Windows devices, the following options are available:
- Autopilot reset. IT can use Autopilot reset to restore a Windows device to its original settings while removing personal files, apps and settings. It is most useful when the organization plans to keep the device in service.
- Delete. Admins can use Delete to remove a device from Intune management. Microsoft also describes this action as removing company data and retiring the device.
- Fresh Start. Intune administrators can use Fresh Start to reinstall the latest version of Windows and remove apps installed by the manufacturer.
- Retire. IT teams can use Retire to remove company data, settings and managed apps while leaving personal data intact. This makes it especially relevant for personally owned devices.
- Wipe. The Wipe action restores a device to factory settings and removes all data and settings, unless the selected options specify otherwise.
How to remove Windows devices from Microsoft Intune
Within Microsoft Intune, there are two different approaches to remove Windows devices, and each of these approaches can account for the five types of device removal.
Either the IT administrator can remotely trigger an action to remove the device via Intune, or the user can locally trigger an action to remove the device.
Removing Windows devices from Microsoft Intune as an IT administrator
The first option for removing Windows devices Microsoft Intune is as an IT administrator. The IT administrator can remotely trigger any of the earlier described actions by using the Microsoft Intune admin center portal:
- Open the Microsoft Intune admin center portal, and navigate to Devices > Windows.
- On the Windows | Windows devices page, select the device that should be removed from Microsoft Intune.
- Select the remote action by choosing the action that is applicable to the scenario for removing that device from Microsoft Intune (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The Microsoft Intune admin center with a specific device selected and several removal options highlighted - Depending on the desired removal action, admins need to complete the requisite follow-up actions:
- Autopilot reset. When performing an Autopilot reset action, click Yes to confirm the action.
- Delete. When performing a Delete action, click Yes to confirm the action.
- Fresh Start. When performing a Fresh Start action, choose whether or not to retain the user data, and click Yes to confirm the action.
- Retire. When performing a Retire action, click Yes to confirm the action.
- Wipe. When performing a Wipe action, choose the type of wipe action that should be performed, and click Yes to confirm the action.
Removing Windows devices from Microsoft Intune as a user
The second option for removing Windows devices from Microsoft Intune is a device's user triggering the action. For this option, one prerequisite is that the IT department has not blocked users from unenrolling devices from Intune. When the user is allowed to perform this action, the user can enact the following steps to remove the device from Microsoft Intune:
- Open the Settings app, and navigate to Accounts > Access work or school.
- On the Access to work or school page, select the connected account that should be removed, and click Disconnect (Figure 2).
- On the confirmation dialog box, select Yes to confirm the removal of the device.
Besides directly using the Settings app, the user could also use the Company Portal app to remove their Windows device from Intune. This approach also requires that IT has not blocked the option to remove.
What does removing a device from Intune do?
After a user unenrolls a Windows device from Intune, the device is removed from Company Portal, the user can no longer install apps from Company Portal and access to work or school resources is reduced or removed. Depending on the configuration, device settings that Intune enforced are no longer required, and the user might also lose access to work Wi-Fi or VPN connections.
If the Intune client software is installed on the device, Microsoft says that software is also removed during unenrollment.
The Company Portal app can still store local diagnostic logs and cached support files after removal. To clear that residual data, uninstall the Company Portal app or reset it in Windows.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2024 and was updated in 2026 to reflect current Intune device-removal actions, user unenrollment effects and Microsoft terminology.
Peter van der Woude works as a mobility consultant and knows the ins and outs of the ConfigMgr and Microsoft Intune tools. He is a Microsoft MVP and a Windows expert as well.
