Autopilot V2 Provisions in 10 Minutes. Should You Switch Yet?
TL;DR
- Autopilot Device Preparation (V2) removes the hardware hash requirement entirely, registering devices dynamically at enrollment.
- In a side-by-side test with identical apps and policies, V2 provisioned in roughly 10 minutes versus roughly 30 minutes for V1.
- V2 cannot do hybrid join, self-deploying mode, white glove provisioning, or device naming as of November 2025, so enterprise workflows should stay on V1.
- V2 installs apps in a more structured order (MSI, then Win32, then others) and honors blocking apps far more reliably than V1.
- V2 adds near real-time deployment reporting with phase tracking and script results, though failure logs still lack useful detail.
Strip away the marketing and Autopilot Device Preparation, widely called Autopilot V2, makes one big promise: the deployment experience admins have spent years working around in V1, minus the pain. No hardware hash. Sane app sequencing. Reporting that actually reports.
We ran both versions side by side to find out how much of that holds up. Short version: V2 provisioned the same device in a third of the time, and it still is not the right choice for everyone. Here is the full comparison, the configuration highlights, and where each version wins as of November 2025.
Why does V1 need replacing at all?
On the surface, V1 and V2 look nearly identical. A new device is purchased, Windows boots into OOBE, the user signs in, Intune policies and apps deploy, and the end user gets to work.
But admins who live with V1 know its pain points:
- Hardware hash collection (time-consuming)
- Slow app installs or outright failures
- Limited reporting
- No pre-user PowerShell script execution
- Dependency and ordering issues with Win32 apps
- A lack of meaningful diagnostic feedback
Device Preparation (V2) aims to fix most of that with:
- Dynamic enrollment (no more hardware hash requirements)
- A new deployment profile that combines OOBE and ESP into one flow
- A dedicated staging group (the "Device Prep" group)
- Script execution during provisioning
- Faster app installation sequencing
- New near real-time reporting
Feature by feature: where V2 wins and where it loses
Device registration
| Feature | V1 | V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware hash required | Yes | No |
| Dynamic registration | No | Yes |
| Corporate ownership detection | Auto when hash uploaded | Auto after recent fixes, or via corporate identifiers |
| BYOD filtering | Yes (via hash) | Must upload corporate identifiers |
App installation
| Feature | V1 | V2 |
|---|---|---|
| App install order | Unpredictable | More structured (MSI → Win32 → others) |
| Multiple apps install at once | Yes (causes failures) | Better sequencing |
| Blocking apps honored | Often unreliable | Much more reliable |
| Script support | Post-enrollment only | Pre-desktop and during provisioning |
Policy and ESP experience
| Feature | V1 | V2 |
|---|---|---|
| ESP available | Yes | Integrated into the V2 profile |
| OOBE customization | More options | Fewer options |
| Device naming | Yes | Not supported |
| Self-deploying mode | Yes | Not supported |
| White glove | Yes | Not supported |
Reporting
| Feature | V1 | V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment status | Barely works | Near real-time reporting |
| Phase tracking | No | Yes |
| Script results | No | Yes |
| App installation detail | Limited | Good (but not perfect) |
The speed test: 30 minutes vs 10
We ran a simple controlled test:
- Same device model
- Same policies
- Same two apps (Microsoft 365 Apps + Chrome)
- Same network
Results:
- Autopilot V1: roughly 30 minutes
- Device Preparation (V2): roughly 10 minutes
So yes, V2 can be significantly faster. The caveats:
- Large apps may vary
- Apps requiring reboots can delay provisioning
- Slow Wi-Fi can still break the experience
- Dependency-heavy Win32 packages will not magically fix themselves
- Microsoft's dynamic grouping process can lag 2 to 5 minutes
Overall, though, V2 feels cleaner and more predictable.
For a deeper performance analysis, Michael Niehaus' blog is one of the best resources for all things Autopilot: Windows Autopilot v2: Is it faster? It depends... (opens in new tab)
How do you configure Device Preparation?
Microsoft documents the full setup well: Windows Autopilot device preparation user-driven Microsoft Entra join in Intune (opens in new tab)
Two concepts to understand before you start:
- Enrollment time grouping: when a user authenticates into a device, the device is added to a pre-defined device security group during enrollment. This is what allows an Autopilot device to register without a hardware hash upload.
- Corporate identifiers for Windows: pre-upload Windows device identifiers (serial number, manufacturer, model) so only trusted devices go through Windows Autopilot Device Preparation.
What does the end user actually see?
The image above compares the device preparation page in V1 and V2. We prefer the V2 version: it is a basic progress bar instead of the technical jargon end users never cared about.
The user flow:
- Keyboard layout selection
- Language selection
- Sign-in (choosing work vs personal; this screen cannot be skipped)
- Device Preparation page (the new UI)
- App and script installation
- Success screen, then desktop
If provisioning fails, users see the now-infamous upside-down ice cream cone error screen with two options: Reset device or Export logs (if enabled).
Is the new reporting actually useful?
Reporting is certainly better in V2, but we expect most teams will keep using open-source community tooling for log data, such as Andrew Taylor's Get-AutopilotDiagnosticsCommunity on the PowerShell Gallery (opens in new tab).
In Intune, go to Devices → Monitor to find the new report Microsoft describes as near real-time.
You can see live deployment status and whether anything fails. Where it still breaks down is producing genuinely helpful log information when things do fail. Examples:
The verdict: who should switch in 2025?
The honest answer is "it depends," and this is not an all-inclusive list.
V2 is the better choice if you want:
- Faster deployments (in most cases)
- Dynamic enrollment with no hardware hash pain
- Better sequencing of apps
- Pre-desktop PowerShell scripts
- Better reporting and monitoring
- Simpler setup for small environments
V1 is still the right call if you need:
- Hybrid join
- Self-deploying mode
- White glove provisioning
- Heavily customized OOBE
- Device naming automation
- Mature, enterprise-grade workflows
Our verdict: V2 is the future, but not the present for everyone. It still feels like a 1.0 release of a V2 product. If you run a simple cloud-only environment, V2 is absolutely worth testing today. If you rely on enterprise-level features or complex deployments, stick with V1 for now.
Frequently asked questions
Does Autopilot Device Preparation still need a hardware hash?
No. V2 uses dynamic registration through enrollment time grouping, where the device joins a pre-defined device security group during enrollment. Corporate identifiers (serial number, manufacturer, model) can be pre-uploaded to make sure only trusted devices go through the flow.
Is V2 always faster than V1?
No. Our test showed 10 minutes versus 30, but large apps, packages that require reboots, slow Wi-Fi, and dependency-heavy Win32 apps all stretch the timeline. Microsoft's dynamic grouping process can also lag 2 to 5 minutes.
Which deployments should stay on Autopilot V1?
Anything that needs hybrid join, self-deploying mode, white glove provisioning, heavily customized OOBE, or device naming automation. None of those are supported in Device Preparation as of November 2025.
Provisioning is step one. Staying configured is the job.
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Written by
Nick Ross
CEO · Microsoft MVP · Founder, T-Minus 365
Nick is not just a CEO, he's a respected thought leader and influencer in the MSP space. Tens of thousands of MSPs learn through his YouTube channel, T-Minus365. Nick has been honored as a three-time Microsoft MVP for his educational content; his expertise and influence are the backbone of our mission, ensuring that you are in the best hands when it comes to security.
Nick joined Pax8 in 2017, where he would ultimately oversee product management for PSA and Microsoft integrations. Following his tenure at Pax8, Nick has continued to demonstrate his leadership prowess as an executive at various MSPs, culminating in his most recent role at Sourcepass.
Nick holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Florida State University, as well as a Minor Degree in Entrepreneurship. In his free time, Nick is an avid hiker, reader, and fitness-junkie.
