Today, we are announcing Windows Autopilot for HoloLens 2 public preview! In May, the HoloLens and Microsoft Endpoint Manager teams announced the Windows Autopilot private preview for HoloLens 2. Since then, hundreds of customers have participated in the program to deliver efficiency and simplify deployments across their organizations. Today, we are bringing Windows Autopilot capabilities to every HoloLens 2 and Endpoint Manager (aka Intune) customer, allowing administrators to pre-configure new devices and set them up for productive use. Windows Autopilot streamlines deployments and first user experiences, driving significant cost and time savings.
You can read more details about Windows Autopilot for HoloLens 2 here. For Windows Autopilot documentation, see here. In this article, we provide a summary of the program, and useful resources to get started.
Program details
- Windows Holographic, version 2004 (released May 2020) or newer is required to use Windows Autopilot. We began shipping devices with this version pre-installed in late September 2020. To confirm the build version on devices, or re-flash to the latest OS, you can use the Advanced Recovery Companion (ARC). You can find instructions here. Please contact your reseller or distributor to ensure that Autopilot-ready devices are shipped to you.
- The public preview now enables you to configure Windows Autopilot for HoloLens devices using Microsoft Endpoint Manager controls, for all customer tenants. Get started by logging into Endpoint Manager admin center and select Devices > Windows > Windows enrollment, and then under Windows Autopilot Deployment Program, select Deployment Profiles > Create profile > HoloLens (preview).
- Windows Autopilot for HoloLens supports Self-Deploying mode and Azure AD Join. Self-Deploying mode joins the device into Azure AD, enrolls the device in Endpoint Manager (or another mobile device management, MDM, service), and applies all device targeted policies (such as certificates, networking profiles, and kiosk settings) before the user logs in.
- For device registration, we recommend that you work with your reseller or distributor to ensure that when devices are delivered to you or your users, they are Windows-Autopilot-ready. Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers can assist you in that process. If you wish to register HoloLens devices manually using the hardware hash, please see Register devices in Windows Autopilot. For more general information, see Adding devices to Windows Autopilot.
- Windows Holographic, version 2004 (build 19041.1103) only supports Windows Autopilot over ethernet connection. Ensure the HoloLens device is connected to ethernet using a "USB-C to ethernet" adapter before turning it on. Upon device boot, no user interaction is required. If you are planning to roll out Windows Autopilot to many HoloLens devices, we recommend that you plan for the adapter infrastructure. We do not recommend USB hubs as they often require additional third-party drivers to be installed which is not supported on HoloLens.
- Windows Holographic, version 20H2 (build 19041.1128) or later adds support for Windows Autopilot over Wi-Fi, in addition to the use of an ethernet connection. For devices connected via Wi-Fi, the user must:
- Continue past the first interactable moment.
- Choose the language and locale.
- Go through eye-calibration.
- Establish network connection.
Known issues and limitations
We continuously invest in new features and quality improvements. Currently, we are tracking the following:
- We are investigating an issue where device-context based application install configured in Microsoft Endpoint Manager does not apply to HoloLens. Learn more about device context and user context installs.
- While setting up Windows Autopilot over Wi-Fi, there may be an instance where the Windows Autopilot profile is not downloaded when the internet connection is first established. In this case, an end user license agreement (EULA) is presented and the user has the option to proceed with a non-Windows-Autopilot setup experience. To retry setup with Windows Autopilot, put the device to sleep and then power up, or reboot the device and let it try again. We have identified a fix and planning to release it in our next servicing update.
- The "Convert all targeted devices to Windows Autopilot" feature in Endpoint Manager is not supported on HoloLens at the moment.
Support paths
- For support on device registration, please contact your reseller or distributor.
- For general support inquiries about Windows Autopilot, or for issues like profile assignments, group creation or Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center controls, please contact Microsoft Endpoint Manager support.
- If your device is registered in the Windows Autopilot service and the profile is assigned on the Endpoint Manager admin center, please contact HoloLens support.
- To provide general feedback on Windows Autopilot for HoloLens, please submit this survey.
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