Windows 365 Boot is a feature of Windows that allows administrators to configure a PC such that when the user signs into their physical PC, they are directly signed into their Windows 365 Cloud PC on their physical device. The process becomes seamless if IT admins enable single sign-on for their Cloud PC. This post will share how to deploy Windows 365 Boot to your endpoints.
Who can use Windows 365 Boot?
In a corporate environment, especially hospitals and factories, the same PC is used by multiple PCs. This scenario is not entirely secure. But if the companies adopt Windows 365 Boot, it will allow each user to sign in to their personal Cloud PCs using the same physical device. Windows 365 Boot lets them bypass the lengthy startup process and boot directly into their secure Cloud PC to pick up where they left off.
How to deploy Windows 365 Boot to your endpoints
Before we start talking about the deployment process, here are the minimum requirements for Windows 365 Boot,as mentioned by Microsoft:
- Windows 11-based endpoints (Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise)
- Enrollment in the Windows Insider Program (Dev Channel)
- Microsoft Intune Administrator rights
- Windows 365 Cloud PC license
Steps to Push the Windows 365 Boot settings to your endpoints with Intune
You must have at least Group and Intune Administrator rights to proceed.
- Open Microsoft Intune and go to Devices > Provisioning > Windows 365.
- Open the Windows 365 Boot guide to initiate the Windows 365 Boot guided setup.
- Select Next: Basics to start the configuration.
- Optionally, enter a Resource prefix name and Description to rename your endpoints with a prefix for easier identification.
- Select Next: Endpoint updates to proceed.
- The setup wizard will create various resources, including Windows 365 Boot profiles, policies, and configurations.
- Configure preferred settings related to Windows updates:
- Update deferral settings: Specify how soon monthly security and Windows feature updates should be applied after release.
- User experience settings: Customize active hours to minimize disruptions caused by restarts.
- Update deadline settings: Set a time frame for updates to be installed and applied, ensuring secure Windows usage for end users. Note: Windows 365 Boot also supports Windows Autopatch for patch management on Cloud PCs.
- Optionally, pre-configure a VPN profile or Wi-Fi profile for your endpoints.
- Use the optional Language setting to configure the preferred language on the endpoint and the Windows login screen.
- Under Assignments, either create a new Azure AD group or assign an existing group to the set of resources.
- Review all the settings on the Review + Create page and proceed.
Note: If deploying Windows 365 Boot to existing Windows 11 endpoints, it is recommended to remotely wipe the endpoint after completing the configuration.
Once you have completed the setup, the endpoints in the assigned Azure AD group will receive the assigned resources and Windows 365 Boot will be enabled within a few hours.
Steps to perform on the Windows 11 local endpoint:
Currently, this feature is in the preview stage, and any PC who wants to participate will need to enroll in the Dev Channel using the Windows Insider Program.
To participate in the Windows 365 Boot preview, follow these steps on the Windows 11 endpoint:
- Enroll the endpoint in the Windows Insider Program Dev Channel:
- Navigate to the Windows Insider Program page in Settings.
- Select Get started to initiate the enrollment process.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Select the Dev Channel and continue.
- Restart the device to complete the enrollment.
- Install all the latest Windows updates:
- Go to the Windows Update Settings page.
- Select Check for updates and install all available updates until the latest Windows updates are installed.
Once all the Windows updates have been installed, the Windows 365 Boot feature will be activated on the endpoint. When powering on the device, the Windows 11 login experience will directly connect you to your Windows 365 Cloud PC, providing a seamless and secure Windows experience.
What is Windows 365?
Windows 365 is a cloud PC service that will let users connect their PCs to the cloud with an integrated Windows experience. It is a virtual Windows experience that will give you a personalized desktop on the cloud wherein you can stream all your content securely across your devices.
