In my experience with Windows Autopilot deployments, I've found that disabling the Account Setup phase can significantly reduce deployment times. This phase, part of the Enrollment Status Page (ESP), often consumes time even when no user-targeted applications or profiles are assigned. By skipping it, we can streamline the process.
Understanding the Enrollment Status Page (ESP)
The ESP comprises three phases: Device Preparation, Device Setup, and Account Setup. Typically, I assign necessary applications and configuration profiles to device groups, ensuring they're processed during the Device Setup phase. However, the Account Setup phase still runs, checking for user-targeted assignments, which can delay the deployment.
Why Disable the Account Setup Phase?
By disabling this phase, we eliminate unnecessary processing time, allowing users to access their desktops more quickly. This approach doesn't affect the deployment of device-targeted applications and profiles, as they're handled during the Device Setup phase.
How to Disable the Account Setup Phase
To achieve this, we'll create a custom configuration profile in Microsoft Intune with a specific OMA-URI setting. Here's how:
- Open Intune and create a new Custom Profile:
- Go to Devices > Windows > Configuration profiles.
- Click on + Create profile.
- For Platform, select Windows 10 and later.
- For Profile type, choose Templates and then select Custom.
- Click Create.
- Configure the Profile:
- Enter a Name for the profile (e.g., "WIN-SkipUserStatusPage").
- Optionally, provide a Description.
- Click Next.
- Add the OMA-URI Setting:
- Click Add to create a new OMA-URI setting.
- In the Name field, enter "SkipUserStatusPage".
- Optionally, add a Description.
- In the OMA-URI field, input:
./Vendor/MSFT/DMClient/Provider/ProviderID/FirstSyncStatus/SkipUserStatusPage- Set the Data type to Boolean.
- Set the Value to True.
- Click Save.
- Assign the Profile:
- Assign the profile to the same device group(s) as your Autopilot enrollment profiles.
- Complete the profile creation by clicking Next and then Create.
Thats it, now the Account Setup / User Status Page will be skipped:
Considerations
While this method accelerates the deployment process, it's essential to ensure that all critical applications and configurations are assigned to device groups. This guarantees their deployment during the Device Setup phase. Be aware that any user-targeted applications or profiles will apply after the user signs in, which might lead to a brief delay before they're available. (Especially for User Certificates)
By implementing this adjustment, I've observed a noticeable improvement in deployment efficiency, enhancing the overall user experience.
