Autopilot Name Templates, Enrollment Status Page and Windows 11 Upgrades

What it is

Three details finish a Windows deployment. A device name template gives each Autopilot device a predictable name. The Enrollment Status Page (ESP) shows setup progress and can block use of the device until required apps and policies are installed. Windows 11 upgrades move existing Windows 10 devices to Windows 11 using Intune feature update policies.

How it works

Device name template

In an Autopilot deployment profile, set Apply device name template to Yes.

• The name must be 15 characters or fewer, with letters, numbers and hyphens, and cannot be all numbers.
• %SERIAL% adds the hardware serial number. %RAND:x% adds a random string of x digits.
• Example: LAP-%SERIAL% or PC-%RAND:5%.
• The template requires Microsoft Entra join. For hybrid joined devices, you can only supply a prefix in the domain join profile.

Because the serial number can be long, a short prefix keeps the result inside 15 characters, and Windows trims to fit.

Enrollment Status Page

The ESP appears during OOBE for Entra join and any Autopilot scenario. You create an ESP profile under Devices, Enrollment, Windows, Enrollment Status Page. A tenant can have up to 51 profiles (the default plus 50).

The ESP tracks three phases: device preparation, device setup (security policies, certificates, network profiles and device targeted apps) and account setup (user targeted items). Apps tracked include per machine LOB MSI apps, Win32 apps and WinGet apps. Do not mix LOB (MSI) and Win32 apps, because they use the same installer, one installation at a time, and the second fails with "Another installation is in progress". If you must mix them, use Autopilot device preparation, which has no ESP.

Priority: a device gets the highest priority profile assigned to it, then the user's, then the default profile. The Install Windows quality updates setting applies only to device targeted profiles. For Microsoft 365 Apps tracked by the ESP, deploy them as a Win32 app to avoid hangs.

Upgrading to Windows 11

Plan before upgrading.

1. Check readiness. Windows 11 needs a compatible 64 bit processor, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot capable UEFI, at least 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of storage. The Endpoint analytics Work from anywhere report and Intune readiness reports list which devices qualify.
2. Pilot. Choose a pilot device group first.
3. Create a feature update policy under Devices, Windows updates, Feature updates, choosing Windows 11 as the target version and a rollout option (all at once, or staggered with a gradual rollout).
4. Assign it to the device group. Eligible Windows 10 devices upgrade, and other devices stay on their version.
5. Monitor with the feature update report.

A feature update policy keeps devices on the version you set, and a device does not move past it. Pair it with an update ring whose feature update deferral is 0, because the ring should not delay updates the policy controls. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, so upgrades are a priority. Autopatch can also drive upgrades for enrolled devices.

A worked scenario

An IT team names laptops with the template NB-%RAND:5%, giving names such as NB-48210. The ESP is set to block use until the VPN client and the security agent are installed, with a 90 minute time out and a custom message with the help desk number. The team later creates a feature update policy for Windows 11 25H2, assigns a pilot group with a gradual rollout and checks the report before widening the assignment.