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What is happening #
We are moving your company's devices onto Microsoft Intune, a modern device management platform. This guide explains what that means for you, what happens on the day, and the handful of things we need you to do beforehand.
All the work is carried out by the Coffee Cup Solutions team. You will not need to bring your device in or hand it to anyone. We will either connect to your PC remotely or be in your office with you.
Your device will be completely reset as part of this migration. Anything in OneDrive, SharePoint or another approved cloud location is safe and comes straight back. Anything saved only to the device itself will be permanently removed.
If you are not certain where your files live, that is exactly what live chat is for. Ask us before your date, not on the day.
We know a reset sounds disruptive. In practice it is the difference between moving into a freshly decorated office and trying to arrange furniture around old fittings, and it is why the setup works properly from day one instead of being a slow accumulation of odd problems.
Background
Why we are doing this #
Two questions come up every time: why Intune, and why does that need a full reset.
Why Intune
- Stronger protection. Your device gets the latest security policies and encryption applied and kept up to date.
- Automatic updates. Security patches and Windows updates are applied for you, rather than waiting for someone to notice a prompt.
- Automated deployment. Applications, settings and policies are pushed to your device without you installing anything by hand.
- Faster support. When something goes wrong we can see the device, fix it and push a change out, instead of talking you through it over the phone.
Why a full reset
The reasonable question is why we cannot simply install Intune on top of what is already there. Moving device management without a reset leaves behind old settings, policies and software that quietly conflict with the new configuration. Starting clean gives you:
- No leftover settings from the previous management system.
- Every security policy applied correctly from the start, rather than fighting an existing one.
- A device performing at its best, without years of accumulated clutter.
- A consistent, tested setup that our team can fully support, the same on your machine as everyone else's.
- No incompatibilities between the old configuration and the new one.
Most people find their machine noticeably quicker afterwards. A clean Windows install with only the software you actually use is a genuine improvement on a laptop that has been in service for three years.
What changes
Moving to Microsoft Edge #
As part of the migration, Microsoft Edge becomes the company's standard managed browser. Chrome, Firefox and Brave are phased out on managed devices.
This is not a matter of taste. Edge is the browser we can actually manage:
| What it gives us | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| Central management | Browser policies, extensions, homepage and security settings are configured through Intune from one place, rather than device by device. |
| Microsoft 365 sign in | Edge signs you into SharePoint, Outlook, Teams and the rest natively, so you stop being asked to log in over and over. |
| Better protection | Defender SmartScreen and phishing protection are built in, and conditional access can ensure only compliant devices reach company resources. |
| Consistent policy | We can block risky extensions and prevent data leaking out through the browser, across every device at once. |
| Automatic updates | Edge updates centrally, so nobody is left running a version from eight months ago. |
| Same engine as Chrome | Edge is Chromium based, so anything that works in Chrome works identically in Edge. This is not a compatibility risk. |
We will help you move your existing bookmarks and favourites from Chrome, Firefox or Brave across to Edge. You do not need to write them down or email them to yourself.
Your part
Before migration day #
Five things, none of them long. Doing them properly is the difference between a smooth migration and a bad afternoon.
You are welcome to work through these yourself using the guidance below. If you would rather have a hand, jump on live chat and we will go through it with you.
- Back up your files Make sure everything important is saved to OneDrive, SharePoint or another approved cloud location. Anything sitting only in your Desktop, Documents or Downloads folders is removed during the reset. If you are unsure where a file actually lives, ask us on live chat and we will check it with you.
- Note your applications Think about what you use day to day. If you have installed anything manually, rather than from your company's app catalogue, tell us. We will make sure it is available again afterwards, and it is far easier to arrange before the reset than after it.
- Check your browser sync Make sure your bookmarks and extensions have been moved into Microsoft Edge, and that Edge is signed in and syncing. That is what brings everything back once you sign in on the rebuilt device.
- Check your Microsoft 365 sign in You will need your Microsoft 365 password to sign in after the reset, so confirm now that you know it and that it works. The test is simple: sign in at office.com. If this is a brand new Microsoft 365 setup you may not have credentials yet, but they will be provided before your migration. If you have forgotten your password, tell us before the day.
-
Confirm you are on Windows Pro Go to Start → Settings → System → About and look
under Windows specifications. The edition should read something like
Windows 11 Pro.
Windows Home cannot join Intune, so the migration cannot proceed until the device is upgraded to Windows 11 Pro. There is a cost for that upgrade. Tell us as soon as you spot it, rather than on migration day, so we can sort it out without losing your slot.
Any file saved only to your device, and not to the cloud, is permanently deleted during the reset. It cannot be recovered afterwards. Please double check before your scheduled date.
Your part
Your pre-migration checklist #
Tick these off before your scheduled date. Your progress is saved in this browser, so you can come back to it.
Ready for migration day
Use Print or save as PDF and the checklist prints with empty boxes, so you can work through it on paper if you would rather.
Migration day
What happens on the day #
We will either be on site doing the resets with you, or connecting in remotely. Either way the shape of the day is the same.
- We connect to your device At your allotted time, or when we ask you to, open live chat the way you normally would. If you are not a managed support customer, go to Coffee Cup Solutions live chat, or visit coffeecupsolutions.com and choose Contact then Live Chat.
- We confirm your backups We will check with you that everything you need is backed up, and ask you to sign a short document confirming it. This is the last point at which local files can be saved, so speak up if anything is nagging at you.
- Your device is reset A full Windows reset runs, wiping the device and reinstalling Windows cleanly. This usually takes around an hour, though on older or slower machines it can run considerably longer.
- You complete the initial Windows setup Once the reset finishes, you follow a series of on-screen prompts to set Windows up and sign in with your work account. This is your part, and it takes five to ten minutes. The next section walks through every screen.
- Intune enrolment starts on its own As soon as you are signed in, the device connects to Intune and starts pulling down your company's settings, security policies and applications. There is nothing to click.
- Applications install in the background Your device carries on installing things for the next hour or two. It is usable during this time, but not everything will be there yet.
You will not be sat watching a progress bar for four hours, but you will need to be around at the start and again for the sign in step. Try not to schedule the migration against a deadline or a day full of meetings.
Migration day
Setting Windows up again #
When the reset finishes, your PC restarts into the Windows setup screens. This is the part you do yourself. Work through it in order. It takes about five minutes.
Region and keyboard
- Choose United Kingdom as the region Then select Yes.
- Choose United Kingdom for the keyboard layout Then select Yes.
- Skip the second keyboard layout Select Skip when it offers to add another one.
Connecting to the internet
If the device is already plugged in with a network cable, it may apply some updates and move on by itself. If it is not connected, either plug in an Ethernet cable or join your Wi-Fi when prompted. A wired connection is worth using if you have one, since everything that follows is a download.
Setting up for work
- Choose “Set up for work or school” Then select Next. This is the step that makes the device a company device rather than a personal one.
That almost always means the device is not on Windows Pro or higher. Stop there and contact us so we can arrange the upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. There is a cost for it.
Signing in
- Enter your work email address Then select Next.
- Enter your password Then select Next.
- Verify it is you You will be prompted to confirm your identity using your phone or authenticator app, exactly as you would signing in to Outlook.
Privacy settings
Windows now offers a run of privacy options. Each one has an Accept button, which confirms whatever you have selected on that screen rather than accepting everything. These are the settings we recommend:
| Screen | Choose |
|---|---|
| Online speech recognition | Don't use online speech recognition |
| Let Microsoft and apps use your location | No |
| Find my device | No |
| Send diagnostic data to Microsoft | Send Required diagnostic data |
| Improve inking & typing | No |
| Get tailored experiences with diagnostic data | No |
| Let apps use advertising ID | No |
Final steps
Windows will now load your desktop.
When you are prompted to set up Windows Hello, meaning face recognition or a fingerprint, please go ahead and set it up. If you are also prompted to configure authentication methods, complete that too. Both are part of the security baseline rather than optional extras.
Afterwards
After you sign in, be patient #
This is the most important thing to understand, and the thing people most often get wrong: reaching the desktop does not mean the setup has finished.
Your desktop will look like a brand new Windows installation, because it is one. Intune is working in the background installing your applications, applying settings and configuring the device. Things appear gradually.
Applications arrive over the next one to two hours, larger ones taking longer. You will see notifications about installations in progress, which is normal, and your device may restart once or twice by itself.
Once you reach the desktop, leave the PC alone for at least 30 minutes, then restart it. After that restart the key things should be in place, though a few items can continue trickling in for up to eight hours.
Do not turn the device off, and do not disconnect it from the internet. Interrupting the deployment is the single most common cause of a migration needing a second visit.
Keep the device powered on and connected for the first few hours after you sign in, ideally on a wired connection or strong Wi-Fi. If something you use every day is still missing after two or three hours, that is the point to contact us. Do not sit on it hoping it turns up overnight.
Afterwards
How long it all takes #
Rough figures for each stage. They vary with your internet connection and how many applications are being deployed.
| Stage | Estimated time | Who is doing it |
|---|---|---|
| Remote connection and preparation | 10 – 15 minutes | Us |
| Windows reset | 45 minutes – 3 hours | The device |
| Initial Windows setup | 5 – 10 minutes | You |
| Intune enrolment | 15 – 30 minutes | Automatic |
| Background app and policy deployment | 1 – 2 hours | Automatic |
| Full setup complete | Roughly 2 – 4 hours in total |
Only about ten minutes of that is you sitting at the keyboard. The rest is waiting, and you can get on with something else for most of it.
Support
If something goes wrong #
We would rather be upfront: we take every precaution, but technology is occasionally unpredictable. Here is what can happen and what we do about it.
The Windows reset is taking longer than expected
Resets can occasionally stall or simply run slowly on older hardware. Our team monitors progress and steps in if needed, which sometimes means restarting the process and adding time to your migration. It is inconvenient rather than serious.
An application has not installed
Applications occasionally fail to deploy first time. Intune retries automatically, so give it a couple of hours. If something is still missing after that, tell us and we will push it out.
The device has not connected to Intune
Usually a network issue or a configuration problem. Our team will troubleshoot and get the device enrolled, and in most cases it is resolved quickly.
I cannot sign in after the reset
This is nearly always a password or multi-factor problem rather than anything to do with the migration. Contact us and we will get you in. It is also exactly why we ask you to test office.com beforehand.
I think I have lost a file
Check OneDrive and SharePoint first, including the recycle bin in each. If a file was only ever stored on the device and was not backed up, it cannot be recovered once the reset has run, which is why we labour the point beforehand. If you are unsure whether something is backed up and your migration has not happened yet, ask us to check with you.
My machine feels slow right after the migration
Expected for the first few hours while applications download and install. If it is still sluggish the following day, tell us, because by then it is a real problem rather than deployment traffic.
Where have my bookmarks gone?
Sign in to Microsoft Edge with your work account and give it a minute to sync. If they were moved across before the migration, they will come back on their own. If they were never synced, contact us before assuming they are lost.
Problems are uncommon and our team does these migrations regularly. If something does go wrong, we will work through it with you and get you running again as quickly as we can.
Getting help
Thank you for reading this through. We know device changes feel unsettling, and the preparation is what makes the difference. If you have any questions at all before your migration date, particularly about whether your files are backed up, please get in touch rather than hoping for the best.