I'm an IT staff member managing both office and work-from-home schedules. Occasionally, I depend on our Managed Service Provider (MSP) to handle help desk tickets. We utilize Microsoft 365 Business Premium licenses along with full Azure Active Directory (AAD) and Intune integration.
I'm looking for a spare laptop that staff can use when their own device is down or in for repair. Ideally, it should allow quick access to printing and our web resources. It would be great if the device had local access to Office applications, but it's not essential. The goal is for users to easily swap it out and have it ready for the next person when they return it.
While I considered using a new device logged in under my credentials, I've heard from others that registering a primary user through Intune is problematic. It feels risky to rely on generic accounts, and I'm concerned about the effects on user profiles. I want to avoid burning license allocations for Office if someone is only borrowing the laptop for a short time. Additionally, the first login setup can take a while, and I want to minimize any delays for stressed users.
So far, I've thought of these options:
- A local device on guest Wi-Fi with a local account, not tied to Intune or Entra.
- An Intune-enabled device logged in with a common account (seems risky).
- A budget Chromebook without ties to Microsoft.
Does anyone have suggestions or has anyone faced a similar situation? We want to minimize downtime for staff, and my bosses are not keen on it!
6 Answers
A simpler solution is to just grab a basic laptop, set up a local admin account, and keep it completely off the domain. You could install Chrome and maybe LibreOffice for document editing. Users can access Microsoft 365 directly through the web and print without all the Intune hassles. It's just for temporary emergencies, so it doesn't have to be fancy, just functional!
Honestly, you’re overthinking this. Just go for something straightforward and easy to manage!
We typically use a non-domain laptop with only the essentials installed! Don't complicate it too much, just keep it simple and efficient!
I wouldn't go for any of those options. Why not just use a regular Intune-enabled Autopilot device? You don't have to assign a primary user. When someone logs in, they can do it with their normal account. When the device is returned, you can easily remove old profiles if you want.
Why not create a multi-user device? Enroll it with your account, remove the primary user, and set a shared PC config profile. This way, each user can still sign in without issues.
We’ve implemented a self-deploying shared PC setup. We pair it with a storage policy that wipes data after 48 hours for a clean profile. We also found that disabling user ESP entirely during deployment is more efficient and avoids unnecessary steps.
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