Windows enrollment URL not available during initial setup/OOBESolved

Hello @matteo ,

For Windows enrollment using the Hexnode enrollment URL, the device must first reach the Windows desktop. The enrollment URL method requires you to:

1. Sign in to the Windows device or create a local administrator account.
2. Open a browser on the desktop. 
3. Enter the Hexnode enrollment URL.
4. Download and run the Hexnode installer.

The enrollment URL cannot be entered directly from the Windows out-of-box experience screen. Native Enrollment also requires access to Windows Settings, so the device must be signed in first. After signing in as an administrator, you can go to:

Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > Enroll only in device management

Then enter the required enrollment details provided in the Hexnode portal. If you want enrollment to happen during the initial setup without manually creating or signing in to a local account, use Windows Autopilot. For that, the device must be registered with Windows Autopilot, and the Hexnode portal must be integrated with Microsoft Entra ID so the device can be provisioned automatically during OOBE.

Regards,
Simon Scott
Hexnode UEM

So Native Enrollment is not something I can launch directly from the first Windows setup screens either? I was hoping the “Enroll only in device management” option would avoid the need to get to the desktop first.

Correct. Native Enrollment is started from the Windows Settings app, so the device needs to be signed in first. It is different from Autopilot.

In short:

• Enrollment URL: requires desktop access and browser access.
• Native Enrollment: requires desktop access and Windows Settings access.
• Windows Autopilot: can enroll/provision during OOBE, but requires Autopilot registration and Microsoft Entra ID integration.

If the goal is zero-touch or near-zero-touch deployment from the initial setup screen, Autopilot is the recommended method.