The fastest way to upload hardware hashes to Intune Autopilot

If you’re an IT admin still lugging a thumb drive around the office to collect hardware hashes for Windows Autopilot, I have some good news: you can stop.

The “old way”—exporting a CSV file, plugging it into your laptop, and manually uploading it to the Intune portal—is a classic for a reason, but it’s slow and prone to errors. Instead, you can use the Direct-to-Cloud method. It sends the device info straight to Microsoft Intune without the middleman.

Here’s why it’s a game-changer and how to do it in under two minutes.

Why ditch the CSV method?

Manual file handling is a bottleneck that usually leads to one of three headaches:

1. Formatting Errors: One wrong character in that CSV and the upload fails.
2. The “Sneaker-net”: Walking back and forth between desks just to move a file is a waste of your steps.
3. Instant Results: When you go direct-to-cloud, the device shows up in your tenant immediately.

The “Fast-Track” Guide

You’ll want to do this during the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)—basically, that blue screen you see on a brand-new PC asking for your region or keyboard layout.

Open the Command Prompt in OOBE

First, make sure the PC is plugged into the internet (Ethernet is easiest). On that first setup screen, press Shift + F10. This pops open the Command Prompt.

Type these four lines. This tells the PC to grab the latest official Autopilot script and send the hardware info directly to your cloud:

1. Powershell.exe
2. Install-Script -name Get-WindowsAutopilotInfo -Force
3. Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
4. Get-WindowsAutoPilotInfo -Online

Sign In and Sync

• Log In: A window will pop up asking for your credentials. Sign in with your Intune Admin account.
• Permission: If this is your first time, just click “Accept” to allow the script to talk to your tenant.
• Sync: Once the script finishes, jump into your Intune Admin Center, head to the Autopilot devices section, and hit Sync.

Pro Tips for the “Power User“

If you want to be even faster, you can add these “flags” to the end of the last command:

• Group Tagging: Add -GroupTag "Marketing" to automatically put the PC in the right group.
• Assign a User: Add -AssignedUser user@company.com to skip the user-assignment step later.
• The “One & Done”: Add -Reboot to make the PC restart automatically the second it’s registered.

The Bottom Line

Using the -Online switch turns a tedious chore into a 60-second task. If you’re managing more than a couple of laptops, this is the gold standard for getting hardware into Intune without the headache.