With Windows 10 reaching End of Life on October 14, 2025, now is the time to start planning your upgrade path to Windows 11! Whether you're testing on a single device or rolling it out company-wide, Microsoft Intune gives you a streamlined, hands-off way to manage the entire process.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything — from setting up your device group to configuring update policies — so you can confidently get your endpoints ready for what’s next.

Let’s dive in!

1. Create a Security Group for the Target Device(s)

Start by creating a group that includes only the device(s) you want to upgrade — this keeps things clean and avoids impacting the entire environment.

• Go to Intune Portal > Groups > New Group
• Group Type: Security
• Name: Something like Windows 11 Upgrade Group
• Add just the device(s) you want to include in this upgrade

• This group will be used to assign the update policies in the next steps.

2. Create a Windows 10/11 Update Ring

This step ensures your selected device(s) are eligible to receive the upgrade by adjusting update deferral settings.

• Go to Microsoft Intune > Devices > Windows > Update rings for Windows 10 and later
• Click Create Profile
• Name: Windows 11 Upgrade Ring (or anything clear)
  
  
  

Important settings to configure:

• Servicing channel: General Availability (or Windows Insider, if testing)
• Feature update deferral period: 0 days
• Quality update deferral period: 0 days (optional)
• Adjust restart behavior as needed

Assign this update ring to the same group you created in step 1.

• This tells the device not to delay feature updates — a necessary step to ensure it’s ready for Windows 11.

3. Create a Feature Update Deployment Profile

Now we’ll specifically target the Windows 11 version you want installed.

• Go to Intune > Devices > Windows 10 and later > Feature updates for Windows 10 and later. (MSFT constantly changes the GUI so these options may be hidden under other tabs!)
• Click Create Profile
• Name: Windows 11 Feature Update (Or whatever suits you)
• Choose the Windows 11 version (e.g., 22H2 or the latest available)
• Scope tags: optional
• Assign the profile to the same group from step 1

This locks in the exact version you want deployed to your device(s) no surprises.

Optional: Force a Manual Sync on the Target Device

This part isn’t required. Intune will handle it automatically, but if you’re in a hurry or testing on one device, syncing manually helps things move along faster.

• On the device, go to:
  Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > Info > Sync
  (or open the Company Portal app > Settings > Sync). Once the device syncs successfully, you should see the process kick off, In Intune admin center.

That about covers it! Hopefully this guide has been informative and helps make your Windows 11 upgrade via Intune a smooth and stress-free process. As always if you have any questions and would like to schedule a free consultation with us, please reach out to us at sales@lookingpoint.com and we’ll be happy to help!