220-1102 Question 687
Single answerImplementationA technician is preparing 25 new Windows 11 Pro laptops for a sales team. The company wants each laptop to have a standard set of approved applications, company settings, and user-specific access to Microsoft 365 after sign-in. The technician needs a deployment method that reduces manual setup time while allowing each user to receive device policies and apps during initial setup. Which of the following is the BEST implementation approach?
- A
Create a standard image with the company apps installed, deploy it to each laptop, and then manually configure each user's settings after delivery
- B
Join each laptop to a workgroup, create local user accounts, and install applications individually as users request them
- C
Use Windows Autopilot with Microsoft Entra ID join and mobile device management enrollment so devices receive policies and applications during provisioning
- D
Clone the internal drive from one configured laptop to all other laptops without changing the hardware abstraction settings or activation status
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The best answer is to use Windows Autopilot with Microsoft Entra ID join and MDM enrollment. For A+ Core 2 implementation objectives, candidates should recognize when a modern deployment solution is more appropriate than manual configuration or traditional one-off imaging. Autopilot supports preconfigured deployment of Windows devices and integrates with cloud identity and management platforms so that organizational policies, settings, and applications can be applied during the initial setup process. This reduces hands-on technician time and improves consistency. Microsoft documents Autopilot as a deployment technology for provisioning new devices with minimal IT intervention, especially when combined with cloud-based identity and device management. By contrast, workgroup-based manual setup does not scale well, and raw cloning is not considered a best practice for managed business deployments.
- A. Incorrect.
This approach can standardize the base software set, but it still requires significant manual post-deployment work for per-user settings and access. It is less efficient than a modern cloud-based provisioning method when the goal is to deliver user-specific apps and policies during initial setup. Imaging is a valid deployment method in many environments, but it is not the best fit for this scenario.
- B. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because joining business laptops to a workgroup and relying on local accounts does not provide centralized management, policy enforcement, or streamlined application deployment. It also creates more administrative overhead and weakens consistency across the fleet. This reflects a common misconception that small-batch deployments are best handled manually.
- C. Correct.
This is correct because Windows Autopilot is designed to simplify new device deployment by allowing devices to be provisioned with organizational settings during the out-of-box experience. With Microsoft Entra ID join and MDM enrollment, users can sign in with their organizational credentials and receive assigned applications, policies, and configuration automatically. This directly meets the requirements for reduced technician effort and user-specific provisioning.
- D. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because direct disk cloning across multiple systems can cause deployment and licensing problems if not generalized properly, and it is not an appropriate modern enterprise deployment method for user-targeted configuration. It may also introduce driver, SID, or activation-related issues depending on the deployment process. This option represents a risky shortcut rather than a best-practice implementation.