# Restore Autopilot group tags from backup | TenuVault Restore Autopilot group tags from a TenuVault backup: use Replace in place, review user and device-name changes, and handle devices that need registration. Canonical: https://www.tenuvault.com/guides/restore-autopilot-group-tags Practical guide # Restore Autopilot group tags To restore Autopilot group tags, select the backed-up Windows Autopilot devices and use Replace in place in TenuVault on Pro or MSP. The devices must be registered in the tenant. This restores saved device properties, not the hardware hashes needed to register deleted devices. [Start free Pro trial](https://www.tenuvault.com/trial?src=feature)[Plans and features](https://www.tenuvault.com/pricing) ## What can I recover through the native workflow? Microsoft documents hardware-hash import for manual Autopilot device registration. If a registration was deleted, recover that prerequisite through the approved registration process before trying to put saved properties back. Keep the original import material or an agreed recovery route with the device supplier in your operational records. Do not confuse an Autopilot device record with an Autopilot deployment profile. This guide concerns saved group tags on registered devices. A backup of device properties does not enroll a computer again or prove that a deployment profile has reached it. - [Back up Autopilot profiles and device records](https://www.tenuvault.com/guides/back-up-intune-autopilot-profiles) ## How do I restore Autopilot group tags? 1\. Open Backup History and choose a backup from before the unwanted tag changes. Confirm that it includes Windows Autopilot devices. Match the affected device list to your inventory before selecting records, especially where device names look similar. 2\. Select the affected devices and choose Replace in place. Autopilot device records cannot be created as copies or copied to another tenant through restore. The pricing page includes replacement in Pro and MSP. 3\. Read the Review step for every property that will change. A row can show the current and restored group tag, for example a missing tag becoming the saved department tag. Confirm that this is the intended recovery point rather than simply the most recent backup. ## Will only the group tag change? The restore also sets the assigned user with its friendly name, and the device name. Inspect those fields even if the incident concerns only tags. A device that has no user in the backup has its user unassigned during recovery. Do not treat this as a tag-only bulk editing operation. Intune sets a friendly name together with a user and cannot clear that name independently. Some saved combinations therefore leave the current friendly name unchanged, and the review explains that outcome. Model and purchase-order information are reference data rather than properties this restore writes. ## What if the device was deleted and imported again? A reimported device has a new ID. TenuVault finds it by serial number and restores the supported properties in place. Check the serial number against your inventory and resolve ambiguity before confirming a write. A matching display name is not sufficient evidence of the intended physical device. If the device is no longer registered, the wizard marks it Cannot be restored. Import it again using its hardware hash through the native workflow, then return to the saved backup. Do not repeatedly retry the same restore while registration is still missing. ## How can I try this on my tenant? Download TenuVault and choose one registered test device under your control. Record its tag, assigned user and device name, then make a backup. In an approved change window, change a test property and rehearse the in-place restore while checking all of the proposed property changes. Intune may take a few minutes to show the updated values. Recheck after that delay before declaring failure or repeating the operation. Record the restored properties and device serial number in your drill evidence. Use the general restore drill for policy copies; device registration recovery needs this separate exercise. - [Supported restore modes](https://www.tenuvault.com/intune-restore) - [Practice recovery before an incident](https://www.tenuvault.com/guides/intune-restore-drill) - [Prepare a configuration backup](https://www.tenuvault.com/guides/intune-backup-setup) - [Microsoft manual Autopilot registration](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/autopilot/add-devices) - [Download TenuVault](https://www.tenuvault.com/download) ## Read the technical guides - [Detailed product documentation](https://docs.tenuvault.com/restore/modes/#windows-autopilot-devices) Product scope reviewed 11 November 2026. Check your installed release and the current plan table before using a workflow. ## Frequently asked questions ### Q: Can a backup register a deleted Autopilot device? A: No. Reimport it with its hardware hash first. The restore can then find the registered device by serial number. ### Q: Can I restore these records as copies? A: No. Windows Autopilot devices support Replace in place only, on Pro or MSP, in the same tenant. ### Q: Why are the old values still visible immediately afterward? A: Intune applies these device-property changes within a few minutes. Recheck before retrying and inspect the restore result for warnings. ## Related guides - [recover policies from backup](https://www.tenuvault.com/intune-restore) - [Restore Conditional Access policies](https://www.tenuvault.com/guides/restore-conditional-access-policies) - [How to restore a deleted Intune policy](https://www.tenuvault.com/guides/restore-deleted-intune-policy) - [Restore Intune with Multi Admin Approval](https://www.tenuvault.com/guides/restore-intune-multi-admin-approval) ## Review your setup before the first change Community is free for one tenant. Try Pro free by connecting a new tenant in the app, no email or card needed. Tenant access, supported restore types and scheduling requirements still apply. [Start free trial](https://www.tenuvault.com/trial?src=cta)[Book a 30-minute demo](https://cal.com/ugur-koc/tenuvault-demo)[Permissions and data flows](https://www.tenuvault.com/trust)