FAQ
Windows 365 migration FAQ
Short answers for teams moving from AVD, VDI, PCs, or Azure virtual machines to Windows 365 Cloud PCs.
What is a Windows 365 migration?
A Windows 365 migration moves users from Azure Virtual Desktop, legacy VDI, physical PCs, or Azure virtual machines onto Windows 365 Cloud PCs. The work covers assessment and cohort planning, licensing, Intune and Microsoft Entra readiness, moving user profiles and applications, a controlled pilot, then wave-by-wave cutover and decommissioning of the old estate. EtherInsights supports each stage with estate evidence, guided steps, scheduling, and tracking.
Can you migrate from Azure Virtual Desktop to Windows 365?
Yes. Personal AVD desktops map naturally to Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PCs, and Microsoft provides a migration capability for moving eligible single-session desktops. Pooled, shift-based, or low-density AVD estates are usually compared against Windows 365 Flex instead. EtherInsights turns the AVD footprint into migration cohorts and tracks each wave from pilot to decommission.
Do apps and user profiles move to Windows 365?
Applications are redeployed to Cloud PCs through Intune rather than lifted from the old desktop, so packaging readiness is part of the assessment. Profile and data continuity depend on the scenario: environments using cloud profiles and OneDrive typically carry user data across smoothly, while legacy profile tooling needs a planned approach. The pilot wave is where profile behaviour is proven before scale.
What licences and prerequisites does Windows 365 need?
Each user needs a Windows 365 licence for the chosen Cloud PC size, plus supporting licensing for Windows, Intune, and Microsoft Entra ID that most Microsoft 365 enterprise and business plans already include. Tenant prerequisites centre on Intune enrolment, identity configuration, and network readiness. The assessment stage confirms the exact mix per estate before any commitment.
What are the common Windows 365 migration risks?
The usual risks are unplanned application dependencies, profile tooling that does not translate to Cloud PCs, undersized or oversized Cloud PC assignments, network egress surprises, and cutover waves that outrun support capacity. A cohort-based plan with a genuine pilot, sizing evidence, and per-wave rollback options keeps each risk visible and owned.