Windows IoT: Manually Enrolling IOT Devices Using Company PIN

Introduction

The HP Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) enables organizations to enroll Android devices manually using a Company PIN. This method is useful when automatic enrollment is not feasible or when setting up individual devices. By installing the WXP app from Google Play and entering the provided PIN, you (IT administrators and authorized users) can securely connect devices to the platform and enable data collection for WXP.

The focus for this type of installation is users who are looking to deploy and manage the WXP Insights agent from centralized server-based environments (Thin Client) using the accessibility of the manual Company PIN while using the bundled executable Windows files offered by WXPInsights.exe andWXPInsights-arm.exe.

This article provides guidance to manually enroll IOT devices. The  process includes the following steps:

1. Obtaining the Company PIN

2. Disabling HP Write Manager

3. Downloading and running the WXP Insights Agent using Single Installer

4. Enrolling Devices Using Company PIN

5. Re-enabling HP Write Manager.

Note: To enroll the WXP Insights agent on Windows IoT operating systems, the auto-update feature needs to be disabled. Disabling the auto update feature can be completed in one of the following methods:

• During first time enrollment as shown in the Downloading WXP Insights Windows Application (Single Installer) section.

• Existing devices with the agent already installed as shown in the Disabling Auto Updates on Existing Devices section below.

This functionality is supported by WXP Insights agent version 4.23.88.0 and onwards.

Note:  Only computers running Windows 10 version 1809 or higher can be enrolled with HP Insights services.

Procedure

Follow the below steps to successfully enroll IOT devices using Company PIN.

Step 1. Obtaining the Company PIN

To obtain the Company PIN:

1. Log in to WXP. The Home page is displayed.

2. From the left menu of WXP, click Settings > Preferences. The Preferences tab is displayed.

3. In the Preferences tab, scroll down the Company PIN section and copy the pin.

For partners, after accepting partner invitation, log in to WXP as a Partner. In the Partner account, click to Customers > Companies > Company Details > Preferences. In the Preferences tab, scroll down the Company PIN section and copy the pin.

Step 2: Disabling HP Write Manager

Prior to downloading and installing the WXP Insights agent on the thin client device, the HP Write Manager must be disabled to allow the auto-update to be properly disabled.

To disable the HP Write Manager:

1. In the Control Panel, select HP Write Manager Configuration application.

2. From this application, the option should be visible to enable or disable the manager.

3. Once disabled, restart the thin client device and proceed with the below installation steps.

Note:

1. Changes following disabling the HP Write Manager are considered permanent system configurations. This protects the contents of and decreases wear on the thin client by redirecting and caching writes in an overlay.

2. When installing the WXP Insights agent, it might be necessary to temporarily change some environmental variables to point to the thin client device (C:) instead of the RAM drive (Z:). The RAM drive might be too small for the temporary files cached during the installation of some applications.

To change the environmental variables:

1. Right-click the Start button, and then select System from the menu.

2. Select Advanced system > Environmental Variables.

3. Change the value of the TEMP and TMP variables to C: \Temp.

If deemed necessary and the variables have been changed, they will need to be changed back to their original values after WXP Insights client installation.

Step 3: Downloading WXP Insights Agent for Windows using Single Installer

To download WXP Insights agent for Windows:

1. Download the WXP Insights agent software from Download WXP Insights Software page.

2. Click WXP Insights Windows Application.

   • Ensure the following contents of the WXPInsights.zip file are saved to an accessible location.

     • VC++ Redistributable (x86)

     • WXP Insights Manager Application

     • VC++ Redistributable (x64)

     • WXP Insights Analytics Agent - Dependencies

     • WXP Insights Analytics Agent package

   • For details about Single Installer, refer to the article - Installing WXP Insights Agent for Windows Using Single Installer.

     • The WXPInsights.zip does not contain the file WXPInsights.exe. The WXPInsights.exe can be downloaded from Download WXP Insights Software.

Note:

For WXP Insights Agent versions 5.26.114, the executable files are renamed:

• setup.exe   → WXPInsights.exe

• setuparm.exe → WXPInsights-arm.exe

The WXP Insights Analytics agent - Dependencies package cannot be installed on non-HP manufactured PCs, including Virtual Machines.

Step 4: Enrolling Devices Using Company PIN

To manually enroll Windows devices using a company PIN:

1. Run the WXPInsights.exe as an Admin to start the installation, then click Next.

2. Check the box next to “I accept the Terms and Conditions of the End User License Agreement.” Then, click Install. The installation wizard guides you through the process.

3. After the installation is completed, click Close.

4. If a new version of the agent is available, a popup is displayed prompting the user whether they want to upgrade to the new version.

5. Click Yes or No to continue. 

   Note: If the user chooses Yes, installation may take about two (2) minutes to complete, depending on the user’s bandwidth.

6. For an HP device, select Yes when a Check Device Registration dialog box appears asking for permission to check the device's serial number to see if it is registered for any HP services. For a non-HP device, select No.

7. Click on Enroll with PIN.

8.  From the device owner dropdown list, select either:

   • Company: If the computer is owned by a company. This selection enables all data collection by WXP Insight agent.

   • Personal:  If the computer is owned by a person. This selection will limit the data collection that WXP Insights can collect, specifically with personal information, such as last signed-in user, software inventory, and location.

9. Click Next.

   Note: If the device owner changes the selection from Personal to Company, removal and re-enrollment of the WXP Insights agent is required.

10. When prompted, enter the company PIN with the below Command Line, then click Enroll.

    WXPInsights.exe /silent ZTEMODE=1 CPIN=XXXX DisableAutoUpdate=True

    This updates a registry entry that will be used by TA-Installer (WXP Insights Updater) to determine whether to auto update WXP Insights agent and the TA client.

    For additional information on the Command Line parameters, see Configuring the WXP Insights Agent Installer with Command Line.

    Note:

    For WXP Insights Agent versions 5.26.114, the executable file is renamed

    • setup.exe   → WXPInsights.exe

    • setuparm.exe → WXPInsights-arm.exe

11. When the enrollment confirmation window appears, click Agree.

    A confirmation window appears with a success message.

    Note: In the Windows System Tray, WXP Insights Agent will show as Enrolled.

If the enrollment is unsuccessful, reach out to HP support. To identify the correct contact for HP support, log in to WXP and access the Help and Support page.

Step 5: Re-Enable HP Write Manager

Once the WXP Insights agent is successfully enrolled, the HP Write Manager can be enabled to make the permanent system configuration:

1. Open the HP Write Manager Configuration application.

2. From the application, select the option to enable the manager.

3. Restart the thin client device to save the permanent system configuration.