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Introduction
Enrolling Windows and mobile devices in Microsoft Intune can sometimes be met with the error message, MDM Authority Not Defined. This article outlines the reasons for this issue, its resolution process, and steps to ensure successful device enrollment.
What is the MDM Authority Not Defined Error?
The MDM Authority Not Defined error appears when the Mobile Device Management (MDM) authority isn’t properly configured in the Intune admin center. This can cause issues during device enrollment, specifically with devices joining Azure AD.
Why does it happen after Entra ID sync issues?
The MDM Authority Not Defined error is often a result of Entra ID synchronization problems between your on-premises Active Directory (AD) and the cloud. This can occur when there’s an inconsistency in user UPNs between the two systems.
How to verify MDM authority configuration
1. Navigate to the Tenant administration section in your Intune admin center.
2. Verify that the MDM authority is correctly set up and matches your organization’s requirements.
UPN mismatch between AD and Entra ID as root cause
In many cases, the root cause of the MDM Authority Not Defined error is a mismatch in user UPNs between the on-premises AD and Entra ID. To verify this, check the UPN for the affected user in both systems.
Steps to resolve including DirSync handling
1. If the UPNs are mismatched, use the diagnostic at the Troubleshooting + support blade in the Intune admin center to identify the affected user.
2. For issues with DirSync, temporarily turn off DirSync. Correct the UPN mismatch and force a sync before re-enabling.
Conclusion
Ensuring that your MDM authority is properly configured in Intune can help prevent device enrollment failures caused by the MDM Authority Not Defined error. By following our step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to troubleshoot and resolve this issue in no time.
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Written by Mohammed Akhter
Founder of ITP Training. 50,000+ students trained across 30+ countries in Microsoft endpoint and cloud security. Learn more →