Quick Answer
The correct action is to select the device in the Intune console and choose 'Wipe'. This is because the Wipe action performs a factory reset, erasing all corporate and personal data from the device, which is essential when a device is lost or stolen to prevent unauthorized access to company data. In contrast, the Retire action only removes managed app data and policies while leaving personal data intact, making it insufficient for a security breach scenario. On the MD-102 exam, this question tests your understanding of the critical difference between Wipe and Retire, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose Retire for lost devices. A reliable memory tip: think of Wipe as a "total reset" for security breaches, while Retire is a "partial cleanup" for offboarding employees.
This MD-102 practice question tests your understanding of manage, maintain, and protect devices. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses Microsoft Intune to manage devices. They want to ensure that when a device is reported as lost or stolen, the IT admin can remotely wipe the device. Which action should the admin take in the Intune console?
Select the device and choose 'Retire'.
Why wrong: Retire only removes company data and apps.
Select the device and choose 'Wipe'.
Wipe performs a factory reset, removing all data.
Select the device and choose 'Reset'.
Why wrong: Reset is for re-enrollment, not data removal.
Select the device and choose 'Delete'.
Why wrong: Delete removes the device from management without a wipe.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Select the device and choose 'Wipe'.
The 'Wipe' action in Microsoft Intune restores a device to its factory default settings, removing all corporate and personal data. This is the appropriate action for a lost or stolen device to prevent unauthorized access to company data. The 'Retire' action only removes managed app data and policies but leaves personal data intact, which is insufficient for a security breach scenario.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Select the device and choose 'Retire'.
Why it's wrong here
Retire only removes company data and apps.
Select the device and choose 'Wipe'.
Why this is correct
Wipe performs a factory reset, removing all data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Select the device and choose 'Reset'.
Why it's wrong here
Reset is for re-enrollment, not data removal.
Select the device and choose 'Delete'.
Why it's wrong here
Delete removes the device from management without a wipe.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Retire' with 'Wipe', assuming both remove data equally, but 'Retire' only removes managed corporate data while leaving personal data and device access intact, making it unsuitable for lost or stolen scenarios.
Detailed technical explanation
When a 'Wipe' is initiated, Intune sends a command via the Microsoft Push Notification Service (MPNS) or Windows Notification Service (WNS) to the device, triggering a factory reset that uses the device's native recovery partition (e.g., Windows Reset or iOS Erase All Content and Settings). For Windows 10/11 devices, the wipe can be configured as a 'Fresh Start' to reinstall Windows while optionally retaining user data, but the default wipe removes all data. The action is logged in the Intune audit log and can be tracked for compliance reporting.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Manage, maintain, and protect devices — This question tests Manage, maintain, and protect devices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Select the device and choose 'Wipe'. — The 'Wipe' action in Microsoft Intune restores a device to its factory default settings, removing all corporate and personal data. This is the appropriate action for a lost or stolen device to prevent unauthorized access to company data. The 'Retire' action only removes managed app data and policies but leaves personal data intact, which is insufficient for a security breach scenario.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This MD-102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MD-102 exam.
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