What Is SMART Shield?

SMART Shield prevents more than one Windows refurbishment licence being consumed for the same device.

How SMART Shield Works

When a device is licensed through SMART for the first time:

• SMART assigns and injects a new product key.
• The injection history displays New.
• A new licence is consumed.
• The product key progresses from Injected to Activation Enabled.
• The new licence injection initiates Microsoft’s Autopilot removal process.

If the SMART Client is run again on the same device:

• SMART displays New Key Required: No.
• The existing product key is injected again.
• The injection history displays Shielded.
• No additional licence is consumed.
• There is no additional charge.

This allows a refurbisher to reinstall Windows or erase the device and reinject its existing key without consuming another licence.

New and Shielded Injections

New means SMART assigned a new product key and consumed a licence.

Shielded means SMART recognised the previously licensed device and reinjected its existing product key at no additional cost.

The device’s Hardware page in the SMART application shows its product key, status and complete injection history.

SMART Shield and Autopilot

Autopilot removal is initiated when a new refurbishment licence is injected and progresses from Injected to Activation Enabled.

A Shielded injection reuses a key that is already Activation Enabled. It does not initiate another Autopilot removal request.

For example:

1. A refurbisher injects a new licence and Autopilot is removed.
2. The device is sold and its new owner enrols it into another Autopilot or Intune tenant.
3. The device is later returned to the refurbisher.
4. Running SMART again produces a Shielded injection using the existing key.

In this situation, the Shielded injection will not remove the newer Autopilot registration. Another new licence is required to initiate a new removal.

Why SMART Shield

SMART Shield helps refurbishers:

• Avoid accidentally consuming multiple licences
• Reinject an existing key after reinstalling or erasing Windows
• Maintain accurate device-to-licence records
• Review previous injections from the device’s Hardware page

Summary

SMART Shield reinjects a device’s existing product key without consuming another licence. It does not assign a new key and does not initiate a new Autopilot removal request.