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Retiring a device from FileWave

Use this article as the starting point when a device is leaving FileWave management, being reassigned, sold, disposed of, or preserved as an inactive record. The key rule is to remove or reset the device's management path before you delete the record from FileWave. If management is still active somewhere else, the device can check back in or be recreated by a platform sync.

If you only need to stop managing a device but keep its historical record, archive it instead of deleting it. See Archiving Clients.

Choose the right offboarding path

Device or scenarioPrimary cleanup pathUse these articles
macOS computer with FileWave ClientUninstall the FileWave Client if the Mac should stop checking in. If the Mac is also MDM enrolled, remove the MDM profile or wipe the device as appropriate.Uninstall the FileWave Client on macOS, Archiving Clients, Wipe Device for macOS
Windows computer with FileWave ClientUninstall the FileWave Client while the device can still receive Filesets, then delete or archive the record after the uninstall has run.Uninstall the FileWave Client on Windows
iPhone, iPad, or Apple TVRemove MDM enrollment or wipe the device. If the device is leaving the organization and is assigned through Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager, release it from Apple.Archiving Clients, Apple release links below
Android Enterprise deviceUse the Android wipe/removal path and wait for the Google synchronization state before deleting the FileWave record.Removing Android Devices
ChromeOS / ChromebookHandle the device in Google Admin Console first. FileWave syncs Chromebook records from Google Admin, so Chromebook offboarding is not a normal FileWave Client uninstall/delete workflow.Removing ChromeOS / Chromebook devices
Inactive record you may need laterArchive the client instead of deleting it. Archived clients do not consume a FileWave license and are hidden from normal views.Archiving Clients

Before you delete a device

  1. Decide whether the device should be archived, wiped/reassigned, or permanently removed.
  2. Remove the active management path first. That might mean uninstalling the FileWave Client, removing an MDM profile, wiping the device, deprovisioning a Chromebook, or waiting for an Android/ChromeOS Google synchronization.
  3. If the device is leaving Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager ownership, release it from Apple before reuse or resale.
  4. After the management path is removed or the wipe command has been sent, delete or archive the FileWave record and run Update Model.
  5. Verify the device does not return after the next check-in or platform synchronization.

Apple Business or School Manager

If devices are enrolled through Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager and will no longer belong to the organization, release them from Apple. Releasing the device prevents future Automated Device Enrollment assignment by that organization.

After releasing a device, run the relevant FileWave Apple/DEP synchronization so the FileWave view reflects the change. If the device is not released and still has an Automated Device Enrollment profile assignment, wiping it can cause it to enroll again.

Delete from FileWave

Once enrollment, client software, or platform synchronization state has been handled, delete the record from FileWave if you no longer need the historical record.

  1. Open the FileWave Central Admin App.
  2. Select the device or devices in the Clients view.
  3. Right-click and choose Delete.
  4. Run Update Model.

If any enrollment configuration or client software remains active, the device may check back in or be recreated by a platform sync. In that case, fix the platform-specific cleanup first, then delete or archive again.

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