Troubleshooting Help 

If you're having issues and the troubleshooting suggestions on this page do not work (scroll all the way down), please send a separate email to biztech@samsara.com.

• Be sure to include:

• That you are an incoming new hire

• Your laptop serial number

• A description of the issue

• Which step you are on

• A photo of your screen (if possible)

  NOTE: Do not CC biztech@ on the original it-onboarding@samsara.com thread, as the IT team will not be able to see the confidential messages this will generate.

🇲🇽 Users in Mexico: Ensure your computer's clock is set to your local time before proceeding with steps below. 

For New Hires Onboarding Remotely

These are step-by-step instructions on how to configure your Samsara provided laptops prior to day one. All of the setup steps outlined below are required, as they safeguard your devices and make them compliant. Failure to complete these steps may result in loss in productivity. Please complete as soon as you can before your start date. 

Access to email and system applications is not expected until your first day after you've completed IT onboarding sessions, do not try to access apps like Zoom or Slack or Samsara Email prior to your first day. HR will send day one details by end of week to your personal email, please be on the lookout. 

Prerequisites

• Samsara provided MacBook and charger
• Access to stable internet / WiFi 

If you are a Contractor / Intern

Please remember to keep the packaging / original boxes as they will be used to return your equipment when/if your contract concludes. 

How to Set Up your Macbook

Note: An Apple ID is not required on Samsara laptops. Do not enter your personal Apple ID or email; feel free to skip this step if prompted.

1. Connect your MacBook to power (this is required for the process). Turn your MacBook on by pressing the power button.

2. Select your Language.

3. Select your Country (this should be the country you are physically working from), and your keyboard layout if requested.

4. When prompted to Transfer Your Data to This Mac, select Set up as new.

Note: Never transfer data from another computer or Time Machine backup to a Samsara laptop. Always choose Set up as new.

5. Select your WiFi network and ensure you are connected. This is required - do not skip this step or the enrollment process will not work!

6. Enter your WiFi password and click Continue.

7. A screen will appear notifying you that Samsara Networks will manage your laptop. Click Continue.

8. In the pop-up window, click Continue and log in with your Samsara email address and password. If you have not already set up your Okta password, please go back to your email with IT and follow the Setting up Okta and enrolling in Incode guide. 

9. Next, you'll be prompted to set up a user account for your computer. Follow the on‑screen instructions.

10. When prompted, please enable Location Services on your Mac.

11. Your Mac will then load to the desktop. Within a minute or two, a pop-up window will appear and keep you posted on the progress as your Mac automatically sets itself up. Monitor the screen for any prompts.

• If Zscaler asks you to sign in, enter your Samsara email and your Okta password.

• If Zscaler installation takes more than an hour, check to see if your macOS is up to date and then reach out to us to let us know.

Setting up Okta FastPass on your MacBook

During the automated setup, Okta Verify will begin installing on your Mac. You will be guided through the following steps to set up Okta FastPass — this enables passwordless, phishing-resistant sign-in using Touch ID on your Mac.

12. You will see a "Welcome to Samsara!" screen with a progress bar showing "Installing Okta Verify..." — wait for the installation to complete.

13. A pop-up will appear asking you to enroll a fingerprint: "Please enroll a fingerprint in System Settings”. Wait for System Settings to open.

14. System Settings will open to Touch ID & Password. Click Add Fingerprint.

15. You will be asked to enter your Mac password to add a fingerprint. Enter your computer password and click Unlock.

16. Follow the on-screen instructions: place your finger on the Touch ID sensor and lift and rest it repeatedly until the fingerprint is fully captured.

17. Once your fingerprint is enrolled (you will see "Finger 1" in the Touch ID settings), close the System Settings window by clicking the red close button (X) in the top-left corner.

18. You will return to the fingerprint enrollment pop-up. Click Continue

19. A new pop-up will appear: "The Okta Verify app will pop up and ask you to sign in. Please click 'Add account from another device' and follow the steps to enroll using your phone." Click Continue.

20. The Okta Verify app will open on your Mac showing "Welcome to Okta Verify". Click "Add account from another device" (not "Get started").

Important: This step uses the Okta Verify app on your phone — the one you already enrolled during the Setting up Okta and enrolling in Incode guide. Make sure your phone is nearby with Bluetooth enabled.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the cross-device enrollment using your phone. For detailed steps on this process, see the Enrolling Okta FastPass on macOS guide. If you are using a Windows laptop, see the Enrolling Okta FastPass on Windows guide. If you are using a Windows 365 (VDI) virtual desktop, see the Enrolling Okta FastPass on Windows 365 (VDI) guide.

21. After the cross-device enrollment completes, Okta Verify on your Mac will show "Enable Touch ID confirmation" with your Samsara email. Click Enable.

22. Once Touch ID confirmation is enabled, you will see a final pop-up: "Please click Continue once you have finished setting up Okta Verify." Click Continue. Your Mac will continue installing remaining apps (Chrome, Slack, Zoom, etc.).

Your Samsara MacBook is now set up and ready to go for your first day!

** Please do not access any other apps in your Okta dashboard until day one of onboarding. Thank you!**

Note: Okta FastPass is device-specific. If you also use a Windows PC or Windows 365 VDI, you will need to set up FastPass separately on each device.

Further Troubleshooting Steps

If you proceed through the setup process and aren't asked to set your Okta password as described above, try the following:

1. Triple‑check that you are connected to Wi‑Fi before continuing with these steps.

2. Open a new Finder window, click on the Applications folder in the left menu bar, and then open the Utilities folder. Open the app called Terminal.

3. In Terminal, type the following command and then press Enter:

   sudo profiles renew -type enrollment

4. You'll be asked to type your laptop password in Terminal. Type it and press Enter.

   Note: You will not see any dots or stars as you type, but Terminal is taking the input.

5. You should now see a pop-up notification in the top-right corner of the screen for Samsara Device Management.

   If not, open Notification Center by clicking on the date and time in the menu bar in the top right to find the notification.

6. Click the notification and follow the prompts in System Settings to approve the enrollment.

7. Follow the instructions above to set up your Okta password and the Okta Verify app, and then wait for the auto‑setup enrollment to begin as described in step 11 of the main setup section.

App Access

Access to systems and applications will unlock on your first day of work at Samsara. Until then, your Okta apps will show a lock icon, and access to most tools will be restricted. Your IT Onboarding session on your first day will walk you through how to access your email and other core tools. Once you’ve completed the setup steps in this guide, you’re all set—there are no further action items required from the Biztech team unless you run into issues.

Note: if you are stuck with any of the steps above please reach out to biztech@samsara.com for assistance.