Windows Backup for Organizations is now available

We’re excited to announce the general availability of Windows Backup for Organizations! This new feature allows your organization to seamlessly back up Windows 10 or Windows 11 settings and effortlessly restore them on a Microsoft Entra joined device. As of today, you can also enable backup of the list of installed Microsoft Store apps, with the ability to restore them to the user’s Start menu as well.

Read on to explore the latest capabilities and learn how to get started with Windows Backup for Organizations.

Key benefits of Windows Backup for Organizations

As announced at Microsoft Ignite in November 2024, Windows Backup for Organizations provides a simple and secure way to save user settings and Microsoft Store apps. This ensures you can quickly restore a familiar experience on a new device, or after a device reset or reimage, getting users back to work faster with the following benefits:

• Reduced troubleshooting: Confidently reset devices sooner. Users can quickly recover their settings and restore their list of Microsoft Store apps with minimal effort.
• Seamless user experience: Smoothly transition devices from Windows 10 to Windows 11 using a saved backup.
• Enhanced productivity: Minimize downtime and maximize user productivity. Restore users’ preferences, helping them get back to work faster.

Back up and restore user settings and Microsoft Store apps

To use the backup functionality, ensure:

• Devices are Microsoft Entra joined or Microsoft Entra hybrid joined.
• Devices are running a supported version of Windows 10, version 22H2 or Windows 11, version 22H2 or later.
• Devices have the August 2025 Windows security update or newer. This update includes the Windows Backup app for backing up Windows settings and the list of Microsoft Store apps.
• The backup policy is enabled via mobile device management (MDM) or Group Policy. Learn more about these settings in our official documentation.

To restore settings and Microsoft Store apps to the Start menu, ensure:

• Devices are Microsoft Entra joined.
• Devices are running Windows 11, version 22H2 or later.
• Devices are preprovisioned with at least the August 2025 Windows security update prior to users going through out-of-box experience (OOBE). Otherwise, they should have the following base OS versions when going through OOBE: Windows 11, version 22H2 build 22621.3958 or newer; Windows 11, version 23H2 build 22631.3958 or newer; or Windows 11, version 24H2 build 26100.1301 or newer.

Important: If your device is on a build older than the specified versions, make sure to enable the “Install Windows quality updates” policy setting on the Enrollment Status Page in Intune. This will deliver the latest applicable quality updates at the end of OOBE to ensure a smooth restore experience. To learn more, visit Get ready for Windows quality updates out of the box.

• You have either Microsoft Intune service administrator or Global administrator permissions.
• You have configured the Windows Backup and Restore option to “On” for the entire tenant. You can do this from the Microsoft Intune admin center > Devices > Enrollment > Windows > Enrollment options.
• Users log in using the same Microsoft Entra account used for the backup.

Getting started

Windows Backup for Organizations is an opt-in feature that is disabled by default.

You, as an IT admin, must configure Backup and Restore policies. (Note: The Restore setting is rolling out gradually, so check back in about a week if you don’t see it in your Intune tenant.) Once enabled, backups run automatically every eight days, saving user settings and preferences to the organization’s tenant data store.

Users can also manually trigger a backup by opening the Windows Backup app and selecting Back up. Enabling the EnableWindowsBackup policy is required to make the Windows Backup app available. Learn more in our official documentation.

Screenshot of the Windows Backup app, showing the option to back up preferences on a device.

The restore process is available during OOBE when a user signs in with their Microsoft Entra ID. Here’s what it looks like:

1. The restore policy is enabled by IT.
2. The user powers on a new or reimaged device.
3. The user signs in with the same Microsoft Entra ID used during backup.
4. The user then sees the options to restore a previous backup or set up the device as new.The OOBE screen shows the user their latestbackupandofferstorestore their oldPC.
5. If the user selects More options, they’ll see any additional backups from other devices available to them (if applicable).The OOBE screen asks the user to choose the PC from which they want to restore their preferences.
6. The user selects from the list of available devices and selects Continue.The OOBE screen shows the “Restore” in progress for the selected device.

The remaining OOBE process is the same as the standard OOBE process. After OOBE is completed, the user profile is loaded, and user preferences are restored automatically.

Visit our official documentation for details on how to configure policies, what the experience looks like for users, and a list of frequently asked questions. That’s where you’ll also find a comprehensive list of settings and Microsoft Store apps that are backed up and restored.

Get ready for Windows 10 end of support – October 14, 2025

Now’s the time to prepare! Try out Windows Backup for Organizations to boost your resilience and simplify your move to Windows 11.

With Windows 10 support ending on October 14, 2025, ease your transition to Windows 11. For large-scale upgrades and device continuity, Windows Backup for Organizations helps reduce migration overhead, minimize user disruption, and strengthen device resilience against incidents.

Note: While Windows Backup for Organizations can easily help you move to Windows 11 with your settings and Microsoft Store apps already in place, there are circumstances that could prevent you from replacing Windows 10 devices before the end of support. If needed, consider the options outlined in Plan for Windows 10 EOS with Windows 11, Windows 365, and ESU. To learn more about Extended Security Updates (ESU), please visit When to use Windows 10 Extended Security Updates.

This is just the beginning. We’re continuing to evolve the Windows Backup for Organizations experience. More enhancements are on the way to help your organization stay ready for what’s next.

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