Microsoft is making Windows Backup for Organizations a lot better

Microsoft is making a significant improvement to the Windows Backup for Organizations tool very soon.

Windows Backup for Organizations

Windows Backup for Organizations is a relatively recent tool from Microsoft that allows enterprise customers to back up their data and restore it on Entra-joined devices. One of the big selling points of this software is also that it allows customers to leave Windows 10 and quickly migrate to Windows 11. Now, Microsoft is making it even better.

The Redmond tech giant recently announced that it is building a new restore experience that shows up when you first sign-in on a new device. The benefit of this is that if you accidentally missed the restore option in the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE), eligible devices will be able to leverage this option again when they are signing in for the first time. However, this option will not be provided if you intentionally skip the restore option during OOBE.

Microsoft says that this experience will work across devices joined through Entra and Entra hybrid, multi-user setups, and Windows 365 Cloud PCs. Once you opt to restore, you'll get your preferred Windows Settings and Microsoft apps installed automatically. Microsoft believes that this will improve productivity as customers will be able to get started more quickly.

Here are some of the benefits highlighted by the firm:

Broader coverage: Safely restore more devices, including Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices, multi-user setups, and Windows 365 Cloud PCs.
Same seamless experience: Restore Windows settings and the Microsoft Store app list at first sign-in, as you would during OOBE, minimizing downtime and accelerating productivity.
Continued focus on user-centric recovery: Even if users miss the opportunity to restore during OOBE by accident or due to a technical issue, they can still get their personalized environment at first sign-in. No more starting from scratch.

This enhancement to Windows Backup for Organizations is scheduled for general availability in early 2026, but a private preview is currently available for those interested. If you are among those customers, check out the associated form here.