The latest feature update for Windows 11, version 26H2, is now available. While users on the previous 25H2 release will notice little change — 26H2 shares the same code base, delivered via an enablement package, and the same set of known issues (all now listed as 'mitigated') — administrators face important alterations. Chief among them is the default enablement of Windows backup and restore (formerly Windows Backup for Organizations).
The service backs up a device's settings and a list of Microsoft Store apps, with the goal of allowing seamless restoration when a user moves to a new device. Microsoft has described the objective as helping 'organizations to transition to a cloud-first approach for managing devices and user settings.' However, many organizations are prohibited from sending this data to the cloud due to internal policies or regulatory requirements. The default-on setting will not apply in regions covered by the EU Digital Markets Act or in sovereign and restricted environments, but for other eligible devices — those that are Entra joined or Entra Hybrid joined — the backup will begin upon installing the update unless an administrator has explicitly opted out.
Administrators are rightfully wary of any switch from opt-in to opt-out, even for seemingly useful functionality. The issue is that backing up settings and app lists does not include actual user data files; that remains a separate task. Nonetheless, the automatic start of cloud backups may conflict with data governance policies, forcing IT departments to take proactive steps to disable the feature.