Microsoft will turn on Windows settings backup by default for some enterprises

Microsoft plans to change the default behavior of its Windows settings backup feature for certain enterprise devices. Starting with Windows 11 version 26H2, the company says the backup policy will be enabled automatically on eligible Microsoft Entra-joined and Microsoft Entra hybrid-joined systems, unless administrators have already set a different policy.

The feature, previously known as Windows Backup for Organizations, is designed to save and restore user settings after a device is reset, replaced, upgraded, or reimaged. Microsoft first introduced it at Ignite in November 2024 as an opt-in capability, then moved it through public preview in May 2025 and general availability in August 2025. It also became available to Entra-joined devices after the September 2025 Windows Monthly Cumulative Update, provided administrators manually turned it on through policy.

What will change in Windows 11 26H2

According to Microsoft, the new default-on behavior will apply only when an organization has not explicitly configured the policy. Companies that want the feature disabled can still do so through Microsoft Intune or Group Policy, and those settings will override the default. The company also said the change will not affect all environments, including devices in regions covered by the EU Digital Markets Act, sovereign cloud deployments, and restricted cloud environments.

Microsoft emphasized that restore capabilities will remain separate from backup. In other words, even if the backup policy is switched on by default, restoring a device will still require explicit administrator configuration.

When admins can test it

Microsoft product manager Miranda Leschke said organizations can try the experience early through the Windows Insider Program Experimental channel beginning in July 2026. The default-on policy is expected to reach eligible devices more broadly when Windows 11 26H2 becomes generally available later in the year. Devices that start on Windows 11 26H1 are scheduled to receive the same default behavior with the next feature update.

The change is part of Microsoft’s broader push to make device recovery and reconfiguration easier for enterprise IT teams, while still leaving administrators in control of whether the feature is used.