DEV-153 - Windows Backup and Restore for Organizations
Implementation Effort: Low – Configured via a tenant-wide enrollment toggle and a Windows Settings Catalog policy (WindowsBackupAndRestore CSP).
User Impact: Low – Improves user onboarding experience during PC refresh or device reset by automatically restoring user settings and Microsoft Store apps during OOBE.
Overview
Windows Backup for Organizations (Generally Available in Intune in November 2025 / February 2026) enables organizations to back up user Windows settings and Microsoft Store app lists to the cloud and seamlessly restore them onto a new or re-provisioned Microsoft Entra joined Windows 11 device.
The restore flow can be initiated:
- During the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) at the time of Windows Autopilot / Entra join enrollment, or
- At first sign-in when a user signs in with their Microsoft Entra ID account after the device finishes enrolling.
Because Windows Backup for Organizations restores user preferences and Store app pointers rather than a full disk image, it accelerates Zero Trust cloud-native device refreshes (moving off legacy domain-joined PCs or recovering from device replacements) without carrying over legacy OS drift or malware persistence.
Key Configuration Steps
- In the Microsoft Intune admin center, create a Windows Settings Catalog policy (
Devices > Configuration) and configure Windows Backup and Restore > Enable Windows Backup and Enable Windows Restore. - Navigate to Devices > Enrollment > Windows > Windows Backup and Restore to configure the tenant-wide OOBE restore experience.
- Assign the policy to target Microsoft Entra joined device or user groups.