Microsoft is flipping the switch. The Windows settings backup and restore tool will be enabled by default on Microsoft Entra-joined and hybrid-joined enterprise systems starting with Windows 11 version 26H2.
The tool — previously called Windows Backup for Organizations — helps restore user settings after a device reset, replacement, upgrade, or reimage. It was announced at Microsoft Ignite in November 2024 as an opt-in feature, hit public preview in May 2025, and went generally available in August 2025.
Right now, IT admins have to manually enable it through backup and restore policy settings. That changes with 26H2. From that update onward, eligible devices that don’t have the policy explicitly set will get backup enabled out of the box.
There are exceptions. The default-on behavior won’t apply to devices in countries regulated by the EU Digital Markets Act, sovereign or restricted cloud environments, or any device where an admin has already set the policy. Explicit enablement or disablement always wins.
IT admins still keep full control through MDM solutions like Microsoft Intune or Group Policy. Those explicit settings take precedence over the default. And the restore side? That’s not being enabled by default — users still need admin configuration to restore a device.
The change goes into broad effect when Windows 11 26H2 reaches general availability later this year. Devices on 26H1 will get the same treatment with the following feature update. IT pros can test it now through the Windows Insider Program Experimental channel.
