- Microsoft launches Windows Backup for Organizations as Windows 10 nears end of life
- It will backup from Windows 10 (and 11), but it will only restore to Windows 11
- The tool saves Windows settings, preferences and installed applications
Microsoft has revealed that its enterprise cloud backup tool is now generally available to all business customers who need help migrating after launching in public preview earlier this year.
First introduced at Microsoft Ignite 2024 and entering public preview in May 2025, businesses can now use Windows Backup for Organizations to simplify backups and ease transitions to new devices.
The Membership feature (disabled by default) becomes available to users after installing the September 2025 Windows Monthly Cumulative Update on Microsoft Entra-joined devices.
Windows Backup for Organizations is now GA
The feature works by backing up Windows settings and preferences. It also generates a list of installed apps in the Microsoft Store, so when data is restored to a new device, the backups are transferred.
Most importantly, Windows Backup for Organizations arrived at the very last minute during the massive Windows 10 end-of-life upgrades, just days before the operating system lost support and customers had the option of paying for ESUs or updating to Windows 11.
Microsoft explained that encrypted backups are stored in the Exchange Online cloud, in the country or region selected by the tenant.
Another important note: although backups can be performed on Windows 10 22H2 devices (as well as Windows 11 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2), they can only be installed on the latest three versions of Windows 11 – a clear desire to encourage users to abandon Windows 10.
Other than restoring settings saved during backup, the rest of the out-of-box (OOBE) experience is the same.
These systems are part of a broader trend that Microsoft is trying to ensure businesses stay connected at all times. In addition to facilitating backups, a tool launched this summer also allows employees to access 10 days of Cloud PC access via Windows 365 Reserve.
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