Microsoft has enabled Windows backup by default: what will change for businesses outside the EU

Microsoft is changing the approach to backup in Windows 11, making it the default for corporate devices. This innovation will affect users outside the European Union, including in Russia, and will require attention from IT administrators.

Microsoft has taken an important step in managing corporate devices by changing the approach to backup in Windows 11, writes xrust. Beginning with version 26H2, Settings Backup, formerly known as Windows Backup for Organizations, will be enabled by default for business devices. This decision, which will come into force for users outside the European Union, including in Russia, is causing mixed reactions in the IT community.

What exactly will be enabled by default?

This is not about a full backup of all files, but about synchronizing user settings and the list of installed applications from the Microsoft Store. The new feature, renamed “Windows settings backup and restore,” automatically saves data such as desktop settings, accessibility settings, language preferences and some app configurations to the Microsoft cloud. Microsoft explained on the official blog that this feature is designed to help in critical situations: “Think of a lost laptop, a hardware update, or an unexpected reset. These are the times when users need a backup. And hardly anyone wants to discover that it was never turned on.”

Why is the EU excluded?

The key detail that has caught the world's attention is the geographic separation. Automatically enabling backup will not affect the countries of the European Union . The reason for this was the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which limits the practices of large technology companies and requires stricter control over automatically enabled features. Thus, for companies in the EU the function will remain optional, while businesses in Russia, the USA and other countries will have to explicitly refuse it if it is not needed.

How will this affect IT administrators and businesses?

Although Microsoft claims that the purpose of the innovation is to simplify administration and speed up the transition to Windows 11, many experts have expressed concern. The opt-out model means that system administrators must now actively disable a feature if it does not comply with company policy.

For Russian business, this may mean additional risks associated with:

• class=»notranslate»>__GTAG5__ Data confidentiality: Automatic sending of settings to cloud services may conflict with internal security policies or legal requirements.
• Controlled by: IT departments will need to check whether this feature is enabled and decide whether to disable it through group policies or Microsoft Intune.
• Informing employees: It is important to explain to users that their settings can now be synchronized if company policy allows it.

“Enabling it by default means administrators will have to spend time reviewing and possibly disabling the feature instead of focusing on more important tasks,” notes The Register's analysis.

Technical details and how to disable

Automatic inclusion will work if the following conditions are met:

• The device must be running Windows 11 version 26H2.
• The computer must be joined to Microsoft Entra ID (hybrid or full join).
• The backup policy has not been explicitly configured by the administrator (it is in the “Not Configured” state).

It is important to note that enabling backup occurs only for corporate devices. Home PCs and personal computers are not affected by this change. The recovery procedure itself still requires explicit configuration by the administrator and is not enabled by default.

If your company doesn't want to use this feature, Microsoft leaves an option to disable it. Administrators can do this using:

• Microsoft Intune: Manage policies devices.
• Group policies (GPO): Configuring settings in the domain.

The company emphasizes that explicitly disabling or enabling a policy always takes precedence over the default settings.

When should we expect changes?

The innovation is already available for testing since July 2026 for Windows Insider program participants in the experimental channel. Widespread adoption is planned for the general availability of Windows 11 version 26H2, which is expected in the second half of 2026.

Thus, Russian IT professionals and businesses have time to prepare and make an informed decision: leave the function enabled to simplify device management or disable it in favor of strict control over data.

On the news https://tech.slashdot.org

Xrust Microsoft has enabled Windows backup by default: what will change for business outside EU