Microsoft turns Windows settings backup on by default in 26H2

Windows 11 26H2 is out, and Microsoft has turned Windows settings backup on by default. The service used to be off by default, and enabling it took a decision by the user or their organization; now, unless an administrator switches it off by hand, backups will begin on their own. The Register reported the change on 1 October.

The annual update is not a feature-heavy release. According to The Register, users running an up-to-date 25H2 will barely notice a difference, because 26H2 shares the same code base and arrives as an enablement package. The known issues list is unchanged too, though all of the items are now mitigated. For administrators, the headline changes are the reset of the end-of-support clock and the switches Microsoft has flipped behind the scenes, most notably enabling Windows backup and restore.

What the backup service does

The service, formerly known as Windows Backup for Organizations, saves a device's settings and the list of installed Microsoft Store apps to the cloud, so a restore can run during setup when a user moves to a new device. Microsoft has also described an objective of letting organizations "transition to a cloud-first approach for managing devices and user settings."

On 26H2, the feature is enabled by default on eligible devices, meaning those that are Entra joined or Entra Hybrid joined. Unless an administrator has explicitly said no to the functionality, installing the update flips the switch and backups begin.

Where the default does not apply

Many organizations are prohibited from sending such data to the cloud, so the default-on setting does not apply in privacy-sensitive regions, such as those covered by the EU's Digital Markets Act, or in sovereign and restricted environments.

Why administrators are wary

For everyone else, the sticking point is the shift from opt-in to opt-out. The backup covers a device's settings and a list of apps, not user files, but turning a long-standing choice into a default is the kind of change IT teams tend to scrutinize, all the more so in a release that is otherwise short on headline features.