What is Windows Backup for Organizations?

Microsoft wants organizations to migrate to Windows 11 before October 2025. And to help things along, they have released a new backup tool that aims to smoothly migrate user settings for devices not connected to a corporate intranet.

What is Windows Backup for Organizations (WBfO)?

Microsoft announced this week that they're launching the Windows Backup for Organizations tool in private preview. Windows Backup for Organizations is designed to do a specific job, i.e. backing up user settings on Windows 10 and migrating them to Windows 11. Both the source and target devices need to be Microsoft Entra joined.

There are lots of tools available for backing up and restoring user settings. Microsoft even has its own tool, the User State Migration Tool (USMT). But a lot of tools are designed for on-premises devices that are connected to Active Directory, or at least accessible directly. And since many of those backup tools were created, the world has moved to remote working or to hybrid work situations where the devices are not always connected directly to the corporate intranet.

- Petri