Microsoft is done being subtle – this new tool screams “upgrade now”
Windows Backup for Organizations is a new enterprise tool designed to simplify backups and make upgrading to Windows 11 a lot easier and safer – especially at scale.
Originally announced at Microsoft Ignite back in November 2024, the tool just entered limited public preview. It’s built to help businesses back up and restore Windows settings when devices are reset or reimaged – perfect for scenarios like rolling out new laptops or shifting entire teams to Windows 11 without having to start from scratch.
While individual users can usually upgrade with a few clicks – assuming their hardware qualifies – enterprises face a more complicated task. Upgrading hundreds or thousands of machines while keeping user settings intact isn’t exactly a walk in the park. This is where Windows Backup for Organizations comes in handy.
Here’s what it offers:
- Less troubleshooting: Resetting a device doesn’t mean starting over – users can get back to work with their old settings in place.
- Smoother transitions: Going from Windows 10 to Windows 11 feels more seamless when settings carry over automatically.
- More productivity: Less downtime means teams can stay focused instead of reconfiguring everything from scratch.
Whether you’re planning a large-scale upgrade or simply looking to enhance your organization’s device continuity strategy, this capability helps reduce migration overhead, minimize user disruption, and strengthen device resilience against incidents.
– Microsoft, May 2025
To use the tool, systems need to be Microsoft Entra joined (Windows 10 or 11). Also, organizations interested in trying it need to sign up for the public preview and have an active Microsoft Intune test tenant plus Intune service administrator permissions.
With the October end-of-support deadline looming, I think Microsoft clearly hopes this new tool helps ease the transition for businesses. But even with these improvements, it is unclear if that will be enough. As of April 2025, Windows 10 still holds a 52.9% share, while Windows 11 trails behind at 43.7%, even though the gap has been narrowing.
Stats show that over half of all Windows users are still sticking with Windows 10.
So, Microsoft has a big task ahead: it needs to upgrade about half of its users by October or get them to subscribe to its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program to keep receiving support.Windows Backup for Organizations might not be a silver bullet, but for businesses juggling dozens of upgrades, it could be just what they needed to finally pull the trigger on Windows 11.
