Microsoft has quietly tweaked Windows Backup for Organizations to include restore at first sign-in.
The feature, which is currently in private preview, adds another option for administrators refreshing user devices. The out-of-box experience (OOBE) restore option appears before the desktop loads. The new option happens during the first sign-in – handy if something went wrong during the OOBE setup, or if a user opted out and then thought better of it.
Windows Backup for Organizations was rolled out in 2025. Despite the name, it is not a comprehensive disaster recovery option; it backs up a list of Microsoft Store apps, along with a user's Windows settings and Start Menu pins.
Signing in during the OOBE presents users with options to restore their device. The update means users have what Microsoft calls a "second chance" to restore their environment if they missed the first opportunity during the OOBE.
However, Microsoft also noted: "If users deliberately choose to skip the restore opportunity during OOBE, their preference will be respected."
The update extends Windows Backup for Organizations to include Windows 365 Cloud PC. It also includes Entra hybrid joined and multi-user setups.
It's a useful feature for admins who need to refresh user hardware, and it adds a bit of extra resilience when a problem occurs during OOBE. Users have a second chance to retrieve their settings, avoiding the need to call IT for help.
It is also important to note that the backup mentioned is still only the configuration of an eligible device. Anything outside of that (for example, user documents stored on a local disk) is not part of the backup or restore process. The backup scheduled task remains unchanged, running once every eight days (or when a manual backup is initiated).
The goal remains to get a user (signing in with a Microsoft Entra ID) up and running on a new device as quickly as possible, for example, during a migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Unsurprisingly, there remains no way to restore on a Windows 10 device using Windows Backup for Organizations. ®
Source: The register