Category: Tech Tip | Published: 2026-07-28
At some point in the last year or so, Microsoft quietly started enabling Windows Backup automatically on many Windows 11 devices. If you have not checked your settings recently, there is a reasonable chance it is already switched on without you having made a conscious decision about it.
That is not necessarily a bad thing. But it is worth knowing exactly what Windows Backup is doing, what it is not doing, and how to make sure it is configured in a way you are actually happy with.
What Windows Backup Is
Windows Backup, which Microsoft now refers to as Windows settings backup and restore, saves two things to your Microsoft account: your Windows settings and preferences, and a list of the apps you have installed from the Microsoft Store.
The point of this is to make it easier to get back up and running quickly if you ever replace your PC, reset Windows, or move to a new device. Rather than spending an afternoon reconfiguring everything from scratch, Windows can pull your saved settings back down from your Microsoft account and restore things closer to how they were.
In practice, that means things like your personalisation choices, accessibility settings, language preferences, and other system-level configuration are saved and can be restored. Your Microsoft Store app list can also be used to reinstall those apps automatically on a new device.
It is a genuinely useful feature for the situation it is designed for.
What Windows Backup Is Not
This is the part that causes confusion, and it is worth being direct about it.
Windows Backup does not save your files. It does not back up your documents, photos, music, videos, or anything stored in your Downloads folder. It does not create a copy of your desktop files. It does not back up your emails, your browser bookmarks if you use a non-Microsoft browser, or the data from applications that are not Microsoft Store apps.
It also does not create a full system image. If your hard drive fails tomorrow and you restore from Windows Backup alone, you will get your settings and your Microsoft Store app list back. You will not get your files.
This distinction matters because the word "backup" implies to most people that their data is safe. In the case of Windows Backup, your settings are safe. Your data is a separate question entirely.
If you want your files backed up, you need something in addition to Windows Backup: either OneDrive with folder backup enabled, a third-party cloud backup service, regular copies to an external drive, or ideally a combination of these.
How to Check What Windows Backup Is Currently Doing
Checking your Windows Backup settings takes less than a minute. Here is how to find it on Windows 11.
Open the Start menu and go to Settings. Select Accounts from the left-hand menu. Then choose Windows backup from the list of options.
You will see a set of toggles showing what is currently being backed up. These typically include remembered apps, preferences such as accessibility settings and personalised dictionaries, and other settings categories. Each one can be switched on or off independently.
You can also open the Windows Backup app directly by searching for it in the Start menu. This gives you a slightly more detailed view of your current backup status and lets you trigger a manual backup if you want to make sure everything is saved right now rather than waiting for the next automatic sync.
Have a look at what is switched on and decide whether you want it that way. For most personal users, leaving Windows Backup enabled is a sensible choice since it adds a useful safety net with no meaningful downside. The data it saves goes to your Microsoft account, so if you are already using a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows, this is simply extending what that account already stores.
A Note for Work PCs
If the Windows 11 device you are using belongs to your employer or is managed by your organisation's IT team, these settings may be locked or controlled centrally. You might find the options are greyed out or that Windows Backup is either enforced or disabled depending on your organisation's policy.
If you are not sure whether your work PC has Windows Backup configured, it is worth checking with your IT department or managed IT provider. Knowing what is and is not being backed up on your work machine is important, particularly if you are storing work files locally rather than on a shared drive or cloud storage.
Windows Backup and Your Broader Backup Strategy
The way to think about Windows Backup is as one layer of a proper backup setup, not as the whole thing.
A sensible approach to data protection generally works in layers. Cloud sync, like OneDrive or Google Drive, protects your files from device failure but not from accidental deletion or ransomware (because deletions often sync across too). A local backup to an external drive protects you from cloud issues but not from theft or fire. An offsite or second cloud backup covers the scenarios the others miss.
Windows Backup sits alongside all of this, handling the settings and configuration side of recovery. If you ever need to set up a new PC, it is the thing that makes Windows feel familiar quickly again. It is not a substitute for the file-level and system-level backup that protects your actual data.
If you are unsure whether your backup setup is covering you properly, particularly on business devices where data loss carries real consequences, that is a useful conversation to have with whoever manages your IT. The time to find out there is a gap in your backup coverage is before you need it, not after.
Our Services page covers the kind of managed IT support that includes making sure backup is set up correctly across your business, so nothing important gets left to chance.