New Windows 11 Backup Is Lipstick on a Sync

• The latest “backup” application in preview on Windows 11 just puts lipstick on sync for consumer use only.
• It lacks support for enterprise accounts and management and, therefore, will have limited use in organizations, even for unmanaged PCs.

With attacks targeting vulnerabilities in software, including the Windows client OS, increasing in frequency and the harm they inflict, having a restorable backup is a key defense. A new Backup application for Windows 11 claims to back up “many of the things that are most important to you” to the Microsoft cloud, but it is primarily a new interface on OneDrive sync for consumer accounts, not a utility for point-in-time backup and restore like macOS Time Machine, or an enterprise backup solution like System Center Data Protection Manager. Therefore, this in-the-box app will be of little interest to organizations that should look for third-party solutions or the Azure Backup service for more comprehensive endpoint backup.