Whether you like it or not, the Windows Backup app installed on Windows 10 and Windows 11 isn’t going anywhere, with Microsoft referring to it as a “system component” that cannot be removed.
Users without the app installed will have started seeing it being installed from August 22, 2023, when it became a staple for all users, including those who can’t actually use it.
Because it requires a Microsoft account, Azure Active Directory (AAD) and (Active Directory) AD users can’t actually use the app to back up their data despite it being forced upon them.
Windows Backup is being automatically installed
Windows Backup promises to look after things like certain files and folders, as well as settings, credentials, and apps. All this information resides in the cloud, so a device can be easily restored with just an Internet connection.
While it may sound like a peculiar move on Microsoft’s part, many see it as nothing more than an opportunity for the company to shove another one of its products in consumers’ faces. Naturally, using Windows Backup will soon require users to expand their cloud storage, and pay Microsoft for the privilege.
Signing in with an iCloud account on Mac saves content like files and credentials, but users need a separate hard drive or NAS device to create full system backups, including apps.
Microsoft says that “because Windows Backup is a system component, it cannot be removed,” but that it will be issuing an update to prevent the app from appearing on certain user interfaces – specifically, Pro, Education, and Enterprise versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 that use AAD and AD.
For now, though, even incompatible devices are being plugged with the Windows Backup app.
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