What and why
If your IT department relies on Enterprise State Roaming (ESR) to synchronize user settings, its management has moved. Previously, IT admins were able to access it from the Microsoft Entra portal. Starting July 1, 2026, please access the new default experience through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
Windows Backup for Organizations is the enterprise‑grade solution for backing up and restoring Windows user settings and Microsoft Store app list. It’s designed to support device refresh, replacement, and feature updates (for example, moving to the latest version of Windows 11). ESR settings remain the same in scope. The only change is in how you manage these settings.
Rollout schedule
- July 1, 2026: ESR management finished transitioning to Windows Backup for Organizations. This is now the only management option.
- May-June 2026: During this transition, you could manage ESR settings through both the Microsoft Entra portal and Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
Impact on your organization
If you currently rely on ESR to synchronize user settings, start managing ESR settings through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
Windows Backup for Organizations supports a broader set of Windows settings and is optimized for backup and restore scenarios. These scenarios include device replacement, reimaging, and OS feature updates. Users can pick up where they left off on a new or refreshed device, and you get clearer policy control and visibility.
Action required/recommendations
No action is required if your organization doesn’t use ESR or doesn’t require backup and restore of user settings and Microsoft Store app list.
- To continue syncing users’ settings, configure the Windows Backup for Organizations backup policy in Microsoft Intune or another mobile device management (MDM) provider.
- If you take no action, Windows will honor both ESR and Group Policy (GPO) or MDM roaming controls for one year (prioritizing GPO/MDM). After that, ESR will no longer work, and you’ll have to manage roaming through Windows Backup for Organizations policies.
For more details, review the Windows Backup for Organizations official documentation to understand supported settings, storage behavior, and restore experiences. Additionally, see:
- Differences between Enterprise State Roaming and Windows Backup for Organizations
- How to configure backup and restore policies in Microsoft Intune
Compliance considerations
No compliance considerations are identified. Review as appropriate for your organization.