The latest update of Windows 10 and 11 angered many users because of the appearance of Windows Backup. Indeed, the application does not work on several PCs and, icing on the cake, it is impossible to uninstall it. Microsoft explained the reasons for this incompatibility and announced a solution to make the utility disappear – without deleting it.
The latest Windows 11 update brought numerous features which, for many, complement the OS’s applications and make it even more versatile. But some of these new features are not to everyone’s taste. The one that has been making a lot of noise for several days is undoubtedly Windows Backup, a bloatware that is giving network administrators a lot of trouble. However, originally, the latter is intended to be rather practical – even essential – for those who wish to protect their data.
As the name suggests, Windows Backup is a data backup and restoration tool. If there is a problem with your PC, simply select the latest backup to find it in the exact state it was created. However, the utility suffers from two major flaws. As mentioned above, this is bloatware which, by definition, is imposed on users without the possibility of uninstalling it. Which makes its second flaw even more annoying: it simply doesn’t work on many PCs.
On the same topic — Windows 11: here is the complete list of unwanted software that you can now uninstall
Microsoft will make Windows Backup less annoying
In a blog post, Microsoft finally addressed the problem by explaining the reasons for the incompatibility of its software with certain PCs. So, since Windows Backup saves your data in the cloud, you necessarily need an active Microsoft account to operate it. If the PC used only has an Azure Active Directory (AAD) or Active Directory (AD) account, it will not be able to open Windows Backup and will instead display the error message “This feature is not supported by your organization.” The same goes for Microsoft accounts blocked by businesses.
The Redmond firm also promises a solution to get around the problem, without really solving it. “Since Windows Backup is a system component, it cannot be deleted,” explains the latter. On the other hand, for all ADD and AD users, a future update will be deployed to remove Windows Backup from the operating system application lists. Better than nothing ?
Source: Microsoft