The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview includes a new Backup App that functions in a similar fashion to Time Machine in macOS.
The backup app will allow for more regular backups of most apps, settings, and data in Windows 11. This will allow for easier restore abilities, as well as the ability to transfer data to a new PC, NotebookCheck noted.
Notably, Time Machine works by allowing you to frequently back up data in macOS. If an issue arises with your Mac system, you can select a date of one of your most recent backups, before the issue occurred, and restore the system to that date to see if the issue will resolve. Time Machine has been a staple on macOS since 2007.
Microsoft recently announced its new Backup App as part of its Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23466 release, which is now available for download from the Dev Channel.
The system features that will generally be backed up include stock applications, documents, photos, files, passwords, and basic settings, in addition to Start Menu and Taskbar configurations. In terms of modification, the system does allow you to determine which files and settings you wish not to include in your backup. Applications downloaded from the Microsoft Store aren’t eligible for automatic backup and reinstallation.
You can initiate a backup by visiting the new Windows Backup app or through the Accounts/Windows Backup section in the Settings. This is where you can test the functionalities that are similar to Time Machine, restoring your system to an “out-of-box- experience (OOBE) when setting up a new PC or by resetting an existing PC with this build,” Microsoft said.
You should also keep in mind that the feature works primarily with cloud storage backups, for which Microsoft offers 5GB of free OneDrive storage. To get more storage you’d have to either pay for more OneDrive storage or for another Microsoft service that offers a higher tier of storage as a perk.
With the Backup App being showcased to Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel, there is no guarantee that the feature will make it to a final build of Windows 11. Still, it is interesting to get a first look at some of Microsoft’s ideas.
Related Posts
New study shows AI isn’t ready for office work
A reality check for the "replacement" theory
Google Research suggests AI models like DeepSeek exhibit collective intelligence patterns
The paper, published on arXiv with the evocative title Reasoning Models Generate Societies of Thought, posits that these models don't merely compute; they implicitly simulate a "multi-agent" interaction. Imagine a boardroom full of experts tossing ideas around, challenging each other's assumptions, and looking at a problem from different angles before finally agreeing on the best answer. That is essentially what is happening inside the code. The researchers found that these models exhibit "perspective diversity," meaning they generate conflicting viewpoints and work to resolve them internally, much like a team of colleagues debating a strategy to find the best path forward.
Microsoft tells you to uninstall the latest Windows 11 update
https://twitter.com/hapico0109/status/2013480169840001437?s=20