This article is for people with visual or cognitive impairments who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.
Use a screen reader to back up and restore data on Windows 11. We have tested it with Narrator, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to enable Windows backup of apps and settings, as well as restore backups created with the File History and Backup and Restore apps.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
In this topic
Turn on Windows backup
When Windows backup is turned on, Windows backs up the settings you choose across all your Windows 11 devices that you've signed in to with your Microsoft account. To turn Windows backup on:
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Press the Windows logo key to open the Start menu, and then press the Tab key once to move the focus to the Pinned section. Press the Right arrow key until you hear "Settings," and then press Enter. The Settings window opens, with the focus on the Find a setting search box.
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Press the Tab key once to move the focus to the list of settings categories, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Accounts," and then press Spacebar to expand the category.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Your info," then press the Down arrow key until you hear "Windows backup," and then press Enter.
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Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab to navigate between the Windows backup settings, and then press Spacebar to toggle a setting on or off. The following items can be backed up:
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OneDrive folder syncing: Turn on OneDrive folder syncing to start backing up your files and folders right from Settings. This setting is not available for work or school accounts.
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Remember my apps: Windows will remember the apps you have installed and help you restore them from Microsoft Store on your new devices. This setting is not available for work or school accounts, and Windows does not remember your apps for work or school accounts.
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Remember my preferences: You can back up preferences including accessibility passwords, language, and other Windows settings. If you turn on Other Windows settings, Windows also syncs some device settings (for things like printers and mouse options), File Explorer settings, and notification preferences.
Note: The Remember my preferences settings are available for a work or school account if it’s allowed by your organization. For more info about how Azure Active Directory and Enterprise State Roaming work to synchronize user and app settings to the cloud, refer to Enterprise State Roaming overview.
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Stop backing up settings
To stop backing up your settings and remove them from the cloud, turn off Windows backup settings on all the devices connected to your Microsoft account, using the steps shown in Turn on Windows backup. After this is done, you'll need to remove the backed up settings from your account. Here's how:
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Open a web browser and go to account.microsoft.com/devices. You might be asked to sign in with your Microsoft account.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Clear stored settings," and then press Enter.
Restore backups created with File History
In Windows 11, you can restore files from a backup created with File History.
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Connect the external storage device that contains your backup files.
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Press the Windows logo key to open the Start menu. You hear: "Search box." Type "Control panel," and then press Enter. Control Panel opens, with the focus in the Search Control Panel field.
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In the search box, type "File History," then press the Tab key until you hear "Save backup copies of your files with File History," and then press Enter.
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Follow the instructions to restore your files.
Restore backups created with Backup and Restore
In Windows 11, you can restore files from a backup created with Backup and Restore.
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Connect the external storage device that contains your backup files.
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Press the Windows logo key to open the Start menu. You hear: "Search box." Type "Control panel," and then press Enter. Control Panel opens, with the focus in the Search Control Panel field.
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In the search box, type "Backup and Restore," press the Tab key until you hear "Backup and Restore, Control Panel," and then press Enter.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Select another backup to restore files from," select the location of your external storage device, and follow the instructions to restore your files.
See also
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate the Start menu in Windows
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
