Windows 11 Preview Update Introduces Point‑in‑Time Restore Feature for PCs
What Happened — Microsoft released the optional KB5095093 preview cumulative update for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The update adds a native Point‑in‑Time restore capability that lets users roll back the operating system, applications, and files to a snapshot captured within the last 72 hours.
Why It Matters for Compliance & Audit Readiness
- Provides a built‑in, automated snapshot mechanism that can satisfy SOC 2 Security & Availability controls for backup, recovery, and system resilience (CC6.1, CC6.2).
- Generates continuous, verifiable logs of snapshot creation, retention, and restoration—useful evidence for control monitoring and audit trails.
- Reduces reliance on third‑party backup tools, simplifying the evidence‑collection process for continuous‑compliance programs.
Who Is Affected – Enterprises across all sectors that run Windows 11, especially organizations subject to SOC 2 audits (technology SaaS, financial services, healthcare, etc.).
Recommended Actions –
- Map the new restore‑point schedule to your SOC 2 backup/restore control matrix.
- Configure the enterprise‑level snapshot frequency and retention to meet your policy (e.g., every 4 hours, retain 72 hours).
- Capture VSS snapshot logs and retention settings as part of your continuous‑control evidence repository.
- Conduct quarterly restore tests to validate that the point‑in‑time feature meets your recovery time objectives.
Technical Notes – The feature leverages the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). Consumer builds create a snapshot every 24 hours; enterprise builds allow configurable intervals (4, 6, 12, 16, 24 hours). Snapshots are stored locally and automatically deleted after 72 hours or when storage limits are reached. This is an optional non‑security preview update, not part of the regular Patch Tuesday cycle.
Source: BleepingComputer – Windows 11 KB5095093 update rolls out new Point‑in‑Time restore feature