TenuVaultDesktopComparison
Settings catalog export or an Intune backup
The Intune admin center can export a Windows settings catalog policy to a JSON file, and import that file to create a new policy. It is free, built in and a good habit before a risky edit. It covers one policy at a time, only that policy type, and only when someone remembers. This page compares it with a backup.
At a glance
- Microsoft documents exporting a Windows settings catalog policy to a .json file and importing the file to create a new policy.
- The export works one policy at a time and covers settings catalog policies only.
- Importing always creates a new policy with a new ID; it does not update the original.
- Microsoft's page does not say whether assignments are part of the export, so do not rely on it for targeting.
- TenuVault backs up 40 Intune object types in nine areas, with their assignments where Intune has them, on a schedule.
Side by side
| Question | Settings catalog export | TenuVault backup |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Community is free for one tenant |
| Policy types | Windows settings catalog policies | 40 Intune object types in nine areas, with their assignments where Intune has them |
| How many at once | One policy per export | Every selected type in one backup |
| When it runs | When someone exports | On a schedule, and whenever you start one |
| Assignments | Not documented | Saved; restored on Pro and MSP |
| Restore | Import creates a new policy | A new copy on every plan; in place under the original name on Pro and MSP |
| Where the file is | Wherever you save it, unencrypted | Encrypted on the computer or in your own Azure storage |
When the export is the right tool
The export is quick and needs nothing extra, which makes it the right tool for a few jobs:
- Saving one Windows settings catalog policy before a risky edit, so you can import the old version if the edit goes wrong.
- Sharing a policy with a colleague, or keeping a reference copy in a change ticket.
- Moving one settings catalog policy into another tenant, where an import as a new policy is what you want.
Where it stops
These limits follow from what the export is: a manual copy of one policy.
- Compliance policies, app protection policies, enrollment configurations, scripts, apps and many other types are not settings catalog policies, so the export does not cover them.
- A policy deleted or changed without warning has no export, because nobody knew to make one.
- An import creates another policy next to the original, so you then delete or rename one and set assignments again.
- Exported files are plain JSON wherever you saved them, with no history unless you keep one.
When you do not need TenuVault
The export is enough when:
- Almost all of your configuration is Windows settings catalog policies.
- Changes are planned, and you export before each one.
- You keep the exports with their assignments recorded, and have practiced an import.
When TenuVault saves you time
A backup is worth it when:
- You use many policy types besides the settings catalog.
- Changes happen that nobody planned, by other admins or scripts.
- A deleted policy should come back under its original name with its assignments, not as a new unassigned policy.
Read the technical guides
Product scope reviewed . Check your installed release and the current plan table before using a workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export Intune policies to JSON without a tool?+
Yes, for Windows settings catalog policies: open the policy in the Intune admin center and export it to a .json file. Other policy types are not covered by that export.
Does importing a settings catalog JSON restore the original policy?+
No. Importing creates a new policy with a new ID. The original stays as it is, or stays deleted, and you set assignments on the new policy.
Does the settings catalog export include assignments?+
Microsoft's documentation does not say. Record a policy's groups, exclusions and filters separately if you rely on the export for recovery.