Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Windows 11 Virtual Machine in Azure Portal
Tags: azure, virtualmachine, windows11, cloud
Published: 2024-05-02 14:31:52

A Windows 11 virtual machine provides unparalleled flexibility and convenience, offering a safe environment to explore and experiment with the latest features of Windows 11 without altering your primary operating system or hardware. Whether you're a developer testing software compatibility, a student learning new technologies, or a casual user curious about Windows 11's capabilities, a virtual machine offers a risk-free platform to delve into the world of Microsoft's newest operating system. With the ability to easily create, manage, and discard virtual environments, you can freely customize settings, install applications, and troubleshoot issues without fear of irreversible changes. Embrace the power of virtualization and unlock the full potential of Windows 11 on your terms.

Let's dive in and unleash the potential of Windows 11 in the Azure cloud environment!

Please follow the steps below to create your windows 11 virtual machine.

<u>**SIGN IN TO AZURE PORTAL**</u>
To sign in to the Azure Portal:
Open your web browser and go to [portal.azure.com](https://portal.azure.com). Enter your Azure account email address or username. Click on the "Next" button. Enter your password associated with your Azure account and then click on the "Sign in" button.
If you have multi-factor authentication enabled, you may be prompted to provide additional verification, such as a code sent to your phone or email.
Once signed in successfully, you'll be redirected to the Azure Portal dashboard, where you can begin managing your Azure resources and deploying your Windows 11 virtual machine.

**CREATE YOUR VIRTUAL MACHINE**
i.) In the search bar, type "Virtual Machine"

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1w99bhrcuwadi7u487f9.png)

ii.) From the search results, select "Virtual Machine" from the list of resources shown
iii.) Click on the “Create” button
iv.) Select the virtual machine highlighted


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/z3sefdyl169x7ie1xxcu.png)

v.) You will be directed to the “Basic” page

**Configure Basic Settings**:
  - Select the subscription you want to use.
  - Choose or create a new resource group for your VM.
  - Enter a name for your virtual machine.
  - Choose a region where your VM will be deployed.
  - Select "Windows 11 Pro" as the image.

**Project Details:**
In the project details category, we have the subscription and resource group;

(i.) **Subscription**: An Azure subscription is a service provided by Microsoft that allows users to access and utilize Azure Cloud. In a simple term, your ownership of Azure resources like owning a plot of land.

(ii.) **Resource group**: A container for organizing and managing resources within your subscription, like organizing tools and materials for a construction project in one location.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/fg707upnw4d0am4wyfc1.png)


**Instance Details:**
(i) Enter a name for your virtual machine.
(ii) Choose a region where your VM will be deployed.
A region refers to a specific geographical location with data centers that host infrastructure and services. Each region operates independently and is designed to be self-contained, with its own set of resources and infrastructure.
(iii) Choose your availability Zone - Click on the drop-down to select your availability option and availability Zone.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3tr5oom0i8j7c6l7b8tm.png)

(iv) In the image section, select Windows11 Pro from the drop-down as the image.
 In the context of Azure and virtual machines, an “image” refers to a pre-configured template or snapshot of an operating system (OS) that includes the necessary files, settings, and software installations to deploy a virtual machine (VM) with specific characteristics.
 (v) Select the size of your virtual machine from the drop-down or click on "See all sizes". (Choose a VM size based on your requirements) Leave the other information in its default state.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/84hzvlxjdvyclwonqwec.png)


**Administrator Account**:
Under the Administrator account, give your account a username and password. Also, confirm the password to ensure they are the same. The password must be at least 12 characters long and meet the defined complexity requirements.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/20kqft7kaidpt6y1nqvp.png)

**Inbound Port Rules**:
Under Inbound port rules, choose Allow selected ports and then select **RDP (3389) and HTTP (80)** from the drop-down.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/41eq874izgl62fa9603v.png)


Click on "**Next: Disks**>" to direct you to the Disk page
**Disk**:
On the Disk page, click on the OS disk type, click dropdown and select Standard SSD or any disk type of your choice. Leave the other columns as default.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/vnzko4a4ens29h93yw45.png)

Leave the networking, management, monitoring and advanced pages as default and then Skip to the Tag page
**Tag**:
(i) Give your tag a name
(ii) Tags are a way to label and organize resources in cloud computing environments. The purpose of tags is to provide metadata or additional information that helps in managing, organizing, and tracking resources within a cloud infrastructure.
(iii) Next, click on Review + create
(iv) Review the summary of your virtual machine configuration and click on the "Create" button to begin the deployment process. Once validation is successful, click on the "Create" button to start provisioning your Windows 11 virtual machine.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/9yqo5vhpdg3njhclu45l.png)


(v) **Deployment in progress**

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rt5trot6tymmh71mk9pg.png)

(vi) Once the deployment is complete, click on "Go to resource".

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/kt2tg79xmmaio7v958wa.png)

**Connect to Your Windows 11 Virtual Machine**
Create a remote desktop connection to the virtual machine. Once the VM is provisioned, you can access it using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). The steps below tell you how to connect to your Windows 11 operating system.
(i) On the overview page of your virtual machine click "Con

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tyl1lj3eigy3oivfbuvk.png)

(ii) Download the RDP file

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/uzg6fwy3ukj8qfm06nju.png)

(iii) Open the downloaded RDP file and click "connect"

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/e572ilmrtyotg4wmfbx0.png)


(iv) Type in your username and password

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sp5mvm8jr5gvwxhobzai.png)

(v) Click yes to the prompt


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/893hdck3gp1vzs5j449u.png)




**Congratulations! You have now successfully created a Windows 11 virtual machine in Azure Portal.**


**Delete resources**
When no longer needed, you can delete the resource group, virtual machine, and all related resources. On the search bar, type in the Resource group.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xvo3l95fccs94wiy5ucy.png)




i) At the top of the page for the resource group, select Delete resource group.
ii) Select Delete resource.
iii) Type the name of the resource group at the right bottom, to confirm deletion.



![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sz3idsadqkrvaxog82f6.png)





![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1jvomg2k96m9zoae2r2p.png)