HOW TO CREATE, ATTACH AND INITIALIZE A DATA DISK TO AN EXISTING WINDOWS 11 VIRTUAL MACHINE ON AZURE
Published: 2024-04-18 17:11:06

Sign in into your Azure Portal then click on "Virtual Machine" 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/v7y49r6up5q6u5mfzoal.png)

To start this project you must have an existing Virtual machine. If you need help creating a Windows 11 VM using Azure [Click Here](https://dev.to/hafizdere/how-create-and-connect-a-windows-11-pro-azure-virtual-machine-e3a) for an in-depth  tutorial on how to create one. 
Now that you have a VM , click on the VM which you want to create a data disk for.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/pt8cz3ze1z1hbf0shv91.png)

On the next side tab , scroll up to settings and click on Disks. Now click on Create and Attach a new Disk 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jhpq4s8n5g9cehg4aw1u.png)

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/aytjqidxyt85x92hnpxn.png)

Follow the next prompt to input your preferred Data disk name, Storage type, Storage Size and other relevant entities as required by you. 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5hoe96fx2y43uu6bqi35.png)

Click on Apply

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/d6io0uxljcjf9b104v8j.png)

Now wait until you get a confirmation that your data disk has been successfully created attached to your VM and listed under the data disk panel.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/38relizjkgjbv7z1wjz4.png)

To confirm if this data disk is in fact created, attached and working with the VM . Look for and click on connect on the left menu . Then go ahead and download RDP file 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/om3mtb9fd1ei89s8vfw7.png)

Double click to open the downloaded file, input your user account information (Username and Password), then click continue twice until your windows VM pops up.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/b2k7nmtb5yrjqwf0ltep.png)

Having created and attached the data disk , it’s important to know that this disk is not yet allocated until it is being fully initialized onto This PC. 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ic21lvu65f9n3s1k93ne.png)

To initialize the date disk for full use. Click on the windows icon on your VM, then type Disk management into the search bar at the top . Then click on “Create and format hard disk partitions”

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5bw81pmm2rot3m7jblhl.png)

Click Okay on the next pop up menu and then click on the unallocated disk2 to select it . Now right click on the unallocated disk and select New Simple Volume. 


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0g7yryrxy75d5nu6e0at.png)

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/c5nmbjow0bdv9fgeavrq.png)

Click continue on the wizard until you get to finish , click finish to complete the initialization of your data disk . Close the disk management tab, open windows explorer, then "This PC" . There you will find your new data disk labelled as "New Volume (:F)". 


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/x47gicqrrg7bleb96yys.png)

Congratulations , you have successfully created , attached and initialized a new data disk to an existing Windows 11 Virtual Machine.