As part of my cloud computing class, we were tasked with creating and deploying a Windows 11 virtual machine (VM) using the Azure portal. This guide walks you through the steps I followed to get it done — no coding involved, just pure cloud interface configuration!
Step 1: Login to Azure Portal
I started by visiting the Azure Portal at https://portal.azure.com and logging in with my Microsoft account. This is where all Azure resources are created and managed.
Step 2: Search for “Virtual Machines”
On the Azure dashboard, I used the search bar at the top and typed “Virtual Machines.” I clicked on the Virtual Machines option that appeared in the search results.
Step 3: Create a New VM
I clicked the “+ Create” button and selected “Azure virtual machine”. This opened a setup wizard to configure the virtual machine.
📸 [Insert screenshot of the Create VM form]
Step 4: Configure the Basic Settings
Here's what I entered in the Basics tab:
- Subscription: "Subscription 1"
- Resource Group: "cloud101-rg"
-
Virtual Machine Name: I used
win11-vm -
Region: I picked a region closest to me, like
East US - Image: I selected Windows 11 Pro, version 22H2 - Gen2
-
Size: I went with a VM size that meets the minimum requirements for Windows 11 (e.g.,
Standard_D2s_v3) -
Administrator Account:
- Username: A name I could remember
- Password: A strong, secure password
⚠️ Note: Windows 11 requires TPM and Secure Boot — that’s why only Gen2 VM images are supported.
Step 5: Configure Networking
I left most settings on default, but made sure that:
- Public IP was enabled so I could RDP into the machine
- Port 3389 (for Remote Desktop) was open
Step 6: Review + Create
After going through all the required tabs (leaving the rest at default values), I clicked on “Review + Create”. Once Azure validated my settings, I clicked “Create.”
Azure began provisioning the VM. After a few minutes, the Windows 11 VM was ready to use.
Step 7: Connect to the Windows 11 VM
Once the deployment was complete, I:
- Navigated to the VM page
- Clicked on Connect > RDP
- Downloaded the RDP file
- Opened the file and logged in using the username and password I created earlier
📸
What I Learned
- How to select and configure a Windows 11 image in Azure
- The importance of Gen2 VM requirements (TPM, Secure Boot)
- How to expose the correct ports to connect to a VM securely
- How Azure handles provisioning, networking, and remote access
Summary of Key Steps
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Logged into Azure Portal |
| 2 | Searched for Virtual Machines |
| 3 | Clicked Create and chose Windows 11 |
| 4 | Configured basic settings |
| 5 | Enabled networking with RDP access |
| 6 | Reviewed and created the VM |
| 7 | Connected using Remote Desktop |
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