How to create a Windows 11 virtual machine in Azure

To create a virtual machine, you first have to create a resource group. A resource group is a container that holds related resources for an Azure solution. Here are the steps in creating a resource group.

1. Sign in to your Microsoft Azure account

2. From the home page, type 'resource groups' into the search bar

3. Click on resource groups from the drop down options

4. Create resource group by clicking on '+ create' on the top left

5. Choose a resource group name and type it into the resource group tab

6. Choose a region from the drop down options in resource details region

7. Click 'Next: Tags>' on the bottom right

8. Click 'create' on the bottom left.

   Now that the resource group is created, let's go ahead and create the virtual machine. In this case, a Windows 11 virtual machine.

   1. Type virtual machine in the search bar from the home page and click 'virtual machines' in the drop down

      

   2. Click Azure virtual machine: create a virtual machine hosted by Azure. Then click 'create' on the bottom.

      

   3. Resource group: Click drop down arrow and select resource group name previously created

      

   4. Virtual machine name - choose a name for your virtual machine

      

   5. Scroll up and select region (doesn't have to be the same as a resource group).

      

   6. Availability option - choose 'no infrastructure redundancy required'.

      

   7. Security type - choose 'Trusted launch virtual machines'

      

   8. Image - this is the underlying infrastructure that is the OS. Your interface depends on the OS chosen. Click the drop down menu and select Windows 11 pro, version 22H2 - x64 Gen2. Scroll down to size and select 'B1s and select on the bottom left.

      

   9. Administrator account - choose name, password and confirm password.

      

   10. Select inbound ports - choose RDP (3389) and HTTP (80) for Windows and click 'Next: Disks>' on the bottom right.

       

   11. OS disk type - select standard SSD and click 'Next: Networking >' on bottom right

       

   12. Click 'Review + create' on bottom left

       

   13. Click 'Create'

       

   14. Deployment complete!

       

   15. Click on 'Go to resource' and click on 'connect' at the top of the page (slightly left).

       

   16. When that page opens, click on 'Download RDP file' at the bottom of the page. Once the file downloads, click on the downloaded file to open remote desktop connection page (for me, i had to download the remote desktop app as i am creating from a Macbook). Once download is complete, you should get an opened window asking you to enter your user account as below. Here, you will enter your virtual machine administrator account login details you created earlier and click continue.

       

   17. Click continue on the bottom right

       

   18. Welcome to Windows 11

       

HOW TO DISSOCIATE IP ADDRESS

1. Click on your IP address

   

2. Click on dissociate on the top

   

3. Click yes to confirm dissociation of IP address from virtual machines.

   

   As you already know, once you are done with your virtual machine it is good practice to clean up your environment by deleting the resource group earlier created. Please follow the steps below to DELETE RESOURCE GROUP.

   1. Type resource groups in the search tab and click resource groups in the drop down.

      

   2. Resource groups opens up, select the name of the resource group you created earlier

      

   3. Click delete resource group on the top of the page

      

   4. Scroll down and check the 'Apply force delete' box, enter resource group name in the tab below and click the red 'Delete' on the bottom left of the page. The delete will not change to red if the name of the resource group is not correct.

      

   5. Click on 'Delete'

      

      I hope this has been helpful in creating your Windows 11 virtual machine.