A Step‑by‑Step Guide to Creating a Windows Server 2025 Virtual Machine in Azure

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

If you’ve ever felt like the Azure Portal looks more like a cockpit than a website, you’re not alone. Deploying your first Windows Server 2025 VM is much easier than it looks.

“Windows Server 2025 isn’t just an incremental update; it’s a bridge between traditional on‑premises reliability and the hyper‑scalability of the modern cloud”.

Windows Server 2025 is the newest powerhouse in Microsoft’s lineup, featuring faster storage, tighter security, and a smoother hybrid‑cloud experience. You don’t need to be a veteran systems administrator to get it up and running.

This guide skips the jargon and focuses on the why and how. By the end, you’ll have a VM running in the cloud and understand the settings that got you there.

Let’s dive in and get your first cloud server live!

Steps

Step 1 – Open the Virtual Machines blade

Enter “virtual machine” in the search bar, then select Virtual machines from the services list to go to the compute dashboard.

Step 2 – Start the creation wizard

Click the Create button in the top‑left corner and choose Azure virtual machine from the dropdown menu. This opens the main configuration form.

Step 3 – Define basic resources

• Resource Group: Click Create new and name it (e.g., VmResGp). Think of this as a folder for all your project’s files.
• Virtual machine name: Give your server a unique name like MyAzureVM.
• Region: Select a location close to you (e.g., South Africa North) to reduce latency.

Step 4 – Choose the OS and size

• Image: Select Windows Server 2025 Datacenter: Azure Edition.
• Size: For a balance of performance and cost, choose a size like Standard_D2s_v3 or Standard_DS1_v2.

Step 5 – Set administrator credentials and inbound ports

• Administrator account: Create a username (e.g., AzureUser) and a strong password. Keep these safe—you’ll need them to log in later.
• Inbound port rules: Enable RDP (3389) and HTTP (80) so you can connect remotely.

Step 6 – Configure monitoring (optional)

Under the Monitoring tab, you can set Boot diagnostics to Disable for a simple lab setup to save on storage costs.

Step 7 – Add tags

Use the Tags tab to label your resources, e.g., Department: IT or Staff: YourName. This helps with cost tracking later.

Step 8 – Review and create

Click Review + create. Azure will run a validation check. Once you see the green “Validation passed” checkmark, click the blue Create button at the bottom.

Step 9 – Note the public IP

After deployment, note the primary NIC public IP address (e.g., 4.222.232.95).

Step 10 – Connect via RDP

• Click the Connect button at the top and select RDP.
• In the native RDP section, click Download RDP file.
• Open the downloaded file.

Step 11 – Log in

Enter the password you created in Step 5 for the user AzureUser. Accept the prompt to proceed.

Step 12 – Verify the OS version

Inside the VM, go to Settings > System > About. You’ll see the Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Azure Edition branding and version 24H2.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully deployed, configured, and logged into your own Windows Server 2025 instance.

Quick Cleanup Tip

• Stop the VM in the Azure Portal when you aren’t using it.
• Verify that the status shows Deallocated to ensure you aren’t being charged for compute resources.

You’re now officially a cloud practitioner. Keep exploring, stay curious, and enjoy the power of Windows Server 2025!