How to Create and encrypt a Windows virtual machine?

This tutorial will help you to gain insights to How to Create and encrypt a Windows virtual machine. Azure virtual machines (VMs) can be created through the Azure portal. The Azure portal is a browser-based user interface to create VMs and their associated resources. In this quickstart, you will use the Azure portal to deploy a Windows virtual machine, create a key vault for the storage of encryption keys, and encrypt the VM.

First of all, Sign in to the Azure Portal

Creating a virtual machine

• Firstly, Choose Create a resource in the upper left corner of the Azure portal.
• Furthermore, In the New page, under Popular, select Windows Server 2016 Datacenter.
• In the Basics tab, under Project details, make sure the correct subscription is selected and then choose to Create new resource group. Enter myResourceGroup as the name.
• Subsequently, For Virtual machine name, enter MyVM.
• For Region, select the same region you used when making your key vault above (e.g., East US).
• Also, Make sure the Size is Standard D2s v3.
• Under Administrator account, select Password. Enter a user name and a password.

Select the “Management” tab and verify that you have a Diagnostics Storage Account. If you have no storage accounts, select “Create New”, give your new account a name, and select “Ok”

• Click “Review + Create”.
• On the Create a virtual machine page, you can see the details about the VM you are about to create. When you are ready, select Create.

It will take a few minutes for your VM to be deployed. When the deployment is finished, move on to the next section.

Learn to Encrypt the virtual machine

• Firstly, When the VM deployment is complete, select Go to resource.
• On the left-hand sidebar, select Disks.
• Subsequently, On the Disks screen, select Encryption.

• On the encryption screen, under Disks to encrypt, choose OS and data disks.
• Under Encryption settings, choose Select a key vault and key for encryption.
• On the Select key from Azure Key Vault screen, select Create New.

• On the Create key vault screen, ensure that the Resource Group is the same as the one you used to create the VM.
• Give your key vault a name. Every key vault across Azure must have an unique name.
• On the Access Policies tab, check the Azure Disk Encryption for volume encryption box.

• On the Create key vault screen, ensure that the Resource Group is the same as the one you used to create the VM.
• Furthermore, Give your key vault a name. Every key vault across Azure must have an unique name.
• Finally, On the Access Policies tab, check the Azure Disk Encryption for volume encryption box.

Go back to home page

Reference documentation – Quickstart: Create and encrypt a Windows virtual machine with the Azure portal