How to fix My VM (Cannot access using RDP or anway)

Hello Nour,

Thank you for reporting the issue in Q/A. I understand that you’re facing trouble connecting to your VM. To help resolve this, please try the following steps:

First, try connecting to the Azure Serial Console from the Azure portal. This allows you to check if the VM itself is accessible even when RDP is not working.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/serial-console-overview

Make sure the Network Security Group (NSG) allows inbound traffic on port 3389 (RDP), and check that the Windows Firewall on the VM isn’t blocking RDP.

If RDP still does not work, use Azure Network Watcher – Connection Troubleshoot to test connectivity from another VM or network resource. This helps identify if traffic is being blocked.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/connection-troubleshoot-overview

Also, you can also check the Boot Diagnostics to see if the VM has started successfully.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/boot-diagnostics

You can reset the RDP configuration on the VM using the Azure portal or command line, which can help restore the necessary settings.

As mentioned in the below documentation, If the issue persists, you can restart or redeploy the VM. Redeploying moves the VM to a new Azure node while keeping most settings and data intact.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/troubleshoot-rdp-connection

When you redeploy an Azure VM, it gets moved to a new node, but it keeps its settings and most of your data intact. changes happen when you re-deploy

• What remains unchanged: Your OS disk and any attached data disks will stay intact, along with all system configurations, network settings, security rules, and installed applications. You won’t lose any data stored on these persistent disks.
• What gets lost: Any data stored on the temporary disk (D: in Windows VMs) will be deleted, ephemeral disks will be wiped, and your dynamic IP address may change. If you have important files on the temporary disk, it’s best to back them up before redeploying Redeploy Windows virtual machine to new Azure node

Note: Before performing any activity, please make sure backup of your things to void data loss Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any queries in comments.

Follow these steps in order, testing RDP after each step:

1. Reset Remote Desktop configuration from Azure portal
   This re-enables RDP and creates the firewall rule for TCP 3389 on the VM.
   • In Azure portal, go to Virtual machines → select the VM.
   • In the left pane, scroll to Help → Reset password.
   • Set Mode to Reset configuration only.
   • Select Update.
   • Try RDP again.
2. Reset the local admin password from Azure portal
   If the logon attempt failed is due to credentials:
   • Same Reset password blade.
   • Set Mode to Reset password.
   • Enter a username and a new strong password.
     • If the username matches an existing local admin, its password is reset.
     • If it is new, a new local admin account is created and enabled.
   • Select Update and then try RDP using this account.
3. Verify NSG rules allow RDP (TCP 3389)
   Ensure network security is not blocking RDP:
   • Check the VM’s NIC and subnet Network Security Groups.
   • Confirm there is an inbound Allow rule for TCP 3389 with higher priority than any deny rules.
   • Optionally use Network Watcher IP flow verify to confirm RDP is not blocked.
4. Check VM boot diagnostics and resource health
   • In the VM blade, under Help, open Resource health and confirm status is Available.
   • If boot diagnostics is enabled, review console logs/screenshot for OS boot issues.
5. Restart the VM
   • In the VM Overview blade, select Restart and wait for it to come back up.
   • Test RDP again.
6. Redeploy the VM (platform/network issues)
   If RDP still fails and the VM is healthy:
   • In the VM blade, under Help, select Redeploy → Redeploy.
   • Be aware: ephemeral disk data is lost and dynamic IP addresses are updated.
   • After redeploy completes, test RDP again.
7. Check local/network firewalls and public IP
   • Ensure the VM has a public IP if connecting over the internet and the Connect button is not greyed out.
   • Verify any on-premises firewall or local firewall allows outbound TCP 3389 to Azure.

If the issue persists after these steps, open an Azure support request for deeper investigation.

References:

• Troubleshoot Remote Desktop connections to an Azure virtual machine
• Reset Remote Desktop Services or its admin password on a Windows VM