RDP password reset is stuck for more than an hour

Hello 모스트엑스 채권관리, When the Azure portal shows “Password reset is in progress” for an extended period, it usually means the reset workflow is waiting for the guest-side operation to complete. For Windows VMs, resetting credentials through the portal/PowerShell uses the VMAccess extension and depends on the Azure VM guest agent being installed and functioning inside the VM.

This specific symptom (“stuck for more than an hour”) is not something that generally happens hence it's not a known service issue. Based on the design, the most productive next step is to validate whether the guest agent/extension can complete, and then use an alternate supported recovery method if it cannot.

Step 1: Confirm the VM can run extensions:

1. Verify the VM is in a running state. VMAccess actions are intended to be applied to a VM that can boot and run the guest agent/extension.
2. In the VM in Azure portal, review the VMAccess extension status under “Extensions + applications.” If the extension is failed/stuck, capture any reported error details from the portal (these are important for determining the next supported action).
3. Keep in mind that a VM can have only a single VM access agent applied at a time. If there are duplicate/conflicting VMAccess entries, that can block successful completion.

Step 2: Retry the reset using Azure PowerShell:

If the portal operation still remain stuck, use the PowerShell method to (re)apply the VMAccess extension and reset the credentials. The guidance for this is shared over here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/reset-rdp#reset-the-local-admin-account-password-1

Sample Azure Powershell command that could be used:

Connect-AzAccount
# Optional: Select-AzSubscription -SubscriptionId "<SUBSCRIPTION_ID>"

Set-AzVMAccessExtension `
  -ResourceGroupName "<RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME>" `
  -VMName "<VM_NAME>" `
  -Credential (Get-Credential) `
  -TypeHandlerVersion "2.0" `
  -Name "VMAccessAgent"

Step3: Consider redeploying the VM

If you still experience RDP or application access issues after following the previous steps, you can try redeploying the VM to a new Azure node as a troubleshooting measure. Please be aware that this will result in loss of data on the temporary disk and the dynamic IP addresses linked to the NIC may change. See here for more details: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/redeploy-to-new-node-windows

Step4: Reset using troubleshooting VM (last resort):
If the Azure VM guest agent is not installed or not functioning, Microsoft documents a manual recovery approach to reset a local Windows password by working with the OS disk: stop the VM, take an OS disk snapshot, create a disk from the snapshot, attach/mount it to a troubleshooting VM, perform the documented offline steps, then swap the OS disk back. This is explicitly called out as a last resort and does not apply to Windows domain controllers.

References:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/reset-rdp
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/extensions/vmaccess-windows
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/reset-local-password-without-agent
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/redeploy-to-new-node-windows
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/troubleshoot-rdp-connection
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/extensions/features-windows

Perform these steps in order to get the VM and RDP back as quickly as possible:

1. Verify the VM is running
   In the Azure portal, open Virtual machines, select the VM, and confirm the status is Running. If it is Stopped or Deallocated, start it.
   The VMAccess extension cannot be modified if the VM is not running; otherwise, the reset operation will hang or fail with an error like CannotModifyExtensionsWhenVMNotRunning.
2. Check if the VMAccess extension is stuck
   In the VM blade, go to Extensions + applications and check the status of the VMAccessAgent / enablevmAccess extension. If it shows failed or is stuck, note any error message.
   If you see an error about multiple extensions per handler (MultipleExtensionsPerHandlerNotAllowed), remove the duplicate extension using PowerShell and retry the reset.
3. Re-run the password reset from the Azure portal
   Since the portal operation has been stuck for more than an hour, re-initiate it:
   1. In the VM blade, scroll to the Help section and select Reset password.
   2. Set Mode to Reset password.
   3. Enter a local admin username and a strong password that meets Windows password policy (length, complexity, history).
   4. Select Update and wait a few minutes, then try RDP again.
   If a different username is entered than the existing local admin, the VMAccess extension will create a new local admin account with that name and the specified password.
4. Reset only the RDP configuration if needed
   If credentials are correct but RDP still fails, reset the RDP configuration without changing the password:
   1. In Reset password, choose Reset configuration only.
   2. Select Update.
      This re-enables Remote Desktop Services and creates a firewall rule for TCP 3389 on the VM.
5. Use PowerShell to force rerun the VMAccess extension
   If the portal continues to hang, run the reset via Azure PowerShell, which can clear a stuck extension state:

      $SubID = "<SUBSCRIPTION ID>" 
      $RgName = "<RESOURCE GROUP NAME>" 
      $VmName = "<VM NAME>" 
      
      Connect-AzAccount 
      Select-AzSubscription -SubscriptionId $SubID 
      
      # Reset admin credentials
      Set-AzVMAccessExtension `
        -ResourceGroupName $RgName `
        -VMName $VmName `
        -Credential (Get-Credential) `
        -TypeHandlerVersion "2.0" `
        -Name VMAccessAgent
      
      # If RDP config itself is the issue, force rerun the extension
      Set-AzVMAccessExtension `
        -ResourceGroupName $RgName `
        -VMName $VmName `
        -Name VMAccessAgent `
        -TypeHandlerVersion "2.0" `
        -ForceRerun $true
   

   Ensure only one VMAccess extension exists. If a duplicate handler error appears, remove the extra extension with Remove-AzVMExtension and rerun the command.
6. Check for common VMAccess errors
   If the extension fails:
   • If the error states the password does not meet policy, choose a more complex password and rerun.
   • If the error states the user exists but is not in the Administrators group, add that user to the Administrators group and rerun.
   • If the VM is a domain controller, VMAccess is not supported; in that case, use domain controller recovery methods instead.
7. If RDP still fails after reset
   • Use the portal Reset password step again to confirm credentials.
   • Restart the VM from the Overview blade.
   • If necessary, redeploy the VM from the Redeploy option under Help; note that ephemeral disk data will be lost and dynamic IPs may change.

Once RDP is working and login is successful, start the Java application inside the VM as usual.

References:

• Reset Remote Desktop Services or its admin password on a Windows VM
• Reset Remote Desktop Services or its admin password on a Windows VM – Reset by using the Azure portal
• Reset Remote Desktop Services or its admin password on a Windows VM – Reset by using the Azure PowerShell
• Reset Remote Desktop Services or its admin password on a Windows VM – Troubleshoot and support
• Troubleshoot Remote Desktop connections to an Azure virtual machine – Troubleshoot using the Azure portal