Cloud Hosting a Windows Server on Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS - A Beginner's Tutorial
Introduction
Why host a Windows Server in the cloud? By hosting Windows Server on Azure, GCP, or AWS, you avoid maintaining physical hardware and gain on-demand scalability. You can use such cloud VMs to run familiar Windows services like Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) for managing users and domains, Internet Information Services (IIS) to host websites or web applications, or Microsoft SQL Server for databases - all without needing your own datacenter. Essentially, anything you might use a Windows server for on-premises (file shares, .NET applications, remote desktop applications, etc.) can be done on these cloud VMs. The cloud providers include support for these Microsoft workloads (for example, AWS supports running Active Directory, .NET apps, and all current versions of Windows Server and SQL Server natively 1).
Before diving into each platform, note that all three providers have free trial offerings. AWS and Azure both offer free tiers that include a small Windows instance for 12 months (e.g. AWS's free tier includes 750 hours per month of a Windows t2.micro VM 2, and Azure's free tier similarly includes up to 750 hours of a B1s Windows VM per month 3). Google Cloud offers a $300 credit for new accounts (90-day trial), which you can use toward running Windows VMs (Windows instances aren't in GCP's always-free usage pool, but you can spend the credits on them) 45. With that in mind, let's get started with each platform.
Setting Up Windows Server on Microsoft Azure (Entra ID/Azure)
Microsoft Azure - often just called Azure (previously Windows Azure) - is Microsoft's cloud platform. Azure uses Microsoft Entra ID (the new name for Azure Active Directory) for identity management, which integrates nicely if you're using Microsoft accounts or want to connect your cloud VM with domain services. Azure is a top choice for hosting Windows servers because it's built by Microsoft and offers seamless integration with Windows technologies and on-premises Microsoft environments 6.Prerequisites: You'll need an Azure account. If you don't have one, sign up for a free Azure account (which includes credits and free services) 7. Once you have an account, you will use the Azure Portal (a web interface) to create and manage your resources.
Steps to Create a Windows Server VM on Azure
- Sign in to Azure Portal: Go to the Azure Portal and log in with your Microsoft account 8. You should see the Azure management dashboard.
- Start VM Creation: In the top search bar, type "Virtual Machines" and select Virtual Machines under Services. Then click Create and choose Azure virtual machine. This starts the wizard to create a new VM.
- Basic Settings: On the "Basics" tab, enter a Virtual machine name (e.g. "MyWinServer"). Select your desired region (e.g. "East US"). Under Image, choose a Windows Server version. For example, you can select Windows Server 2022 Datacenter (or Windows Server 2025 Datacenter if available) as the OS image 10. Leave VM size as the default or pick a size that's free-tier eligible (like "B1s" for the free tier).
- Administrator Account: Provide a username and password for the Windows admin user on this VM 11. For example, username "azureuser" (avoid "Administrator" as Azure reserves that) and a strong password (at least 12 characters with complexity 11). Keep these credentials safe - you'll use them to log in via Remote Desktop.
- Networking - Allow RDP: In the Inbound port rules, choose Allow selected ports and check RDP (3389). This ensures the Windows Remote Desktop (RDP) port is open so you can connect to your server. You can also allow HTTP (port 80) now if you plan to run a web server (IIS) on it 12. Azure will create the necessary networking rules (security group) to permit these ports.
- Review and Create: Leave other settings at their defaults for now (disk type, networking, etc. are auto-configured). At the bottom, click Review + create, then on the summary page click Create to launch the VM 13. It will take a few minutes for Azure to deploy your Windows Server VM.
- Connect via Remote Desktop: Once the VM is deployed, go to the VM's overview page (you can find your VM under "Virtual Machines" in the portal). Click the Connect button and choose RDP 14. Azure will provide an RDP file to download. Download the .rdp file and open it. When prompted, choose "Connect". Then enter the credentials you set (if the login dialog shows "Username", click "More choices" > "Use a different account" and enter as .\azureuser along with your password) 15. You may get a certificate warning accept it to continue. You should then see the Windows Server desktop in a new window, indicating you've successfully RDP'd into your cloud server!
- (Optional) Install Roles or Software: Now you have a running Windows Server in Azure. You can install server roles or software as needed. For example, to test that everything works, you might install the IIS web server. Azure's quickstart tutorial suggests running a PowerShell command to install IIS:
After running that inside the VM, you can open a web browser (on your local PC) to the VM's public IP to see the default IIS welcome page 16 17. Azure VMs make it easy to add roles like this Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) can also be installed on an Azure VM just like on a physical server (it runs the same way in an Azure VM as on-premises) 18. We'll discuss AD and other roles in more detail later.Code:Install-WindowsFeature -name Web-Server -IncludeManagementTools
- Shut Down or Delete When Done: When you're finished experimenting, remember to stop or delete your VM to avoid charges. Simply shutting down inside the OS will stop the VM, but make sure it shows as "Stopped (deallocated)" in Azure to stop billing 19 20. You can delete the VM (and its resources) entirely by deleting the resource group in Azure when you no longer need it 21 22.
Setting Up Windows Server on Google Cloud Platform (Compute Engine)
Google Cloud's Compute Engine is GCP's service for running VMs. You can run Windows Server on GCP much like on Azure or AWS. GCP may appeal to those who prefer Google's ecosystem or want strong analytics/ML integration, though its core VM features for Windows are similar to the others 24. Here's how to get a Windows Server running on Google Cloud.Prerequisites: Sign up for Google Cloud and create a project. New users get $300 in credits 25. Ensure billing is enabled on your project (required to launch VMs, even with free credits) 26. Also, note that Google treats Windows images as premium images with an added license cost (the cost is rolled into the VM hourly rate when you select a Windows image) 27. Windows VMs aren't covered under GCP's always-free usage, but you can use your trial credits for them 28 29.
Steps to Create a Windows Server VM on GCP
- Open the Cloud Console: Go to the Google Cloud Console and ensure you have a project selected (create one if needed).
- Start VM Creation: Navigate to Compute Engine > VM instances in the console. Click "Create Instance" (this opens the VM creation form).
- Basic Config: Give your instance a Name (e.g. "windows-server"). Choose a Region/Zone near you. Under Machine configuration, pick a machine type (the default e2-medium is fine for testing, or choose smaller for cost savings).
- Choose Windows Image: In the Boot disk section, click "Change" to select the OS image. On the Public images tab, set Operating System to Windows Server, then select a version such as Windows Server 2022 Datacenter (or 2019/2025 as available) 30 31. Ensure the disk size is at least the default (50 GB, or 10 GB minimum for Windows). Click Select to confirm the boot disk choice.
- Firewall Settings: Still in the creation form, you can tick "Allow HTTP traffic" or "Allow HTTPS traffic" if you plan to run a web server 32. (RDP port 3389 is open by default to your IP when using the GCP console RDP tool, so there's not an explicit checkbox for RDP here as there was in Azure.)
- Create the VM: Click Create to launch the instance. GCP will deploy the VM; within a minute or two, you'll see it running in the VM instances list (with a green check icon) 33.
- Set Windows Password: Unlike Azure, GCP did not ask you for a Windows admin password at creation time. Instead, you need to set or retrieve the auto-generated password. In the VM instances list, click the name of your new instance, then look for the "Set Windows Password" button (under the Remote access section) 34. Click it, enter a username (e.g. "Admin" or "user"), and click Set. GCP will generate a password for that user and display it once. Copy this password and save it. (This is the password for the Windows Administrator account or the user you specified.)
- Connect via RDP: There are a couple of ways to connect:
- Option 1: Use Chrome Remote Desktop via the cloud console (Google offers a "Launch Remote Desktop" option which may prompt you to install their Chrome RDP extension) 35. This can open an in-browser RDP session.
- Option 2 (traditional): Use a standard RDP client. Copy the VM's external IP address from the VM details page. On your Windows PC, open the Remote Desktop Connection app (mstsc.exe) and enter the VM's IP. When prompted, use the username and the password you got in the previous step to log in. Accept any certificate warning.
- This should bring up the Windows Server desktop. Either way, you should now be connected to the Windows server running on Google Cloud.
- Install Roles/Software as needed: Now you can configure the server. For example, you can open Server Manager on the VM to add roles like IIS or Active Directory, or install applications. (Google's docs have tutorials on setting up IIS or even deploying Active Directory in a GCP VM environment 36.) The experience is essentially the same as running Windows Server on a local machine.
- Cleanup: When finished, you can stop or delete the VM from the GCP console. Deleting the VM will stop all billing. If you forget to shut it down, it will continue to accrue charges against your credits or billing account, so be mindful. You can delete the instance by clicking the Delete button on the VM's detail page 37.
Setting Up Windows Server on Amazon Web Services (AWS EC2)
AWS was the pioneer of cloud computing (launched in 2006) 39 and has the largest market share. It offers Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) for VMs. AWS has long supported Windows Server (customers have been running Windows on AWS since 2008) 40, and it provides a reliable platform for Microsoft applications. Let's walk through launching a Windows Server on AWS.Prerequisites: Create an AWS account if you don't have one. New accounts are eligible for the AWS Free Tier, which allows up to 750 hours per month of a Windows t2.micro instance for one year 2. Sign in to the AWS Management Console. It's also recommended to decide on an AWS region (AWS has many regions worldwide; choose one near you for better performance).
Steps to Launch a Windows Server EC2 Instance
- Open EC2 Console: Log in to AWS, then navigate to EC2 service (you can find it under Services > Compute > EC2, or use the search bar).
- Launch Instance Wizard: Click the "Launch Instance" button on the EC2 Dashboard. This opens a step-by-step wizard for configuring your VM (instance).
- Name and OS Image: Give your instance a name (e.g., "WindowsServer"). Under Application and OS Images (AMI), choose Browse AMIs. In "Quick Start" you will find official Microsoft Windows Server images. Select an image labeled "Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Base" (or 2019/2025 as needed). Make sure it says "Free tier eligible" if you want to stay in the free tier 41. (AWS AMIs that are Free Tier Eligible will include Windows Server 2019/2022 Base editions.)
- Instance Type: Choose the instance type. For free tier, select t2.micro (or t3.micro in some regions) which should be marked as free tier eligible 42. This provides 1 vCPU and 1 GB RAM - enough for basic usage.
- Key Pair (for login): AWS uses key pairs for secure access to Windows instances. If you already have an EC2 key pair, select it. If not, choose Create new key pair. Give it a name and download the .pem file it gives you save this file securely; you will need it to obtain the Windows admin password later 43. (Important: Without this key file, you cannot retrieve the administrator password.)
- Network Settings (Security Group): AWS will by default create a security group (firewall rules) for the instance. Ensure that there is a rule allowing RDP (TCP 3389) from your IP or from anywhere. In the wizard, you should see a section "Allow SSH, HTTP, RDP" etc. By default, for Windows AWS should add an RDP rule open to the world (0.0.0.0/0) to make it easy 44. This is fine for a quick test, but note the warning: opening RDP to all IPs is not secure for long-term use 45. (For production, you'd restrict this to your IP range.)
- Storage: The default disk (usually 30 GB gp2/gp3 EBS volume) is fine. Free tier covers 30 GB of EBS storage. You typically don't need to change anything here.
- Launch the Instance: Review the summary on the right, then click "Launch Instance". AWS will begin provisioning the VM. Within a minute, you should see a success message and an Instance ID. Click View Instances to go to the EC2 Instances page 46 47. Initially, your instance state will be "pending" and then "running". Wait until the instance status checks show as 2/2 checks passed (this may take a couple of minutes).
- Get the Administrator Password: This step is unique to AWS. When the Windows instance is launched, it automatically creates an "Administrator" user and generates a random password for it, which is encrypted with the key pair you chose.
- To retrieve it:
- Select your instance in the EC2 console, then click Connect (or right-click > Connect). In the Connect dialog, choose the RDP client tab 48.
- You'll see a "Get Password" button - click that 49. It will prompt you to upload the private key file (the pem you downloaded). Upload the key file, then click Decrypt Password 50 AWS will then display the Administrator password in plaintext 51. Copy this password and save it somewhere secure (you'll need it to log in).
- The dialog also shows the Public DNS for your instance (or you can use the public IP). And it confirms the username as "Administrator".
- Connect via RDP: Now that you have the admin password, you can RDP into the server:
- Click the Download remote desktop file link in the Connect window 52. This downloads a pre-configured .rdp file.
- Open it, or alternatively open your RDP client and enter the instance's public DNS or IP.
- When prompted for credentials in RDP, use the username Administrator and the password you just decrypted. (If using the downloaded file, it might automatically populate the IP/DNS; you just click "Connect" then enter the password.) Accept any certificate warnings.
- You should then see the Windows Server welcome screen and desktop via RDP 53 54. Congrats - you are now running Windows Server on AWS!
- Post-Launch Setup: On first login, Windows might ask to set network settings (choose Private network if asked). You can now install roles or software. For example, use Server Manager to add IIS if you want to host a site, or install other applications. AWS supports all typical Windows roles - you could even promote this server to be a domain controller for an AD domain (for a single instance, you'd just install AD DS role and run DCPromo as you normally would for on-prem AD). AWS also offers a service called AWS Directory Service if you needed a managed AD, but using a self-hosted AD on your EC2 VM is straightforward too.
- Manage and Cleanup: When you're done, you can stop or terminate the instance from the EC2 console. Stopping the instance will shut it down but preserve the VM (you won't be billed for compute when stopped, but the EBS disk still costs a tiny amount). Terminating the instance will delete it entirely (and free up all costs) 55 56. For learning purposes, it's safe to terminate it when finished (you can always launch a new one later). Always terminate or stop VMs when not in use to avoid unexpected charges.
Comparing Azure, GCP, and AWS - Billing, Evolution, and Benefits
Billing and Pricing Differences
All three cloud providers use a pay-as-you-go model, but their billing increments and discounts differ slightly:- Billing Increments: AWS and GCP charge for VM instances by the second (with a minimum of 1 minute) for Windows VMs 61 38. AWS introduced per-second billing back in 2017 for EC2, and it now applies to Windows instances as well (after the first 60 seconds) 62. GCP also uses per-second billing for all VM types, Windows included, after a 1-minute minimum 38. Azure, on the other hand, traditionally charges VMs by the minute in fact, Azure's pricing FAQ states if a VM runs for 6 minutes 45 seconds, you're billed for 6 full minutes (extra seconds are not charged) 63 64. In effect, Azure has per-minute billing (rounding down to the last full minute). Azure does support per-second billing on some services (like Azure Container Instances), but not for all VM types 61. In practical terms, for long-running servers the difference is minor, but if you start/stop VMs very frequently, AWS/GCP's per-second granularity might save a bit more.
- Compute Pricing and Discounts: The base on-demand prices for similar Windows VM sizes are competitive and change often. No one provider is always cheapest - it varies by instance type and region. Studies show AWS and GCP are often neck-and-neck, with Azure sometimes slightly higher for certain instance types and lower for others 65 66. Each provider offers substantial discounts if you commit to longer usage:
- AWS has Reserved Instances and Savings Plans (e.g. 1-year or 3-year commitments) that can save -30-50% or more.
- Azure offers Reserved VM Instances for 1 or 3 years with similar savings.
- GCP offers Committed Use Discounts (CUDs) for 1 or 3 year terms.
- GCP also uniquely provides automatic Sustained Use Discounts e.g., if you run a VM most of the month, you get an automatic discount (up to ~30% off) with no upfront commitment.
According to one comparison, all three give discounts for 1-year commitments, with Google's 1-year rates often the lowest for general-purpose instances, AWS/Azure comparable for others 67. If you are unsure of long-term usage, AWS and Azure's on-demand prices are straightforward, whereas GCP might reward steady usage with automatic discounts. - Licensing Costs: One important difference for Windows specifically is license BYOL (Bring Your Own License) options. Azure has a big advantage if you already own Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance - you can use Azure Hybrid Benefit to apply your license and not pay for the OS portion of the VM cost 23. AWS allows BYOL in certain scenarios (usually by importing custom VM images or using dedicated hosts), but generally if you launch an AWS-provided Windows AMI, the price includes the Windows license. Google Cloud similarly charges for the Windows license with each VM by default. In short, Azure lets you use your existing Windows licenses more easily, avoiding extra licensing costs 59, whereas on AWS/GCP the common path is to pay for the Windows license hourly. This could influence costs significantly for enterprise customers who have already paid Microsoft for licenses.
- Free Tier/Trial: As mentioned earlier, AWS and Azure both give you free usage of a small Windows VM for up to 12 months (with resource limits), which is great for learning. Google gives a large credit to use in 90 days, which is more flexible (you could run a bigger VM for a short time, for example). After free trials, all revert to pay-as-you-go.
Evolution and Differences in Approach
All three providers are very capable for hosting Windows, but they come from different backgrounds:- Amazon Web Services (AWS): The oldest of the three, launched in 2006, AWS pioneered cloud VMs with EC2 39. Windows support on AWS has been around since 2008 40, so they have a long track record. Over time AWS has developed the widest range of services (over 240 services) and a reputation for reliability and performance. AWS's strength is its breadth and depth - you have many choices for instance types, and a vast ecosystem of tools (databases, analytics, IoT, etc.) that work together 57. This makes AWS a one-stop-shop for many needs, though it can be complex to navigate. AWS tends to be very customizable and is cloud-agnostic in the sense that it doesn't favor any particular OS - Linux and Windows are both first-class citizens on EC2. For a Windows admin, AWS might be slightly less familiar at first (the console UI isn't Microsoft-styled), but it offers everything needed to run Windows workloads at scale. Fun fact: AWS even has its own Active Directory managed service and supports importing your AD, but many AWS users just run AD on EC2 servers as we did above.
- Microsoft Azure: Launched in 2010 (as "Windows Azure"), Azure was built with Microsoft enterprise customers in mind 68. It started as a platform for running .NET applications and has evolved into a full IaaS provider. Azure's key strength is native integration with Microsoft's ecosystem - if your organization uses Windows Server, Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, Office 365, etc., Azure is designed to work seamlessly with those. For example, Azure VMs can easily be joined to your on-premises domain through VPN or to Azure's managed domain services. Azure's identity and access management is Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), which ties together Microsoft 365 and Azure accounts. This makes hybrid cloud setups (part on-prem, part cloud) very smooth on Azure 6. Over the years, Azure has also expanded to non-Windows offerings (Linux, open-source databases, etc.), but it's often considered the go-to for "Windows-heavy" environments 6. Azure has the largest global footprint in terms of regions currently, and is often chosen by enterprises who trust Microsoft's support and compliance offerings. One thing to note: Microsoft often gives favorable licensing terms on Azure (as discussed) and sometimes charges more for running certain Microsoft software on competing clouds, so large enterprises consider that in their costs.
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP): GCP came slightly later (around 2011 for GCP's first services; Compute Engine launched in 2013). Google leveraged its expertise in distributed systems - it's the company behind Kubernetes, after all - to build a developer-friendly cloud. GCP's standout strengths are in data analytics, machine learning, and big data tools, as well as its high-performance network. Many startups and tech companies like its clean design and innovative features. For Windows, GCP is fully capable, but it doesn't have the same legacy of Windows focus that Microsoft does. That said, GCP often tries to attract Windows users with optimized VM offerings and cost advantages (like the sustained use discounts). GCP also has a smaller catalog of services (around 150) which can make it a bit less overwhelming for newcomers than AWS's 240+ services 69 70. If your use case might involve heavy data processing plus some Windows workloads, GCP could be a great fit. Google's culture of innovation means it's continuously adding features - for example, GCP was quick to match AWS in per-second billing and has been aggressive in adopting new hardware options.
What Can You Do With a Cloud-Hosted Windows Server?
We've touched on this throughout, but to reinforce: once your Windows Server is running in the cloud, you can do anything you would do on a Windows server in a traditional environment. Some common uses and next steps include:- Active Directory Domain Controller: You can promote your cloud VM to be a Domain Controller by installing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). This could be useful for setting up a test domain in the cloud, or extending your on-premises AD into the cloud for a hybrid environment. Microsoft even provides guidance for deploying a whole new AD forest on Azure VMs 18. Similarly, on AWS or GCP you can manually configure AD on VMs. (Each cloud also offers a managed AD service if you prefer not to manage the OS, but those are more advanced topics.)
- Web Server or Application Server: Installing IIS on the VM lets you host websites or web APIs (for example, an ASP.NET application). You might open HTTP/HTTPS ports in your cloud firewall and serve a website publicly. The cloud VM can scale vertically (choose a bigger instance if needed) or even horizontally (you could create multiple VMs behind a load balancer for high availability). Azure and AWS have additional services to help with web hosting (like Azure App Service or AWS Elastic Beanstalk), but using a raw IIS on a VM is a straightforward approach for legacy apps.
- Database Server: You can install SQL Server on the Windows VM to serve as a database server. Each cloud has images with SQL Server pre-installed as well (for example, AWS and Azure have marketplace images for "Windows Server with SQL Server"). Keep in mind SQL Server licensing costs - running it on a VM will typically be charged by the hour based on edition (or you can bring your own SQL license via Azure Hybrid Benefit on Azure). Alternatively, each cloud offers fully-managed SQL databases (e.g. Azure SQL Database, Amazon RDS for SQL Server, Cloud SQL for SQL Server on GCP) if you prefer not to manage the VM but if the goal is to learn Windows Server setup, installing SQL on your VM is a good exercise.
- File Server or Other roles: You could use the VM as a file server (using Azure Files or AWS FSx for managed file storage is another choice, but a VM with Windows File Server role works too). You could set up Remote Desktop Services to allow multiple users to log in (though that requires proper licensing for RDS). Essentially, any Windows Server role (DNS server, DHCP server, Certificate Services, etc.) can be enabled on these cloud VMs as long as the networking is configured appropriately. The experience is the same as on a local machine, because it is a Windows machine - just running on virtualized hardware in the cloud.
Conclusion
Cloud-hosting a Windows Server is now easier than ever. In just a few steps, we launched Windows Server 2022/2025 on all three major clouds. To recap:- Azure: Used Azure Portal to create a VM, set a password upfront, and leverage tight integration with Microsoft services (Entra ID/Azure AD, hybrid license benefits). Ideal for those already in the Microsoft ecosystem 6.
- Google Cloud: Used Compute Engine console to spin up a Windows VM, generated a password, and connected via RDP. GCP's strengths in analytics and a generous trial make it a solid choice for experimentation 24.
- AWS: Used EC2 console to launch a Windows instance with a key pair, decrypted the admin password, and connected. AWS's vast services and long experience with cloud give you lots of room to grow 57.
Next steps: If you're following along, you can now explore deploying a simple website or Active Directory on your new server. Be sure to secure your servers (e.g. limit that open RDP port, use strong passwords or key authentication, etc.) if you plan to keep them running. And take advantage of free trials - experiment with all three providers to see which UI and features you prefer. Cloud platforms evolve rapidly, but the fundamental steps to get a Windows VM running remain straightforward. With this tutorial, you've taken the first step toward mastering Windows Server in the cloud.
Happy computing on your new cloud-hosted Windows Server!
Sources:
The information above was compiled from official documentation and comparisons of AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. For instance, Microsoft's tutorial on creating an Azure VM was referenced for step-by-step accuracy. Google's docs on setting up a Windows instance guided the GCP section and AWS's user guide for EC2 was used for the AWS steps. Pricing and feature differences were cross-referenced from cloud provider FAQs and independent analyses to ensure up-to-date coverage. Each cloud's official site also offers extensive tutorials and free training which are worth exploring for deeper learning.https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/quick-create-portal]Quickstart: Create a Windows virtual machine in the Azure portal[/url]
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Enjoy your cloud journey with Windows Server!
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