How to log into an Azure VM using a Microsoft Account

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I recently deployed a Windows 8.1 VM in Microsoft Azure. I now needed to add my Microsoft account as an Administrator to my VM. This seemed like a simple enough task, right! I added the user to the list of users on the VM and then made the user an admin. When I attempt to log into my VM using my @outlook.com (Microsoft) account, I get a logon failed.

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You actually need to make a few changes in the VM to allow remote connections. Go to Settings –> PC Info –> Remote Settings on the VM and uncheck “Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended)“. See Screenshot 1.

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imageAfter that connect to the VM from Microsoft Azure Portal again, download and save the RDP file. Edit the RDP file and replace “prompt for credentials:i:1” with “enablecredsspsupport:i:0“. After the change, the RDP file should look like what you see in screenshot 3. Save the RDP file and use that to login into the VM. You will be able to log into the VM and now you can choose the account that you had added above (see Screenshot 4). image

Once you have logged in, you can check “Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (recommended)” option which you had disabled earlier. Once you do that, you will need to do the exact opposite action. Edit the RDP file and replace “enablecredsspsupport:i:0” with “prompt for credentials:i:1“.

Once you do the above, you will be able to log into your VM with MicrosoftAccount\email address as user name in the remote desktop dialog.

Reference:

http://visualstudio2013msdngalleryimage.azurewebsites.net/windowsclient.htm

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5 thoughts on “How to log into an Azure VM using a Microsoft Account”

  1. Pingback: Admin tip on using MS Credentials in Azure VM | RadventureSoft Architecture

  3. Have you tried this for Windows 10?
    I tried for Visual Studio Enterprise 2015 with Universal Windows Tools and it does not work.
    It says that remote computer requires authentication to be enabled.

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  5. This was a great find. Thank you 🙂

    I had the same issue as Andrii though, and I had to add the solution from here:

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-other_settings/remote-desktop-connection-not-workin-after-win-10/f45c1446-5059-4ac3-90e5-81580f3f95d6?auth=1

    Which was this:
    I’m just throwing this out there as a possibility, since it resolved my problem. I was trying to connect to the Windows 10 Remote Desktop Server using a very old RDP client on a Windows Mobile 6.5 phone (don’t laugh…). This worked with no error on Windows 8.1, but the connection was rejected on Windows 10. I had to do the following to get it to work:
    Open a Run dialog using Win-R. Type “gpedit.msc” and hit Enter.
    On the left tree view, click on Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Security
    Double-click on the “Require use of specific security layer for remote (RDP) connections” setting on the right.
    Select the “Enabled” radio button
    Select “Negotiate” from the “Security Layer” drop-down and click OK.
    After doing this, I was able to connect to my Windows 10 Remote Desktop Server with no issues. I hope this helps (you or someone else). Thanks.

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