Share via

Can I use Windows 10/11 Pro image in VM with Microsoft Azure Sponsorship?

Antti Lehto 20 Reputation points
2024-05-10T11:03:51.36+00:00

I have Microsoft Azure Sponsorship subscription in my use. I would like to know if I can use Windows 10/11 Pro images in Virtual Machine. It is asking me if I have an eligible Windows 10/11 license with multi-tenant hosting rights. I did read How to deploy Windows 11 on Azure but it didn't help.

Extra info:

  • This will be used for testing
  • I have licenced Windows 11 Pro on my local computer.
Azure Virtual Machines
Azure Virtual Machines
An Azure service that is used to provision Windows and Linux virtual machines.
7,320 questions
Windows 11
Windows 11
A Microsoft operating system designed for productivity, creativity, and ease of use.
8,498 questions
0 comments
Accepted answer
  1. Marcin Policht 14,580 Reputation points MVP
    2024-05-10T12:50:54.2133333+00:00

    AFAIK, unfortunately that's not the case. Refer to Licensing_brief_PLT_Windows_10_licensing_for_Virtual_Desktops.pdf downloadable from the MS Learn article you posted https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1529587/disable-tls-1-0-1-1-windows-server-2019

    Generally, and with limitations found below, you must have one of the following licenses to run and access a virtual

    machine running Windows 10:

    • Windows 10 Enterprise E3/E5

    • Windows 10 Education A3/A5

    • Windows 10 Education Student Use Benefit

    • Windows 10 Enterprise per device with Software Assurance

    • Windows VDA E3/E5

    • Windows VDA per device

    • Microsoft 365 F3/E3/E5

    • Microsoft 365 A3/A5

    • Microsoft 365 Business Premium

    User licenses allow licensed users to access Windows 10 VMs from any device. Device licenses allow any user of the device to access Windows 10 VMs from the licensed device.

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

    1 person found this answer helpful.

1 additional answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. kobulloc-MSFT 24,406 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2024-05-14T15:15:34.9966667+00:00

    Hello, @Antti Lehto ! Since you are using this for testing and have a free account, I would use the free account where testing is permitted. I'll go into more detail below.

    How can I use Windows 10 on a VM for Dev/Test scenarios?

    For production scenarios, @Marcin Policht is correct and I've upvoted their answer for visibility. The documentation you linked has the correct licenses for Windows 10 and Windows 11 for production workloads:

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/windows-desktop-multitenant-hosting-deployment#operating-systems-and-licenses

    For dev/test scenarios like you mentioned, you can use Windows 10 as a Windows client image:

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/client-images#eligible-offers-and-client-images

    If you have a Student or Free Trial account, you can deploy Windows 11 images for development or testing purposes:

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/windows-desktop-multitenant-hosting-deployment

    Given that you have free credits and are using this for testing, I would use the Student or Free Trial account where you can deploy a Windows 11 VM for development or testing purposes.

    0 comments