Dis is added, can't find it in Azure

Cleavely 25 Reputation points
2026-04-20T13:15:57.2866667+00:00

I built a D8ads and added a 1TB disk. When I logged into the server, I had an OS disk (expected) a 1TB data disk (expected) and a 439.98 GB disk that was completely unexpected. I can't see the disk in Azure to detach and remove. Did that extra disk just come with the D series? I looked and saw no other disks during the creation time.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Azure Disk Storage
Azure Disk Storage

A high-performance, durable block storage designed to be used with Azure Virtual Machines and Azure VMware Solution.

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AI answer

2026-04-20T13:16:09.14+00:00

The unexpected 439.98 GB disk is the VM’s temporary disk, not an extra managed data disk.

Azure VMs typically have up to three disk roles attached:

  1. OS disk
  2. Data disk(s) explicitly created/attached
  3. Temporary disk (often shown as a separate local disk inside the guest OS)

The temporary disk:

  • Is created automatically with the VM size (for D‑series, its size is determined by the SKU).
  • Is not billed as a managed disk and therefore does not appear as a separate managed disk resource in the Azure portal.
  • Is intended only for temporary data such as page/swap files.
  • Can lose data during maintenance events or when the VM is redeployed; data is not durable.

Because it is not a managed data disk, it cannot be detached or deleted from the Disks blade. It is expected behavior for that VM size and should simply be treated as non‑persistent storage.

References:

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  1. Anonymous
    2026-04-20T14:11:12.47+00:00

    Hey Cleavely,

    The 439.98 GB disk you noticed is simply the built-in temporary disk that comes with your D8ads v5 VM—it's not an additional managed disk you accidentally attached.

    Azure VMs generally include these three types of storage by default:

    • OS disk (your system drive)
    • Data disks (like your 1 TB one, added manually)
    • Temporary disk (automatically provisioned local storage visible only inside the VM)

    Key details about this temporary disk:

    • Automatically included based on the VM size (D-series like D8ads v5 provides ~300 GiB raw, shown as ~440 GB usable)
    • Free of managed disk charges and invisible in the Azure portal's Disks section since it's host-local
    • Designed for short-term needs like temp files, caches, or swap space
    • Non-persistent: Contents are erased during VM stops, resizes, or host maintenance

    Since it's not a managed resource, you can't detach or delete it via the portal, this is normal behavior. Just format it if needed or leave it unused for non-critical data.

    References:

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