VM keeps running (and billing) after closing the AVD browser tab — how do I stop it or avoid manual start/stop?

Hello @Bhagwan Singh Khichar

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Support team,
Yes, if you only closed the Remote Desktop/client window and did not stop the VM, the virtual machine is still running and Azure will continue to charge for compute resources.

Closing the remote desktop session only disconnects you from the VM; it does not shut it down. To avoid ongoing compute charges, the VM must be stopped and deallocated.

To stop the VM and avoid compute charges:

1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
2. Navigate to Virtual Machines.
3. Select your VM.
4. Verify its current status is Running.
5. Click Stop from the top menu.
6. Wait for the VM status to change to Stopped (Deallocated).
7. Once the status shows Stopped (Deallocated), compute charges stop.

Important: If the VM shows only Stopped, Azure may still charge for compute resources. Ensure the status is Stopped (Deallocated).
If you want to use the same desktop again later, simply start the VM from the Azure portal and reconnect using the same RDP file or connection URL.

Please note that even when the VM is deallocated, charges may still apply for resources such as managed disks, backups, and static public IP addresses.

To reduce costs further, you can also configure Auto-Shutdown:

1. Open the VM in the Azure portal.
2. Select Auto-shutdown under Operations.
3. Enable Auto-shutdown.
4. Set your preferred shutdown time.
5. Save the configuration.

This will automatically stop and deallocate the VM each day, helping prevent unexpected charges.

I hope this information helps. Please let us know if you need any further assistance with this issue. We will be happy to assist you.