Unable to connect to Azure VM after upgrading it to SQL Virtual Machine

Question

Unable to connect to Azure VM after upgrading it to SQL Virtual Machine

John Jacobson 1

Hi,

I wanted to be able to logon to my SQL server using AZURAD credentials, so followed the instructions to make the VM an SQL Virtual Machine. It's just running SQL Express (I also have to upgrade the version). I used the az sql vm create command.

However, I can no longer access the server via RDP.

I am connecting to the SQL Database, and that is working fine.

The port is open in the Network Security Group.

I did the thing of going to Reset Password in Azure Portal and updating the configuration. Didn't resolve it.

I'm also unable to reboot the server during production hours as I have users accessing the SQL database.

The annoying thing is that if I new I would end up with this issue, I would have just left well enough alone.

Would appreciate any assistance.

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Senthil kumar 2,500

Hi @John Jacobson

Fix RDP WITHOUT rebooting (safe for production)

✔ Method A — Use Azure Serial Console (best fix)

Azure Portal → VM → Serial Console

If it opens, run these commands:

Restart RDP service

net stop termservice

net start termservice

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="remote desktop" new enable=yes

✔ Method B — Use Azure Run Command (no reboot)

Azure Portal → VM → Run Command → EnableRemoteDesktop

This runs Microsoft’s built‑in RDP repair script.

It fixes:

RDP listener

Firewall rules

Terminal Services

Registry keys

No reboot required.

✔ Method C — Reset NIC (safe, no reboot)

You already tried NIC reset, but after SQL IaaS extension installation, you must run:

Azure Portal → VM → Networking → NIC → IP Configurations

Check:

Private IP is still assigned

NIC is still attached

DNS settings are unchanged

Sometimes the SQL extension overwrites DNS.

Thanks.

John Jacobson 1 Reputation point

2026-09-18T05:07:36.13+00:00

Thanks for your response. I'm currently working through this with Claude.

Method A... I don't have access to Azure Serial Console.

Method B. I do have access to RunPowerShellScript, which is what I'm working through with Claude. Most likely RDP's TLS/Certificate layer is broken.

Under Run Command I don't have EnableRemoteDesktop, but from the last thing I ran it looks like Allow Remote Desktop connections to this computer is set to true.

There are commands in Run Command for RDPSettings, and ResetRDPCert. I'm wondering about this second option as a fix.

The network is working fine, as all the websites, and SQL Server is still connecting (and I use certificates for both).
Senthil kumar 2,500 Reputation points

2026-09-18T12:28:54.0833333+00:00

The command:

ResetRDPCert

does the following:

Removes the existing RDP certificate binding

Generates a fresh self‑signed certificate

Rebinds it to the RDP listener

Restarts only the TermService (Remote Desktop Services)

Does NOT reboot the VM

Does NOT interrupt SQL Server

Does NOT interrupt IIS

Does NOT break networking

This is the safest fix you can apply during production hours.
John Jacobson 1 Reputation point

2026-09-18T12:46:12.14+00:00

I tried it but it didn't respond. I also had a query running a powershell command, and it stopped as well. I tried to do get-date as a powershell command and got nothing.

I think I'll have to reboot my server.
Senthil kumar 2,500 Reputation points

2026-09-18T14:47:48.3433333+00:00
net stop termservice net start termservice

Answer 2

Since SQL connectivity still works and Reset configuration only did not fix RDP, use the standard Azure VM RDP troubleshooting path in this order:

In the Azure portal, open the VM and check Resource health. The VM should report Available.
Review Boot diagnostics for startup issues or console errors that could block RDP.
Verify the effective Network Security Group rules for inbound TCP 3389. The rule must be allowed and not overridden by a higher-priority deny rule.
Reset the VM NIC.
If needed, use Reset password again, but this time also consider resetting user credentials, not only configuration.

If the VM’s Connect button is unavailable, confirm the VM has a public IP address unless access is through ExpressRoute or Site-to-Site VPN.

For immediate access without relying on direct RDP exposure, connect through Bastion:

In the Azure portal, open Virtual machine and select the VM.
Select Connect > Connect via Bastion.
Select Deploy Bastion and wait for deployment to finish.
Choose the authentication type, enter credentials, and select Connect.

After connecting to the VM, check the local Windows RDP state:

Confirm Remote Desktop is enabled.
Confirm Windows Firewall is not blocking RDP.
Confirm no local issue is affecting the RDP listener.

If direct SQL access is the only requirement during production hours, avoid rebooting first and use the non-disruptive checks above. A reboot is listed as a later troubleshooting step, not the first one.

Also note that Microsoft Entra ID authentication for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines is supported only on SQL Server 2022 (16.x) and later. Since the VM is running SQL Express, verify that the current SQL version meets that requirement before continuing with Microsoft Entra ID configuration.

If Bastion access also fails, the next supported path is deeper RDP troubleshooting through boot diagnostics, NIC reset, and VM health review before considering restart or redeploy.

References: