Cannot connect to Azure VMs after restart

Question

I'm trying to configure a couple of virtual machines using Windows Azure. To save costs I shut down the VMs at the end of each day and start them the next morning.

However, after coming back to work and starting all my VMS I don't have remote desktop access to my machines anymore. First I got an error mentioning NLA:

The remote computer requires Network Level Authentication, which your computer does not support. For assistance, contact your system administrator or technical support.

I then deleted the VMs and recreated them from the existing disk. Now I simply get the following the error:

Remote Desktop can’t connect to the remote computer for one of these reasons:

1) Remote access to the server is not enabled 2) The remote computer is turned off 3) The remote computer is not available on the network

Make sure the remote computer is turned on and connected to the network, and that remote access is enabled.

Remote access was enabled before shutting down the machines. I can't check the settings for remote desktop because I can't access the machines.

What should I do?

Answer 1

If you have powershell remote access, try to connect with it and check with Get-NetFirewallRule if anything changed on this.

You can use IaaS Management Studio, if you don't want to bother using powershell. You can also check if the open port are responding in the endpoint windows.

At worse, just delete the vm and recreate it. (You can copy the vhd else where, and create a second vm if you are afraid of losing what you did)

I had cases of hack on my VMs when I used obvious login/password on obvious RDP port... might be your case too.