# Create a Windows Server VM instance in Compute Engine

Learn how to create a Windows Server virtual machine (VM) instance by using the Google Cloud console.

<br />

*** ** * ** ***

To follow step-by-step guidance for this task directly in the
Google Cloud console, click **Guide me**:

[Guide me](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute?walkthrough_id=compute_windows_quickstart)

*** ** * ** ***

## Pricing

- Windows Server images are premium images, and using them results in
  [additional charges](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/disks-image-pricing#windows_server_pricing).

- Windows Server VMs are not included with the
  [Free Trial](https://docs.cloud.google.com/free/docs/gcp-free-tier#free-trial).

## Before you begin

1. Enable the Compute Engine API.

   [Enable Compute Engine API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/api/compute.googleapis.com/overview)
2. If you aren't using Windows on your local machine, install an RDP client such as [Chrome Remote Desktop](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/inomeogfingihgjfjlpeplalcfajhgai).

## Create a Windows Server VM instance

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the **Create an instance** page.

   [Go to Create an instance](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/instancesAdd)
2. In the **OS and Storage** section, click **Change** to begin configuring your boot disk.
3. On the **Public images** tab, choose **Windows Server** from the **Operating system** list.
4. Choose **Windows Server 2019 Datacenter** from the **Version** list.
5. Click **Select**.
6. In the **Firewall** section, select **Allow HTTP traffic**.
7. To create the VM, click **Create**.

Allow a short time for the VM instance to start. After the VM instance is ready, it is
listed on the **VM instances** page with a green status icon.

## Connect to the VM instance

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the **VM instances** page.

   [Go to VM instances](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/instances)
2. Under the **Name** column, click the name of your VM instance.

3. Under the **Remote access** section, click **Set Windows password**.

4. Specify a username, then click **Set** to generate a new password for this
   Windows Server VM. Save the username and password so you can log into the
   VM.

5. [Install the Chrome Remote Desktop service](https://docs.cloud.google.com/architecture/chrome-desktop-remote-windows-compute-engine#install_the_chrome_remote_desktop_service) on your VM.

6. Connect to your VM instance using your choice of
   [graphical](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/connecting-to-windows#iap-desktop) or
   [command line](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/connecting-to-windows#remote-desktop-connection-app)
   tools.

## Clean up


To avoid incurring charges to your Google Cloud account for
the resources used on this page, follow these steps.

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the **VM instances** page.

   [Go to VM instances](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/instances)
2. Click the name of the VM instance you created.

3. At the top of the VM instance's details page, click **Delete**.

## What's next

- Learn about [Windows Server images provided by Compute Engine](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/images/os-details#windows_server).

- Learn about [Microsoft software on Compute Engine](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/windows).

- [Set up a basic IIS web server](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/tutorials/basic-webserver-iis).

- [Deploy an ASP.NET app on Compute Engine](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/tutorials/deploy-aspnet-app).

- Learn how to [create and manage Windows Server instances](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/windows/creating-managing-windows-instances).

- [Deploy a fault-tolerant Microsoft Active Directory environment](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/tutorials/setup-active-directory).