Windows Server images are premium images, and using them results in
additional charges.
Windows Server VMs are not included with the
Free Trial.
Before you begin
Sign in to your Google Cloud account. If you're new to
Google Cloud,
create an account to evaluate how our products perform in
real-world scenarios. New customers also get $300 in free credits to
run, test, and deploy workloads.
In the Google Cloud console, on the project selector page,
select or create a Google Cloud project.
Make sure that you have the following role or roles on the project:
Compute Instance Admin (v1), Compute Security
Admin, Service Account User, Service Usage Admin
In the Principal column, find all rows that identify you or a group that
you're included in. To learn which groups you're included in, contact your
administrator.
For all rows that specify or include you, check the Role column to see whether
the list of roles includes the required roles.
Make sure that you have the following role or roles on the project:
Compute Instance Admin (v1), Compute Security
Admin, Service Account User, Service Usage Admin
In the Principal column, find all rows that identify you or a group that
you're included in. To learn which groups you're included in, contact your
administrator.
For all rows that specify or include you, check the Role column to see whether
the list of roles includes the required roles.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-25 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis guide details the process of creating a Windows Server virtual machine (VM) instance in Google Cloud's Compute Engine using the Google Cloud console.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eWindows Server images are premium, incurring additional charges, and they are not included in the Google Cloud Free Trial.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe process includes selecting a Windows Server version, allowing HTTP traffic, and then creating the VM instance within the Google Cloud Console.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAfter creation, you can set a Windows password, and then connect to the VM instance using graphical or command-line tools.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe process of deleting the VM is also shown to avoid unwanted charges.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Create a Windows Server VM instance in Compute Engine\n=====================================================\n\nLearn how to create a Windows Server virtual machine (VM) instance by using the Google Cloud console.\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n*** ** * ** ***\n\nTo follow step-by-step guidance for this task directly in the\nGoogle Cloud console, click **Guide me**:\n\n[Guide me](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute?walkthrough_id=compute_windows_quickstart)\n\n*** ** * ** ***\n\nPricing\n-------\n\n- Windows Server images are premium images, and using them results in\n [additional charges](/compute/disks-image-pricing#windows_server_pricing).\n\n- Windows Server VMs are not included with the\n [Free Trial](/free/docs/gcp-free-tier#free-trial).\n\nBefore you begin\n----------------\n\n- Sign in to your Google Cloud account. If you're new to Google Cloud, [create an account](https://console.cloud.google.com/freetrial) to evaluate how our products perform in real-world scenarios. New customers also get $300 in free credits to run, test, and deploy workloads.\n- In the Google Cloud console, on the project selector page,\n select or create a Google Cloud project.\n\n | **Note**: If you don't plan to keep the resources that you create in this procedure, create a project instead of selecting an existing project. After you finish these steps, you can delete the project, removing all resources associated with the project.\n\n [Go to project selector](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector2/home/dashboard)\n-\n [Verify that billing is enabled for your Google Cloud project](/billing/docs/how-to/verify-billing-enabled#confirm_billing_is_enabled_on_a_project).\n\n-\n\n Make sure that you have the following role or roles on the project:\n\n Compute Instance Admin (v1), Compute Security\n Admin, Service Account User, Service Usage Admin\n\n #### Check for the roles\n\n 1.\n In the Google Cloud console, go to the **IAM** page.\n\n [Go to IAM](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector/iam-admin/iam?supportedpurview=project)\n 2. Select the project.\n 3.\n In the **Principal** column, find all rows that identify you or a group that\n you're included in. To learn which groups you're included in, contact your\n administrator.\n\n 4. For all rows that specify or include you, check the **Role** column to see whether the list of roles includes the required roles.\n\n #### Grant the roles\n\n 1.\n In the Google Cloud console, go to the **IAM** page.\n\n [Go to IAM](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector/iam-admin/iam?supportedpurview=project)\n 2. Select the project.\n 3. Click person_add **Grant access**.\n 4.\n In the **New principals** field, enter your user identifier.\n\n This is typically the email address for a Google Account.\n\n 5. In the **Select a role** list, select a role.\n 6. To grant additional roles, click add **Add\n another role** and add each additional role.\n 7. Click **Save**.\n\n- In the Google Cloud console, on the project selector page,\n select or create a Google Cloud project.\n\n | **Note**: If you don't plan to keep the resources that you create in this procedure, create a project instead of selecting an existing project. After you finish these steps, you can delete the project, removing all resources associated with the project.\n\n [Go to project selector](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector2/home/dashboard)\n-\n [Verify that billing is enabled for your Google Cloud project](/billing/docs/how-to/verify-billing-enabled#confirm_billing_is_enabled_on_a_project).\n\n-\n\n Make sure that you have the following role or roles on the project:\n\n Compute Instance Admin (v1), Compute Security\n Admin, Service Account User, Service Usage Admin\n\n #### Check for the roles\n\n 1.\n In the Google Cloud console, go to the **IAM** page.\n\n [Go to IAM](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector/iam-admin/iam?supportedpurview=project)\n 2. Select the project.\n 3.\n In the **Principal** column, find all rows that identify you or a group that\n you're included in. To learn which groups you're included in, contact your\n administrator.\n\n 4. For all rows that specify or include you, check the **Role** column to see whether the list of roles includes the required roles.\n\n #### Grant the roles\n\n 1.\n In the Google Cloud console, go to the **IAM** page.\n\n [Go to IAM](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector/iam-admin/iam?supportedpurview=project)\n 2. Select the project.\n 3. Click person_add **Grant access**.\n 4.\n In the **New principals** field, enter your user identifier.\n\n This is typically the email address for a Google Account.\n\n 5. In the **Select a role** list, select a role.\n 6. To grant additional roles, click add **Add\n another role** and add each additional role.\n 7. Click **Save**.\n\n1. Enable the Compute Engine API.\n\n [Enable Compute Engine API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/api/compute.googleapis.com/overview)\n2. 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).\n\nCreate a Windows Server VM instance\n-----------------------------------\n\n1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the **Create an instance** page.\n\n [Go to Create an instance](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/instancesAdd)\n2. In the **Boot disk** section, click **Change** to begin configuring your boot disk.\n3. On the **Public images** tab, choose **Windows Server** from the **Operating system** list.\n4. Choose **Windows Server 2019 Datacenter** from the **Version** list.\n5. Click **Select**.\n6. In the **Firewall** section, select **Allow HTTP traffic**.\n7. To create the VM, click **Create**.\n\nAllow a short time for the VM instance to start. After the VM instance is ready, it is\nlisted on the **VM instances** page with a green status icon.\n\nConnect to the VM instance\n--------------------------\n\n1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the **VM instances** page.\n\n [Go to VM instances](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/instances)\n2. Under the **Name** column, click the name of your VM instance.\n\n3. Under the **Remote access** section, click **Set Windows password**.\n\n4. Specify a username, then click **Set** to generate a new password for this\n Windows Server VM. Save the username and password so you can log into the\n VM.\n\n5. [Install the Chrome Remote Desktop service](/architecture/chrome-desktop-remote-windows-compute-engine#install_the_chrome_remote_desktop_service) on your VM.\n\n6. Connect to your VM instance using your choice of\n [graphical](/compute/docs/instances/connecting-to-windows#iap-desktop) or\n [command line](/compute/docs/instances/connecting-to-windows#remote-desktop-connection-app)\n tools.\n\nClean up\n--------\n\n\nTo avoid incurring charges to your Google Cloud account for\nthe resources used on this page, follow these steps.\n\n1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the **VM instances** page.\n\n [Go to VM instances](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/instances)\n2. Click the name of the VM instance you created.\n\n3. At the top of the VM instance's details page, click **Delete**.\n\nWhat's next\n-----------\n\n- Learn about [Windows Server images provided by Compute Engine](/compute/docs/images/os-details#windows_server).\n\n- Learn about [Microsoft software on Compute Engine](/compute/docs/instances/windows).\n\n- [Set up a basic IIS web server](/compute/docs/tutorials/basic-webserver-iis).\n\n- [Deploy an ASP.NET app on Compute Engine](/compute/docs/tutorials/deploy-aspnet-app).\n\n- Learn how to [create and manage Windows Server instances](/compute/docs/instances/windows/creating-managing-windows-instances).\n\n- [Deploy a fault-tolerant Microsoft Active Directory environment](/compute/docs/tutorials/setup-active-directory)."]]