force to: "confirm I have an eligible Windows 10/11 license with multi-tenant hosting rights." when creating Windows 11 VM

Liran Hovav 25

Hi,

I'm new to Azure, After passing AZ-900 I decided to actually try Azure, I'm trying to create a Windows 11 VM resource, But I'm forced to check the attached checkbox.

I tried to find first a solution on the web but all I found is confused people about this checkbox, some said it was a bug and just check the box and continue, some said that I have to buy a license, some docs are out of date...(not showing details about Windows 11).

How can I continue with creating the resource? Do I need to buy a license from the marketplace? how much does it cost?...I'm afraid that I will be charged high fees without knowing until I actually purchase the license.

I'm sorry if I'm asking a basic question...I'm here after I looked enough on the web.

Thank you.

kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-03-28T15:36:44.01+00:00

Hello, @Liran Hovav !

I hope this has been helpful! Your feedback is important so please take a moment to accept answers.

If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered. Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A!
kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-03-29T18:04:53.3833333+00:00
Hello, @Liran Hovav ! We have received your feedback and want to make sure that your questions have been answered.

How can I continue with creating the resource?

You need to have a multi-tenant license as stated in the documentation to check the box and continue with VM creation unless you have either a Student or Free Trial accounts (which can deploy Windows 11 images for development or testing purposes).

Do I need to buy a license from the marketplace?

You do need to purchase the license from outside of the Azure marketplace. Windows 11 (unlike Windows Server) is a bring your own license VM. This means that you'll need to buy a qualifying license which you confirm you have when you check the multi-tenant hosting rights box during VM creation.

How much does it cost?

Quick disclaimer: Azure sales is able to provide quotes. In these technical forums, we are limited to quoting documentation when it comes to pricing--you'll have to confirm prices with sales before purchasing. Having said that, I went through the links and this appears to be the least expensive options (Dev/Test using Windows 10 seems to allow for monthly whereas Production using Windows 11 looks like it requires an annual commitment):

Dev/Test use: Get a qualifying subscription of Visual Studio to use Windows client which will allow Windows 10. Azure sales would have to guide you from here but it appears that you can currently subscribe for $45/user/month.

Production use: Get a qualifying license, usually an enterprise, VDA, or education license. Azure sales would have to guide you from here but it appears that you can currently subscribe for $36/user/month with an annual commitment.

Your feedback is important so please confirm that your question has been addressed by taking a moment to accept answers.

Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A!
kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-04-01T18:31:12.45+00:00

Hello, @Liran Hovav ! Please confirm that your questions have been answered by accepting an answer.

If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments. Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A!
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2 answers

kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-03-27T18:59:41.4666667+00:00
Hello, @Liran Hovav !

Why do I need to check the "confirm I have an eligible Windows 10/11 license with multi-tenant hosting rights." when creating Windows 11 VM?

Edit: There is very new guidance that allows for Student and Free trial accounts to deploy Windows 11 images for development or testing purposes.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/windows-desktop-multitenant-hosting-deployment

Windows licensing is a somewhat complicated subject but the simplified version is that for Windows 10 and Windows 11, you must purchase a cloud compatible license in order to use a Windows 10 or Windows 11 VM. This means purchasing one of the two types of licenses below:

Windows Client (dev/test, and your scenario): You can use Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 Enterprise (x64) in Azure for dev/test scenarios provided you have an appropriate Visual Studio (formerly MSDN) subscription.

Windows 11: Requires enterprise/multitenant license.

Windows Server, on the other hand, includes the license in the VM price (as you are charged per core).

This means that the simplest path to a Windows 10/11 license for Azure (or any cloud environment) is:

Use a student or free trial account (they currently qualify, so you can check the box)

Dev/Test use: Get a qualifying subscription of Visual Studio to use Windows client which will allow Windows 10. Azure sales would have to guide you from here but it appears that you can currently subscribe for $45/user/month.

Production use: Get a qualifying license, usually an enterprise, VDA, or education license. Azure sales would have to guide you from here but it appears that you can currently subscribe for $36/user/month with an annual commitment.

Hopefully this helps. Congrats on passing the AZ-900!

I hope this has been helpful! Your feedback is important so please take a moment to accept answers.

If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered. Thank you for helping to improve Microsoft Q&A!
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Liran Hovav 25 Reputation points

2024-03-27T19:33:47.3133333+00:00

Hi, Thanks for the reply, tbh, I would like to understand how to purchase that license just for the sake that I feel it is mandatory...
the link that you have attached: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/windows-desktop-multitenant-hosting-deployment
under the "Important" box redirect to M365: https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-365?rtc=2

Is there a way just to buy the Windows 11 license in a simple way without all the hustle?

Thank you.

kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-03-27T20:07:48.0833333+00:00

Hello, @Liran Hovav !

I just updated my answer as it looks like the guidance has very recently been updated. Student and free accounts are able to deploy Windows 11 images for development and testing purposes. "Student Use Benefit" is now listed as a license entitlement.

This is a great change because historically the licenses have been targeting businesses and universities at scale. Getting a single license for Windows 10/11 was much more expensive and much more time consuming than deploying a single Windows Server VM.

If you had to buy a license (no student/free subscription), the simplest way to get a single license (at least as of late last year) was to get a qualifying Visual Studio subscription and it was very difficult to justify for most single use scenarios. Enterprise, university, and business at scale licenses for multi-tenant were even more difficult for single users.

kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-03-28T07:05:17.3733333+00:00

Hello, @Liran Hovav !

To summarize (as I know this is complicated), the simplest path to a Windows 10/11 license for Azure (or any cloud environment):

Use a student or free trial account (they currently qualify, so you can check the box)

Dev/Test use: Get a qualifying subscription of Visual Studio to use Windows client which will allow Windows 10. Azure sales would have to guide you from here but it appears that you can currently subscribe for $45/user/month.

Production use: Get a qualifying license, usually an enterprise, VDA, or education license. Azure sales would have to guide you from here but it appears that you can currently subscribe for $36/user/month with an annual commitment.
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Marcin Policht 10,675 Reputation points MVP

2024-03-27T19:00:09.28+00:00

You need to have a license in order to comply with the licensing requirements.

Details are available at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/windows-desktop-multitenant-hosting-deployment

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
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Liran Hovav 25 Reputation points

2024-03-27T19:36:36.4233333+00:00

Thanks for the reply..I read the document before...if this document supposed to help it does the opposite...

Marcin Policht 10,675 Reputation points MVP

2024-03-27T19:41:06.4233333+00:00

Confirmed - here is the relevant part:

Users must have one of the below subscription licenses in order to use Windows 11 images in Azure for any production workload. If you do not have one of these subscription licenses, they can be purchased through your Cloud Service Partner or directly through Microsoft.

Operating systems and licenses

You have a choice of operating systems that you can use for session hosts to provide virtual desktops and remote apps. You can use different operating systems with different host pools to provide flexibility to your users. Supported dates are inline with the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. We support the following 64-bit versions of these operating systems:

Operating system licenses

Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session

Windows 11 Enterprise

Windows 10 Enterprise, version 1909 and later (For Windows 10 deployments)

License entitlement

Microsoft 365 E3, E5, A3, A5, F3, Business Premium, Student Use Benefit

Windows Enterprise E3, E5

Windows VDA E3, E5

Windows Education A3, A5

External users can use per-user access pricing instead of license entitlement.Users must have one of the below subscription licenses in order to use Windows 11 images in Azure for any production workload. If you do not have one of these subscription licenses, they can be purchased through your Cloud Service Partner or directly through Microsoft.

Operating systems and licenses

You have a choice of operating systems that you can use for session hosts to provide virtual desktops and remote apps. You can use different operating systems with different host pools to provide flexibility to your users. Supported dates are inline with the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. We support the following 64-bit versions of these operating systems:

Operating system licenses

Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session

Windows 11 Enterprise

Windows 10 Enterprise, version 1909 and later (For Windows 10 deployments)

License entitlement

Microsoft 365 E3, E5, A3, A5, F3, Business Premium, Student Use Benefit

Windows Enterprise E3, E5

Windows VDA E3, E5

Windows Education A3, A5

External users can use per-user access pricing instead of license entitlement.

hth

Marcin

Liran Hovav 25 Reputation points

2024-03-27T20:21:16.0466667+00:00

Thanks.
I read the doc, If I will click Microsoft it will redirect me to M365 (https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-365?rtc=2)

Do I need to subscribe to M365 to deploy Windows 11 on a VM? isn't a way to just purchase the license for Windows 11?

Marcin Policht 10,675 Reputation points MVP

2024-03-27T21:22:43.7733333+00:00

Admittedly, this is rather confusing. In short, you don't. You simply need a Windows 10/11 license. The following might help

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1339704/can-i-purchase-windows-10-11-license-and-install-i

hth

Marcin

Liran Hovav 25 Reputation points

2024-03-27T21:36:02.3233333+00:00

Thanks for the support and patience..if its really true so it's a "problem solved"

Marcin Policht 10,675 Reputation points MVP

2024-03-27T22:07:47.8266667+00:00

If so, then pls "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-03-27T23:00:13.5066667+00:00

Hello, @Liran Hovav !

I want to add a word of caution when it comes to licenses--Windows 10/11 are "bring your own license" when it comes to the cloud, which is why you tick the "I have multi-tenant hosting rights" box. Most Windows 10/11 licenses, however, are not multi-tenant licenses so you really do need to follow the documentation to make sure you have a qualifying license.

The last thing you want is to get a software audit only to find out your license is not valid for the VM you are using it on.

Liran Hovav 25 Reputation points

2024-03-28T06:08:35.2+00:00

Hi, Thanks for the reply, I read the doc multiple times, it links under the "Subscription Licenses that qualify for Multitenant Hosting Rights" to M365 subscription, is that the only way? Also, Purchasing Windows 11 Enterprise will be satisfactory?

Thanks.

kobulloc-MSFT 23,416 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2024-03-28T15:36:08.64+00:00

Hello, @Liran Hovav !

Windows Enterprise E3 or E5 are listed as qualifying licenses, yes. Sorry for the confusion!
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