When an Azure VM is deleted does it also removes all the files/directories?

Question

When an Azure VM is deleted from portal, does it also removes all the files/directories from its file system that were created after it was provisioned?

Answer 1

If you delete a VM in the Azure Portal only the compute object is deleted.
This means the os disk with file system and all folders and files is still available (and you are charged for it).
It's easy to verify:

• Create a VM
• Delete the VM
• Click on "All resources" in the Azure Portal and search for the computer name.
• There should be a disk object with the name <computername>_osdisk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You have to delete the orphaned disk manually in the Azure Portal.

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(If the reply was helpful please don't forget to upvote and/or accept as answer, thank you)

Regards
Andreas Baumgarten

Answer 2

Hi @Ananya Sarkar
Thank You for posting Q & A.

If you remove a Azure VM, the component dependencies, that is data disks, virtual network interfaces, and diagnostic containers, will remain in the resource group. These items won't be automatically deleted along with your OS disc.

After VM deletion you need to select OS disk & data disk for deletion.

Once you delete the OS or Data disk it will delete all files and directories.

refer - Delete a VM overview

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Answer 3

@SUNOJ KUMAR YELURU . Ok, actually I have deleted the VM, VM-ip, NSG, disk & NIC from the resource group. This means that the files will also get removed, whatever i have added earlier. Is it correct?
I want to ensure that the files that i added cannot be retrieved, once I remove the VM from azure portal. Plz confirm.

Answer 4

This means that the files will also get removed, whatever i have added earlier. Is it correct?

All files, folders on the disk and the disk itself are gone if you delete the disk object resource in Azure.

In Azure it's the same like with on-premises virtualisation (Hyper-V or VMware): If you delete a disk object (vhdx file or vmdk file) all data, files, folders in the vhdx/vmdk file are "gone" as well.

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(If the reply was helpful please don't forget to upvote and/or accept as answer, thank you)

Regards
Andreas Baumgarten

Answer 5

you have the option now to delete the Disks , IPs and Nics associated to the Virtual machine when you delete the VM. you have to choose the setting while you are creating the VM
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/delete?tabs=portal2%2Ccli3%2Cportal4%2Cportal5