Added a User but Unable to Login

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Added a User but Unable to Login

GILES FINANCIAL CONSULTING LLC 0

I need to make sure I have the right resources to have the capacity of 2-3 users logging into virtual machine from remote locations.

Marcin Policht 82,685 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-24T22:42:16.4966667+00:00

To support 2–3 concurrent remote users on an Azure VM, the main factors to validate are VM sizing (CPU and RAM), storage performance, network capacity, operating system limits, and licensing.

For light workloads such as basic Office applications, browser usage, and line-of-business apps, a VM with 2–4 vCPUs and 8–16 GB RAM is typically sufficient for 2–3 simultaneous users. A common starting point is a general-purpose VM such as D4s_v5 (4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM). If workloads are very light, D2s_v5 (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM) may work, but it leaves less performance headroom. If users will run heavier applications, increase CPU and RAM accordingly. As a rough planning estimate, budget 1 vCPU and 2–4 GB RAM per active user, plus 1–2 GB RAM for the OS.

For storage, use Premium SSD rather than Standard HDD. Premium SSD provides consistent IOPS and lower latency, which improves multi-user responsiveness. Even a P10 disk is usually enough for light usage, but if applications are disk-intensive, consider higher IOPS tiers. Ensure the OS disk and any data disks meet expected throughput requirements.

For networking, 2–3 RDP users require minimal bandwidth unless transferring large files or streaming media. Typical RDP sessions use roughly 1–3 Mbps per user under normal office activity. Standard Azure VM NIC bandwidth for general-purpose sizes is more than sufficient.

Operating system choice is also essential. Windows 10/11 Pro allows only one remote interactive session at a time. If you need multiple concurrent users on a single VM, you must use Windows Server with Remote Desktop Services (RDS). On Windows Server, you must install the RDS Session Host role and properly license it with Remote Desktop Services Client Access Licenses (RDS CALs). You need one RDS CAL per user (or per device). Without RDS licensing, concurrent sessions are not legally supported beyond the administrative limit.

If this is production usage, you should not expose RDP (port 3389) directly to the internet. Use Azure Bastion or a VPN (such as Point-to-Site VPN via Azure VPN Gateway) to secure remote access. Azure Bastion is simpler to manage and reduces security risk.

To check resource usage once deployed, monitor CPU, memory, and disk metrics in Azure Monitor. If CPU consistently exceeds 70–80 percent during concurrent sessions, or available memory drops below 20 percent free, scale up the VM size.

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
GILES FINANCIAL CONSULTING LLC 0 Reputation points

2026-02-24T23:36:48.0733333+00:00

Am I not able to talk to someone? I was initially told that I had the proper setup along with the right version of Windows. Now I am seeing that I need Windows Server. I am not sure if I am adding the users in the correct place. Am I supposed to be assigning roles? All of this is a bit overwhelming. I need help.
GILES FINANCIAL CONSULTING LLC 0 Reputation points

2026-02-24T23:38:36.41+00:00

Does each user need to have a Microsoft Entra ID? I was hoping to create a default User name like User 1 and User 2, is that possible?
GILES FINANCIAL CONSULTING LLC 0 Reputation points

2026-02-24T23:57:57.1666667+00:00

Am I Supposed to have a session host? and should the VM be added to it? I do not see any virtual machines under my Host pool. Is that supposed to be?
Marcin Policht 82,685 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-25T12:09:21.34+00:00

It appears you are using AVD - you should've started with that. For Azure Virtual Desktop supporting 2–3 concurrent users on a single session host, you should size the VM based on pooled multi-session usage. For light productivity workloads such as Microsoft 365, web apps, and basic line-of-business applications, start with a general-purpose VM such as D4s_v5 (4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM). This provides comfortable headroom. A D2s_v5 (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM) can work for very light usage but leaves little buffer. A practical estimate is 1 vCPU and 2–4 GB RAM per active user, plus overhead for the OS and AVD agents.

Use Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session or Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session for pooled host pools. Do not use single-session OS images if you expect concurrent users on the same VM. Licensing is covered if users have eligible Microsoft 365 licenses such as M365 Business Premium, E3, or E5, or equivalent Windows Enterprise licensing.

Use Premium SSD for the OS disk to maintain consistent performance. If using FSLogix profile containers, store profiles on Azure Files Premium or another high-performance SMB share to avoid logon latency. Disk performance becomes important even with only 2–3 users when profiles are containerized.

Avoid exposing RDP directly. AVD brokers connections through the service, so no inbound port 3389 is required. Ensure the VM has outbound internet access to required AVD service URLs.

After deployment, monitor session host metrics in Azure Monitor. If CPU regularly exceeds 70–80 percent or available memory drops below about 20 percent during concurrent sessions, scale the VM size up within the same series.

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
Himanshu Shekhar 4,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-27T20:47:42.2766667+00:00

GILES Just checking if provided response from Marcin was helpful! please let me know if you have any queries.

1 answer

Your answer

GILES FINANCIAL CONSULTING LLC 0 Reputation points

2026-02-24T23:36:48.0733333+00:00

Am I not able to talk to someone? I was initially told that I had the proper setup along with the right version of Windows. Now I am seeing that I need Windows Server. I am not sure if I am adding the users in the correct place. Am I supposed to be assigning roles? All of this is a bit overwhelming. I need help.
GILES FINANCIAL CONSULTING LLC 0 Reputation points

2026-02-24T23:38:36.41+00:00

Does each user need to have a Microsoft Entra ID? I was hoping to create a default User name like User 1 and User 2, is that possible?
GILES FINANCIAL CONSULTING LLC 0 Reputation points

2026-02-24T23:57:57.1666667+00:00

Am I Supposed to have a session host? and should the VM be added to it? I do not see any virtual machines under my Host pool. Is that supposed to be?
Marcin Policht 82,685 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-02-25T12:09:21.34+00:00

It appears you are using AVD - you should've started with that. For Azure Virtual Desktop supporting 2–3 concurrent users on a single session host, you should size the VM based on pooled multi-session usage. For light productivity workloads such as Microsoft 365, web apps, and basic line-of-business applications, start with a general-purpose VM such as D4s_v5 (4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM). This provides comfortable headroom. A D2s_v5 (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM) can work for very light usage but leaves little buffer. A practical estimate is 1 vCPU and 2–4 GB RAM per active user, plus overhead for the OS and AVD agents.

Use Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session or Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session for pooled host pools. Do not use single-session OS images if you expect concurrent users on the same VM. Licensing is covered if users have eligible Microsoft 365 licenses such as M365 Business Premium, E3, or E5, or equivalent Windows Enterprise licensing.

Use Premium SSD for the OS disk to maintain consistent performance. If using FSLogix profile containers, store profiles on Azure Files Premium or another high-performance SMB share to avoid logon latency. Disk performance becomes important even with only 2–3 users when profiles are containerized.

Avoid exposing RDP directly. AVD brokers connections through the service, so no inbound port 3389 is required. Ensure the VM has outbound internet access to required AVD service URLs.

After deployment, monitor session host metrics in Azure Monitor. If CPU regularly exceeds 70–80 percent or available memory drops below about 20 percent during concurrent sessions, scale the VM size up within the same series.

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
Himanshu Shekhar 4,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-27T20:47:42.2766667+00:00

GILES Just checking if provided response from Marcin was helpful! please let me know if you have any queries.

Answer 1

GILES

For supporting of users logging into a single Azure VM via RDP from remote locations, start with a General-Purpose D‑series VM. For light to moderate workloads (Office apps, browsers, basic tools), 2 vCPUs and 8 GB RAM is typically sufficient (for example, Standard_D2as_v5 with Premium SSD).

If users run heavier apps or multiple applications concurrently, scale to 4 vCPUs and 16 GB RAM (for example, Standard_D4as_v5) to ensure a smooth experience. Microsoft recommends right‑sizing based on concurrent user count and workload type and adjusting after monitoring actual usage

Supporting Microsoft documentation

Session host virtual machine sizing guidelines for Azure Virtual Desktop and Remote Desktop Services - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/session-host-virtual-machine-sizing-guidelines
Sizes for virtual machines in Azure - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/sizes/overview?tabs=breakdownseries%2Cgeneralsizelist%2Ccomputesizelist%2Cmemorysizelist%2Cstoragesizelist%2Cgpusizelist%2Cfpgasizelist%2Chpcsizelist

If you have any further queries, let me know. If the information is helpful, please click on Upvote and Accept Answer on it.

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Added a User but Unable to Login

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