Datacenter VM for Windows Server 2025

You get Datacenter VM images with Windows Server 2025 in three plans — Datacenter, Datacenter: Azure Edition, and Datacenter: Azure Edition as a Server Core installation — fully patched to 16 October 2026 for Generation 2 VMs with Trusted Launch. Each is built from Microsoft's own marketplace image for that edition, with the October 2026 updates installed and the Windows Update and firewall services left on.

Who it's for

• Teams deploying new workloads on the current Windows Server release in Azure
• Administrators who want Azure Edition features such as hotpatching, available only on Azure
• Teams that prefer a Server Core installation (no desktop experience) for a smaller footprint, managed remotely

What's included

• Datacenter edition with Windows Server 2025 (build 26100.33650) with the October 2026 updates (KB5126645, KB5126646)
• Azure Edition and Azure Edition Server Core plans from Microsoft's Azure Edition images
• Microsoft Edge 155 on the desktop plans (Server Core has no browser); CVE-2013-3900 certificate-padding mitigation enabled
• Windows Firewall and all its profiles on; Windows Update enabled

After deployment

• Deploy it from the Azure portal: set the administrator user name and password and allow inbound RDP (port 3389) from your own IP address only; on the Core plan, manage it with PowerShell remoting, Windows Admin Center or RDP to the command prompt.
• The OpenSSH server that ships with this Windows release listens on port 22; allow it in the network security group (NSG, the firewall rules Azure applies to the VM) only if you use it.
• Run Windows Update to pick up anything released after 16 October 2026.

Why this image

• A fresh build checked on a deployed test VM before publishing: generalized, no build accounts, scripts or build certificates left behind, Windows Firewall and Windows Update on, patched 0 days before capture, and the Azure Marketplace certification rubric passed
• Email support at support@dcassociatesgroup.com and a quick-start page at www.dcassociatesgroup.com/support/

How it runs on Azure

The VM runs in your own Azure subscription and virtual network. Billing is pay-as-you-go on your Azure invoice: an hourly software charge per vCPU plus standard Azure compute and storage; the Windows Server licence is included in the Azure VM price. Requirement: a VM size that supports Generation 2 and Trusted Launch.