My VM is down and needs fixing

Hello Tom Bedell

Thank you for reaching out, and I’m truly sorry to hear that your VM has been unreachable for the past two weeks. I understand how frustrating and disruptive this must be, especially after your efforts to troubleshoot the issue yourself.

We’d like to get this resolved for you as quickly as possible. To help us better understand what might be causing the problem and to avoid repeating any steps you’ve already tried, could you please answer below queries:

1. From the Azure Portal, is your VM showing as Running, and is the VM Agent status listed as Ready?
2. Were any changes made to the VM (such as updates, configuration changes, or deployments) before it became unreachable?
3. Have you checked Resource Health for your VM to see if there is any notification for your VM outage?
4. Have you already attempted actions like Restart, Redeploy, or Stop and Start from the portal? If so, did you observe any change in behavior?
5. Are you able to access the Serial Console for the VM?
6. Can you share a screenshot or details from Boot Diagnostics (if enabled)? This could help us determine if the OS is booting properly.
7. Could you list the troubleshooting steps you’ve already tried? This will help us avoid repeating guidance and focus on what’s most useful for your case.

Additionally, I’ve sent a Private message requesting a few specific details about your VM, kindly check and share those details so that we can assist you better way.

Sharing some general troubleshooting tips below:

For SSH failure on Linux based VMs:

You can reset credentials, SSH configuration, or troubleshoot the status of the SSH service by using one of the following methods:

• Azure portal - great if you need to quickly reset the SSH configuration or SSH key and you don't have the Azure tools installed.
• Azure VM Serial Console - the VM serial console will work regardless of the SSH configuration, and will provide you with an interactive console to your VM. In fact, "can't SSH" situations are specifically what the serial console was designed to help solve. More details below.
• Use Run Command through Azure portal - You can run basic commands by using the Run Command functionality through the Azure portal. The output will be returned to the portal.
• Azure CLI - if you are already on the command line, quickly reset the SSH configuration or credentials.
• Azure VMAccessForLinux extension - create and reuse json definition files to reset the SSH configuration or user credentials.

For detailed troubleshooting, please refer: https://free.blessedness.top/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/linux/troubleshoot-ssh-connection#available-methods-to-troubleshoot-ssh-connection-issues

For RDP failure on Windows based VMs:

1. Reset Remote Desktop configuration.
2. Check Network Security Group rules / Cloud Services endpoints.
3. Review VM console logs.
4. Reset the NIC for the VM.
5. Check the VM Resource Health.
6. Reset your VM password.
7. Restart your VM.
8. Redeploy your VM.

For more details for the steps, kindly refer: https://free.blessedness.top/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/windows/troubleshoot-rdp-connection

@Tom Bedell

Could you please provide an update on this post?

Kindly let us know if the suggested steps helps or you need further assistance on this issue.