Computers
Create, connect to, and look after your Windows cloud computers.
Creating
Create a computer step by stepFive short steps take you from picking a region to paying. Your card is charged when you finish, and setup then usually takes 3 to 7 minutes.Choose a region for your computerPick the region closest to the people using the computer, so it feels quicker. Prices differ by region, and a computer cannot move once it is created.Choose the right plan for your computerA plan sets how many processors, how much memory and how much storage a computer has. You can change plan later, and each one shows its monthly price.How many computers you can haveEvery company has a computer limit, and it is higher once your organization is verified. Reaching it stops new computers and never affects existing ones.How long a new computer takes to set upA new computer usually takes 3 to 7 minutes to set up. It can take longer if its region is being prepared, and you can leave the page while it runs.What each computer status meansThe badge beside a computer shows whether it is on, off or busy. A busy computer cannot take other changes until it finishes what it is doing.Rename a computerChange the name people see in your computers list. It takes effect at once, with no restart, and does not change anything inside Windows.
Connecting
Connect to your computer in a browserOpen your Windows computer in a browser tab, with nothing to install and no password to type. Your address does not need to be on the allowed list.Connect with Remote Desktop on WindowsDownload a small file from the portal, open it, and type the computer's password. Windows already includes the Remote Desktop app you need.Connect with Remote Desktop on a MacInstall Microsoft's free Windows App from the Mac App Store, then open the file you download from the portal and type the computer's password.Browser or Remote Desktop, which should I useA browser needs nothing installed. Remote Desktop needs an app and an allowed address, and can use your own printers and drives.Find or change your computer's username and passwordWe create a Windows username and password for each computer. See them on the computer's page, or change the password there. The computer must be running.Control which addresses can connect with Remote DesktopRemote Desktop only connects from network addresses on the computer's allowed list. See how yours gets added, and how to add or remove others.Share your screen with a linkCreate a link so someone can watch your browser session, or use the mouse and keyboard, without signing in. Links end on a timer or when you disconnect.Copy, paste and move files to your computerText copies between your device and your computer. A browser session cannot transfer files, so use Remote Desktop or Cloud Drive to move them.Use full screen and keyboard shortcutsClick Full screen in a browser session, or use Remote Desktop, which opens full screen. Some shortcuts stay with your own device, and a few differ.Disconnect or shut down, what is the differenceDisconnecting leaves your computer on with your programs open. Shutting down turns it off and closes them. Neither one changes what you pay.
Sound and microphone
Sound and microphone in a browser sessionSound from your computer is set to play through your own speakers in a browser session. The microphone does not work there at the moment.Sound and microphone over Remote DesktopThe RDP file plays your computer's sound on your own device and passes your microphone to the computer. Allow microphone access on your device if asked.
Power
Start, stop or restart a computerUse the menu on the Computers page. Stopping turns the computer off and keeps your files, and it does not stop what you are charged.What you still pay for while a computer is stoppedA stopped computer costs the same as a running one. Its plan, disks and static IP stay on your bill until you delete the computer or remove them.Delete a computer and cancel its subscriptionDeleting permanently removes the computer, its files, disks and snapshots, and stops its monthly charge. There is no refund for the current billing period.
Resize
Disks
What disks a computer hasEvery computer has one primary disk that holds Windows, and it can have extra disks for more space. See them all on the Storage tab.Add a disk to a computerAdd an extra disk from the Storage tab. Your card is charged when you confirm, the computer disconnects for 1 to 3 minutes, and the new drive is ready to use.Make the primary disk biggerGrow the C drive from the Storage tab. This is permanent, since the disk cannot shrink again. Windows gets the new space automatically after a reboot.Find and use new disk space in WindowsNew space is set up for you. A bigger primary disk adds to the C drive, and an extra disk appears as a new drive you can use straight away.Delete an extra diskRemoving an extra disk permanently deletes its files and reboots the computer. Billing for it ends at the end of the billing cycle, with no refund.
Static IPs
What a static IP is and when you need oneA static IP gives your computer a network address that stays the same. Most people do not need one unless another service must recognize the computer.Add or remove a static IPSwitch a computer's address type on the Networking tab. Either way its address changes and it can be offline for 1 to 2 minutes. Removing one releases it.
Snapshots
What a snapshot is and how snapshots workA snapshot is a saved copy of a disk that you can go back to. We take one a day and keep it for 7 days. You cannot take one yourself.Restore a computer from a snapshotRestoring puts the primary disk back to the day of the snapshot and loses everything changed since. The computer restarts, which takes about 1 to 3 minutes.
More about your computer
Find your way around a computer's pageEach computer has its own page, with tabs for its plan, disks, network settings, snapshots and sign-in details. Here is what each tab is for.Use a computer as an employeeIf your company gave you a computer, it appears on your Computers page. You can connect, start and restart it. An admin handles plans, disks and payment.Install Microsoft 365 or your own programsInstall Word, Excel and PowerPoint from the Apps tab, then activate them with your own Microsoft license. You can install anything else inside Windows.Assign a computer to someoneGive a computer to one person in your company from its Users tab. They see it on their own page, and company admins can always reach every computer.Test your internet speedMeasures the download and upload speed of the device you run it on, in about half a minute. It does not test your computer unless you run it there.