Unable to create any virtual machine on Azure Free Account

Question

Unable to create any virtual machine on Azure Free Account

rez cho 0

I recently created an Azure Free Account with $200 credit to build a lab for a project.

I have tested several regions. I also tested a standard Windows 10 Enterprise 22H2 x64 Gen 2 image and checked B-series sizes including Standard_B1s, Standard_B2s, Standard_B2ats_v2 and Standard_B2ts_v2. No selectable VM sizes are available.

PLease can anybody help with the below

Which Azure region currently permits VM deployment for free tier subscription.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A

Hello @rez cho , I hope you are doing well,

With an Azure Free Account, there are specific subscription limits, eligible VM offerings, and regional capacity constraints. The availability of a VM is not guaranteed in every region, even when the VM size is normally supported.

If you are unable to select any VM sizes, the most common causes are:

The selected VM size is not available for your subscription in that region.

The required vCPU quota is unavailable for the subscription.

There is currently insufficient capacity for the selected VM SKU in that region.

The selected image or other VM configuration is not eligible for the Free Account offer.

Since you have already tested multiple regions and B-series sizes, I recommend the following:

Check Subscriptions > Usage + quotas > Microsoft.Compute and confirm that you have available vCPU quota for the B-series.

Try a basic configuration with Standard_B1s, using a supported Windows or Linux image and standard disk options.

If deployment still fails, capture the exact error message returned by Azure. Errors such as SkuNotAvailable, NotAvailableForSubscription, or quota-related errors indicate different underlying causes.

There is no single Azure region that can be guaranteed to permit VM deployment for every Free Account subscription. VM availability is evaluated based on the specific subscription, region, SKU, and current Azure capacity.

I

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Jose Benjamin Solis Nolasco 11,301 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-08-10T00:17:37.65+00:00

@rez cho Just following up, Do you need more guidance or assistance ?
Jose Benjamin Solis Nolasco 11,301 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-08-18T23:34:51.3333333+00:00

@rez cho Just following up, Do you need more guidance or assistance ?

Answer 2

There is no single Azure region that is designated as the only free-tier region for Azure Free Account VMs. Free services can be created in any region where the service and VM size are available, as long as usage stays within the free account limits.

For Azure Free Account VM eligibility, the documented free VM options include:

B1S
B2pts v2
B2ats v2

Each is usable for up to 750 hours per month within the free account limits.

For the issue where no VM sizes are selectable, the supported guidance is:

Create the VM from the Free services page in the Azure portal, not from the general VM creation flow. Free tiers or free configurations are not always selected by default outside that page.
In the Azure portal, search for free services, then create the VM from there.
If a VM size is unavailable in a region, either:
- choose a different region where that VM size is available, or
- choose a VM size that is available in the selected region.
If deployment still fails, check the Azure activity logs or deployment operations to identify whether the problem is an allocation failure or a provisioning failure.

For the Windows 10 Enterprise image specifically, Windows client images in Azure are for dev/test scenarios and require an appropriate Visual Studio subscription.