Quick Start

Get your Azure Virtual Desktop environment running in approximately 5 minutes.

Prerequisites Checklist

Before starting, ensure you have:

• ✅ Azure CLI v2.40+ installed.
• ✅ Bicep CLI (included with Azure CLI v2.20+).
• ✅ PowerShell 5.1+.
• ✅ Azure subscription with Contributor role.
• ✅ Entra ID user account.
• ✅ Strong admin password for session hosts.

For detailed prerequisites, see Prerequisites Guide.

1. Clone and Authenticate

git clone https://github.com/markheydon/avd-occasional.git
cd avd-occasional
az login
az account show  # Verify correct subscription

2. Deploy Infrastructure (15-20 minutes)

# When prompted, enter a strong admin password for the session host VMs
.\scripts\Deploy-AvdOccasional.ps1

This creates all Azure Virtual Desktop resources: virtual network, host pool, session hosts, and more.

3. Assign Role Permissions (Required)

⚠️ Users cannot connect without these role assignments.

Role 1: Desktop Virtualization User (Application Group)

$appGroupId = (az resource list --resource-group avd-occasional-rg `
  --resource-type "Microsoft.DesktopVirtualization/applicationGroups" `
  --query '[0].id' -o tsv)

$userId = (az ad signed-in-user show --query id -o tsv)

az role assignment create `
  --role "Desktop Virtualization User" `
  --assignee $userId `
  --scope $appGroupId

Role 2: Virtual Machine User Login (Session Host VMs)

$userId = (az ad signed-in-user show --query id -o tsv)
$vmIds = @(az vm list --resource-group avd-occasional-rg --query '[].id' -o tsv)

foreach ($vmId in $vmIds) {
    az role assignment create `
      --role "Virtual Machine User Login" `
      --assignee $userId `
      --scope $vmId
}

Allow 5–10 minutes for roles to propagate before connecting.

4. Connect to Your Desktop

1. Install Windows App from Microsoft Store.
2. Open Windows App and sign in with your Entra ID account.
3. Select the “Personal Desktop” workspace.
4. Launch your desktop.

You’re now connected and can start working!

Next Steps

Save Costs Between Sessions

When finished working, deallocate VMs to save ~98% on compute costs:

⚠️ Your desktop, files, and applications are fully preserved. Only VM compute is paused, disks remain.

.\scripts\Stop-AvdOccasional.ps1

Restart whenever you need the desktop:

.\scripts\Start-AvdOccasional.ps1

Explore Further

• Architecture Overview – Understand the infrastructure.
• Full Deployment Guide – Detailed walkthrough and customisation.
• Troubleshooting – Common issues and solutions.
• PowerShell Scripts Reference – Available commands and options.

Issues?

See Troubleshooting Guide for common problems and solutions.

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Estimated time to first connection: 25–30 minutes (15–20 min deployment + 5–10 min role propagation).

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Last Updated: February 2026