Rename Azure VM in 4 Options

Renaming Azure VM is simple but not easy. Following this blog, you can rename Azure VM in 4 various options.

For various reasons, you want to rename the newly created or existing azure VM name, but changing the name for Azure VM is not as simple as in the file explorer. Because when you create a VM, Microsoft Azure creates and assigns various dependencies like Network card, IP address, virtual disk, etc.,

There is no rename option available for the Azure VM in the Azure portal, and you cannot achieve this task either through any PowerShell or other commands. Maybe Microsoft can think about this and provide a simplified option through the portal in future.

Vote for this feature: Ask Microsoft to add Rename Azure VM feature

I am sure about you, but I desperately need this feature for many of my clients. There is an open request for Rename Azure VM in the Microsoft Azure Feedback form with 1000+ votes and counting.

Unfortunately, there is no update current status update from the Microsoft side. So, we must wait until Microsoft provides this feature on their timeline.

There are 4 ways to rename Azure VM

Delete the VM by keeping the Disk and recreate the VM with the NEW name
Use any one of the following blog to rename Azure VM using PowerShell script (It will automatically delete the VM and create a new VM with the NEW name)
1. How to Rename an Azure VM Using PowerShell
2. How to: Rename Virtual Machine in Azure
The easiest option I prefer is Backup the VM and restore the VM with the New Name
Stop the VM and Create managed disks snapshots, Create new managed disks from snapshots in the Resource Group and Deploy new VM using managed disks in the Resource Group

Options 1 and 2 are complicated, so I prefer the 3rd or 4th easiest option. For 3rd option, please follow this step-by-step Instruction

Backup VMs documentation:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-arm-vms

Restore VM documentation:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-arm-restore-vms

Note:

When restoring the VM, select the “Create New” option, as shown in the image below, and give the new VM name.