Creating Windows EC2 in AWS

An EC2 instance, short for Elastic Compute Cloud, is essentially a virtual computer hosted on the cloud. In this article, I will share my learning of whatever I have leant so far creating an EC2 instance in a straightforward manner for everyone to grasp easily.

Understanding EC2 Instances

Let me elaborate on the concept. Picture yourself renting a car: you pay to use it for a specific period, and then you return it. Cloud platforms operate on a similar premise. They provide the ability to rent out computing resources, paying only for the time they’re utilized, which is often more cost-effective than purchasing physical hardware, especially in the short term. Fortunately, AWS offers a 12-month free tier period before applying charges.

Getting Started

1.Create an AWS Account:To begin, you need to create an AWS account.

2.Navigate to EC2: Once done, you’ll find yourself on the AWS dashboard. Navigate to the search bar and look for EC2.

3. Choose a Region: Here, you’ll select a region. Regions determine where your specific instance will be located, much like renting a car in Paris versus Germany.

4. Launch an Instance: Click the launch instance at the bottom of the screen, and you should arrive at this page.

Configuring the Instance

1.Choose Windows: Select the Windows option for your instance.

2.Select Free Tier Eligible Options: Make sure to check the options eligible for the free tier to avoid charges, unless you prefer otherwise.

3. Create a Key Pair: This is important for securely accessing your instance. Follow the prompts to create a key pair.Keep this very securely as people may be able to access your account.

I have used free tier everywhere as it is free for 12 months starting from signup

After that, Press launch instance and wait for it to load

After clicking you should arrive on this page.

Accessing Your Instance

1. Check Instance Status: Once done, press “Launch Instance” and await its initialisation. Keep refreshing the page until the instance state reads as “running” and the status check shows “2/2.”

2. Connect to the Instance: Select the checkbox next to the instance, then click “Connect.” Navigate to the RDP client tab and click “Get Password.”

3. Decrypt Password: Upload your key pair, decrypt the password, and copy it.

4.Download Remote Desktop File: Download the remote desktop file provided.

5. Connect via Remote Desktop: Open the downloaded file, paste the decrypted password, and you’ll find yourself on a Windows desktop.As shown below.

Remote desktop is feature available for windows. If you are a Mac user, you will have to download Microsoft Remote Desktop to check out your instance.

Managing Your Instance

If you wish to temporarily stop or permanently shut down the instance, navigate to the instance state and click “Stop” or “Terminate” accordingly.

Conclusion

I hope you found this article helpful, and stay tuned for more content.