You can deploy Windows on an ECS instance by using an image that contains the operating system and applications. This topic describes how to deploy Windows on an ECS instance by replacing its image.

Prerequisites

  • An Alibaba Cloud account is created. To create an Alibaba Cloud account, go to the Alibaba Cloud official website.
  • The instance is stopped. If the instance is not stopped, stop it first. For more information, see Stop an instance.
    Warning
    • When you stop an instance, the services running on the instance may be interrupted. Proceed with caution.
    • If the target instance is a pay-as-you-go instance and the No Fees for Stopped Instances (VPC-Connected) feature is enabled, the instance may not be able to start after you replace the operating system. We recommend that you disable the No Fees for Stopped Instances (VPC-Connected) feature before you stop the instance.

Background information

Alibaba Cloud Marketplace images contain operating systems and applications and can be used to deploy application environments of ECS instances. For more information, see Alibaba Cloud Marketplace.

You can choose one of the following methods to use Alibaba Cloud Marketplace images that contain the Windows application environment:

  • If you are creating an instance, select an Alibaba Cloud Marketplace image that contains the Windows application environment. For more information, see ECS instance creation overview.
  • If you are using an existing instance, you can replace the operating system of the instance with an Alibaba Cloud Marketplace image that contains the Windows application environment.
The procedure in the tutorial applies to existing ECS instances. You can deploy Windows by changing current images to Alibaba Cloud Marketplace images. The tutorial only describes the general procedure for using Alibaba Cloud Marketplace images. The buy page of Alibaba Cloud Marketplace images contains the how-to guide. Read the guide before you use the images.
Note
  • You cannot install or deploy virtualization software such as KVM, Xen, or VMware on ECS instances.
  • After the operating system is replaced, the original system disk will be released and the data will be permanently lost. Exercise caution when you replace the operating system. For more information, see Replace the system disk (non-public images).

Procedure

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Instances.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. Replace the system disk of the ECS instance.
    1. Find the target instance. In the Actions column, choose More > Disk and Image > Replace System Disk.
    2. In the Replace System Disk message that appears, click OK.
      Considerations for replacing the system disk
    3. On the Replace System Disk page, set Image Type to Marketplace Image, and click Select from image market (including operating system).
      Select an Alibaba Cloud Marketplace image
    4. In the left-side navigation pane, select All Categories or enter the image that you want to use and click Search. Select the target image and click Use.
    5. Set the logon password of the ECS instance. Enter the password in the Login Password field and enter the password again in the Confirm Password field.
    6. In the lower-right corner of the Replace System Disk page, read and select ECS Service Terms and Image Product Terms of Use , and then click Confirm to Change.
      Confirm to Change

Result

If the message as shown in the following figure appears, the operating system of the ECS instance is replaced.System disk replaced

Click Back to Instance List to go back to the Instances page. The instance automatically starts. Connect to the instance, and you can use the Windows environment. For more information about how to connect to an instance, see Overview.