Install Azure IaaS VM Agent on a Virtual Machine

Q: How do I install and enable the Azure VM Agent for existing virtual machines?

A: When new virtual machines are provisioned in Azure, the default action is to install the Azure VM Agent. The VM Agent enables certain management operations outside of the guest operating system, such as resetting a forgotten lost password and more. For existing Azure virtual machines, the VM Agent can be enabled through a two-step process.

Within the virtual machine, install the Azure VM Agent and run the MSI.

After the installation is complete, tell the Azure fabric that the agent is installed inside the virtual machine, which will enable the various management actions. This is done through PowerShell:

$vm = Get-AzureVM –ServiceName  –Name $vm.VM.ProvisionGuestAgent = $trueUpdate-AzureVM –Name  –VM $vm.VM –ServiceName 

After you run the PowerShell code, if you run the Get-AzureVM command again and look at the virtual machine, you'll see that GuestAgentStatus is no longer blank.