Facing the Azure unmanaged disk retirement? Discover how to create, attach, and manage virtual disks with AOMEI Partition Assistant to ensure a smooth transition before the 2025 deadline.
As cloud infrastructure evolves, Microsoft continues to phase out older technologies in favor of more secure and scalable solutions. One of the most significant upcoming changes is the Azure unmanaged disk retirement, a move that requires administrators and developers to rethink their storage strategies. This transition is not just about moving data; it’s about modernizing how we interact with virtual storage both in the cloud and on local machines.
For those who have relied on the flexibility of storage accounts for VHD management, the shift toward Managed Disks is mandatory. To navigate this change successfully, users must understand the timelines, the tools involved, and how to manage the underlying virtual disk files (VHD/VHDX) during the migration process.
Microsoft has officially set a deadline for the complete phase-out of unmanaged disks, making it a priority for IT professionals worldwide. According to Microsoft Azure official documentation, the Azure unmanaged disks retirement September 30, 2025, marks the end of support for disks that are not handled by the Azure Managed Disks service.
After this date, any remaining unmanaged disks may become inaccessible or lose official support, which could lead to service disruptions. This retirement encourages users to move toward Managed Disks, which offer 99.999% availability, better security, and simplified scaling. During this transition, many users find themselves downloading VHD files for local testing or backup, necessitating robust local virtual disk management tools to ensure data integrity during the move.
In addition to storage changes, Microsoft is also streamlining its management software suite, leading to discussions surrounding Azure Data Studio retirement or the consolidation of its features into other platforms like VS Code.
This shift in toolsets means that users need versatile, multi-purpose software that can handle data management across different environments. As Azure Data Studio’s role evolves, the need for a localized, powerful disk management utility becomes even more apparent. Managing the virtualized assets that were once tied to unmanaged disks now requires a more hands-on approach on local workstations to ensure that VHD and VHDX files are properly formatted, resized, and ready for re-uploading to the cloud as managed assets.
When preparing for the Azure unmanaged disk retirement, you may need to manipulate VHD files on your Windows 10 or 11 machine. Windows provides basic tools, but they often fall short when dealing with complex migration scenarios.
Windows Disk Management allows you to "Attach" a VHD file so it appears as a local drive. To do this, right-click the Start button, select "Disk Management," and under the "Action" menu, choose "Attach VHD." While this works for simple viewing, it often struggles with resizing, converting partition styles (MBR to GPT), or fixing connection errors that can occur during a cloud-to-local transfer.
For a more authoritative and reliable experience, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a premier Windows computer management software designed to handle both physical and virtual storage with ease. It is particularly useful for users navigating the 2025 retirement deadline who need to prepare virtual disks for migration.
AOMEI Partition Assistant features a professional "Virtual Disk" management module. This tool allows users to skillfully manage VHD and VHDX files without the service connection errors often found in native Windows tools. Within this function, you can create, attach, or detach virtual disks seamlessly, ensuring your data is ready for the next step in your cloud journey.
Step 1. Click the tab "Virtual Disk", you will see 3 options available for VHDs: create VHD, attach VHD, and detach VHD. Select the "Create VHD" option after clicking the "Virtual Disk" tab.
Step 2. You can specify the virtual disk location and size.
Optionally, you can click the "Advanced" option to set the virtual hard disk format and type. (By default, the VHDX format and the Dynamically expanding type are checked.)
Virtual hard disk format: VHD and VHDX are supported.
For VHD, it supports virtual disks up to 2040GB in size.
For VHDX, it supports virtual disks larger than 2040GB in size. (Up to 64TB) This format is not supported in operating systems earlier than Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012.
Virtual hard disk format: Fixed size and Dynamically expanding are supported.
For fixed size, the virtual hard disk file will be allocated its maximum size when it is created. So it will take much longer to create.
For Dynamically expanding, the virtual hard disk file will grow to its maximum size as data is written to it. (Recommended)
Click "Browse" to select a location to create the VHD. Please enter a file name for the virtual disk and click "Save".
Step 3. Once the virtual disk location and size are set up, you can click "OK" to start creating the VHD.
Step 4. After the reload process is finished, you will see that the VHD has been created successfully. It will be attached automatically.
You can also view the VHD in Windows Disk Management.
The created VHD will be uninitialized so it is empty without any data or file system. To make it useful, you need to initialize the disk, create a partition, and assign a drive letter.
You can initialize the drive in AOMEI Partition Assistant.
Or, initialize it in Windows Disk Management.
Then, you can create a partition and assign a drive letter for the partition. Finally, you can use the VHD normally.
Step 1.Click "Attach VHD". Select the "Attach VHD" option after clicking the"Virtual Disk" tab.
Step 2. Browse and Select VHD File. Click "Browse" to locate the location where the .vhd or .vhdx file is saved. Select the .vhd or .vhdx file you want to attach and click "Open" to attach it.
Step 3. Start Attach VHD. Once the virtual file is selected, you can click "OK" to start attaching the VHD.
Step 4. Attach VHD Successfully. Once the process is finished, you will see that the VHD is attached successfully.
Step 1. You can right-click the attached VHD in Partition Assistant and select the "Detach VHD" option to detach it.
Or, you can select the "Detach VHD" option after clicking the"Virtual Disk" tab.
Step 2. Select the Virtual Disk to Detach. You can select and deselect the virtual disk(s) and click the "Detach" button to start detaching the VHD(s).
Step 3. Detach VHD Successfully. Once the process is finished, you will see that the VHD(s) has been removed successfully.
✨Beyond Virtual Disks: Handy Functions for Migration
AOMEI Partition Assistant is not just for mounting drives. It offers several handy functions that are critical during the Azure unmanaged disk retirement transition:
Disk Cloning: Clone your virtual disk contents to a physical SSD or another VHDX for redundancy.
MBR to GPT Conversion: Azure Managed Disks often require GPT partition styles for modern VM sizes; AOMEI can convert these without data loss.
Partition Resizing: Easily expand or shrink your virtual volumes to optimize costs before uploading them back to Azure.
The transition away from unmanaged disks is a necessary step toward a more secure cloud environment. By acting before the Azure unmanaged disks retirement on September 30, 2025, users can avoid the last-minute rush and potential data loss.
Utilizing the time between now and the deadline to audit your storage accounts is essential. Moving your VHD files to a local environment using tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant allows you to perform deep maintenance, such as file system checks and partition alignment, ensuring that when you finally migrate to Azure Managed Disks, your virtual machines perform at their peak efficiency.
The Azure unmanaged disk retirement represents a major shift in the Microsoft ecosystem. With the Azure unmanaged disks retirement September 30, 2025, fast approaching, and the ongoing evolution of management tools like the Azure Data Studio retirement discussions, staying informed is key. By combining native Windows capabilities with the advanced Virtual Disk functions of AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can create, attach, and optimize your VHD/VHDX files with confidence, ensuring a seamless migration to the modern world of managed cloud storage.
Q1: What happens if I miss the Azure unmanaged disks retirement September 30, 2025, deadline?
A: According to Microsoft, VMs using unmanaged disks will no longer be supported. You may experience service interruptions, and you will eventually be unable to start VMs that rely on these disks until they are migrated to Managed Disks.
Q2: Is AOMEI Partition Assistant compatible with VHDX files downloaded from Azure?
A: Yes, AOMEI Partition Assistant fully supports both VHD and VHDX formats. You can use the "Virtual Disk" tool to attach these files and manage the partitions within them as if they were physical drives.
Q3: Why should I migrate to Managed Disks?
A: Managed Disks provide better reliability, simplified management (you don't have to manage storage accounts), and support for advanced features like shared disks and improved snapshots.