Windows Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)
More and more developers nowadays use virtual machines for testing their software or reproducing the real environment for testing. This year I switched to Windows Azure too. Of course, I installed all the required software including a well-known Microsoft Office suite. To save some money I keep the cloud VM turned off for the weekend and keep it working for the working days. But how surprised I was when I switched the VM off and then, after some days of absence, turned it on. Typically you'll see a dialog for activation the software anew. But not for Windows, only for Microsoft Office : It's allowed to activate the Microsoft Office anew. So, you can click the Next button to see the following window: You have to repeat these steps each time you want to keep the machine off and turn it on when required. There is a difference between turning the virtual machine off in the VM itself or in the Azure Management portal. The first option keeps the machine running under