Issue with the selecting Virtual machines scale set sizes

Afrin Pathan 0 Reputation points
2026-09-23T16:18:55.89+00:00

While creating a Virtual Machine Scale Set, I tried selecting up to five sizes but the options were disabled. I attempted to request a quota increase, but the system clearly indicated that I need to purchase a subscription first before proceeding.

Now I am in Free Azure subscription

Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets
Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets

Azure compute resources that are used to create and manage groups of heterogeneous load-balanced virtual machines.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-23T16:19:12.47+00:00

    Disabled VM scale set sizes on a Free Azure subscription are typically caused by quota and SKU restrictions on that subscription.

    • VM and scale set deployment requires both:
      • enough Total Regional vCPU quota, and
      • enough VM size family quota for the selected SKU.
    • Azure checks quota and capacity separately. Even if quota is sufficient, a size can still fail if the region does not have capacity.
    • Quota is counted against cores in use for both allocated and deallocated VMs.

    For a free subscription, the context shows that quota increases may not be available and core limits can be very low. In similar cases, free subscriptions were limited to 4 vCPUs per region, and quota increase requests were not allowed until upgrading to a paid subscription.

    Practical next steps:

    1. Check current VM quota usage.
      • In Azure portal, open the Subscription page and go to Usage + quotas.
      • Check both Total Regional vCPUs and the specific VM family for the sizes that are disabled.
    2. Verify with CLI or PowerShell if needed.
      • Azure CLI: 
             az vm list-usage --location "Central US" -o table
      • PowerShell: 
             Get-AzVMUsage -Location "Central US"
    3. Try a smaller VM size or a different region.
      • If the selected size family is unavailable for the subscription or region, choose a smaller SKU that fits within the available core quota.
      • If a VM size is not available in the current region, select another region where that size is available.
    4. If the portal says a subscription purchase is required before requesting quota, upgrade from Free to a paid subscription.
      • The context indicates quota increase requests for additional vCPUs are supported by filing a quota increase request after moving to a subscription type that allows it.
    5. After upgrading, request a quota increase if needed.
      • Use the regional quota request process for the required VM family and region.

    If the issue is specifically with public IP limits for the scale set rather than vCPU quota, file a Service and subscription limits (quotas) support ticket and set quota type to Networking.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Jose Benjamin Solis Nolasco 12,691 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-23T21:50:09.44+00:00

    @Afrin Pathan I hope you are doing well today, Welcome to Microsoft Q&A,

    If you are using an Azure Free subscription, the disabled VM sizes can be caused by subscription-level quota or availability restrictions. Azure checks both quota and regional capacity when determining whether a VM size can be deployed.

    The message asking you to purchase a subscription when requesting a quota increase indicates that the Free subscription is not eligible for that quota request through the portal.

    I recommend:

    1. Check Subscriptions > Usage + quotas and select Microsoft.Compute to see whether you have available VM/VMSS quota.

    Try a smaller supported VM size and another region.

    If the sizes remain disabled and Azure requires a paid subscription to request quota, you would need to upgrade the subscription to Pay-As-You-Go before requesting additional quota.

    Also note that having quota does not guarantee that a particular VM size is available in a region; Azure capacity is evaluated separately.

    You can take a look a similar issues with diferent soluction this may be helpful for you too:

    References:

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/quotas

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/allocation-failure

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/troubleshooting/error-resource-quota

    If this answer helped clarify the platform capabilities and save you troubleshooting time, please consider marking it as Accepted. This helps others in the community find similar solutions.

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