Which VM Can Source a Generalized AVD Session Host Image?
You create the virtual machines shown in the following table. [sampleXML/xmlfile-62_1.png] You need a source virtual hard disk for new Azure Virtual Desktop session host deployments. The source operating system must have user-specific and machine- specific information removed. Which virtual machines can you use as the source?
Community Insight
The exam tests generalized-image eligibility for AVD session host VHDs; the trap is treating a powered-off, deallocated, or otherwise specialized VM as equivalent to a Sysprep /generalize image.
This AZ-140 item tests whether a virtual machine can serve as the source VHD for new Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts when user-specific and machine-specific data must be removed. It establishes that SourceVM2, the generalized VM, is the only valid source and that answer E is correct.
Picking SourceVM1 only or a combination because the VM is off or looks clean; a specialized VM still contains the computer name, SID, and user profiles until Sysprep /generalize is run, so it cannot be used as the AVD source VHD.
Community Discussion (7 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
The requirement to remove user-specific and machine-specific information is the textbook definition of generalizing Windows with Sysprep (/generalize), which strips SIDs, computer name, and user profiles before image capture. For AVD, a source VHD used to create session host images must come from a generalized VM, and among the table entries only SourceVM2 is described that way. That is why the community consensus lands on E: as DallasM put it, "only Generalised VMs can be used to create images for AVD". Choosing SourceVM2 as the source VHD avoids duplicate SIDs and profile residue in every new session host cloned from it.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Options naming SourceVM1 only (B), SourceVM3 only (A), or combinations (C, D) all assume a specialized VM can seed an AVD image. A VM that has not been sysprep'd with /generalize still carries machine-specific identity and user-specific data, even if it is shut down or deallocated. SourceVM1 and SourceVM3 therefore fail the explicit removal requirement, and adding them to SourceVM2 in a combination does not cure the defect. Only the single generalized VM satisfies the image-source precondition.Community Comment Notes
Multiple learners independently chose E and framed it around generalization: bao_t called it "only generalized VM", while kshum wrote "Must be in generalized state" and DallasM tied it directly to AVD image creation. Anshumiui58 focused on the stem wording about removing user and machine information, which is the same generalization concept. No commenter argued for SourceVM1 or SourceVM3 as a valid image source. The unanimous learner signal reinforces the vendor-documented Sysprep requirement rather than a table-specific guess.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When a stem says user-specific and machine-specific information must be removed, immediately map it to Sysprep /generalize and eliminate any VM described as specialized, running, or not sysprep'd. In AVD image questions, the VM's generalization state matters more than its size or OS version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is SourceVM1 not valid as the AVD source VHD?
SourceVM1 is not generalized, so it still contains machine-specific identity and user-specific data; Sysprep /generalize must remove those before it can be used as an AVD image source.
Does a deallocated VM count as generalized for AVD images?
No. Deallocation only stops compute billing; it does not run Sysprep, so the operating system remains specialized and cannot be used as an AVD session host image source.
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