Problem scenario
You want to create a Windows 2016 server in AWS. How do you do this?
Solution
1. In the AWS Console go to the EC2 Dashbaord.
2. Go to Launch Instance -> Find the AMI for Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Base and click "Select."
3. Click "Next: Configure Instance Details"
4. Click "Next: Add Storage"
5. Click "Next: Add Tags"
6. Click "Next: Configure Security Group"
7. Create or choose an existing Security Group, click "Review and Launch"
8. Click "Launch"
9. Create an existing key pair (or use an existing one if you still have the .pem file)
10. Click "Launch Instances" (even though it is only one instance)
11. Go to "Instances." Wait a minute or two.
12. Go to the "Instances" section of the AWS Console. Click the radio button for the new machine. Go to Actions -> Get Windows Password. Insert this (taken from the key pair previously created):
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
...
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
13. Click "Decrypt Password."
14. Copy down the password.
15. Open Remote Desktop Connection.
16. Type in the IP address of the machine.
17. For the username, use "administrator" with no quotes.
18. For the password, use the one obtained above in step #14.