Demo Create EC2 instance using UI Part 2

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to safely terminate an EC2 instance via the AWS Management Console. If termination protection is enabled, we’ll also cover how to disable it.

Prerequisites

• An active AWS account with required IAM permissions (EC2:Describe, StopInstances, TerminateInstances).
• An existing EC2 instance to terminate.

Overview of Termination Protection

AWS EC2 offers Termination Protection to prevent accidental instance deletion. When enabled, any termination attempt fails until you explicitly disable it.

Step 1: Attempt to Terminate the Instance

1. Open the EC2 Dashboard in the AWS Management Console.
2. Select the target instance in the Instances list.
3. Click Instance State → Terminate Instance.

If termination protection is enabled, you’ll see an error message:

Step 2: Disable Termination Protection

1. With the same instance selected, choose Actions → Instance Settings → Change Termination Protection.
2. In the dialog, uncheck Enable and click Save.

Step 3: Terminate the Instance

1. Again, select the instance and navigate to Instance State → Terminate Instance.
2. Confirm the action in the pop-up.

The instance state will progress as follows:

Eventually, you’ll see:

References

• Amazon EC2 User Guide – Terminating EC2 Instances
• AWS IAM Permissions for EC2
• AWS Management Console