easyMultiple Choice
CV0-004 Practice Question: A company recently migrated its on-premises…
A company recently migrated its on-premises backup server to a cloud virtual machine running Windows Server with a dedicated data disk for backups. The backup software is configured to write to a folder on the data disk. After two weeks, the backup jobs start failing with 'disk full' errors. The cloud engineer logs into the VM and verifies that the data disk has 500 GB of total space and the backup folder shows only 300 GB used. However, the operating system reports the disk as 100% full. The engineer also notices that the recycle bin on the data disk appears to be empty. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the discrepancy?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that 'used space in the backup folder' equals 'used space on the disk' — candidates forget that hidden system artifacts like VSS shadow copies, pagefile, and System Volume Information consume space invisibly.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Shadow copies (Volume Shadow Copies) are consuming space on the data disk
Volume Shadow Copies (VSS snapshots) on the data disk are consuming the missing ~200 GB. When backup software or Windows features create shadow copies, the space is reserved in the System Volume Information folder and is not visible in Explorer or counted against the backup folder's reported usage. The disk therefore shows 100% full even though the backup folder only reports 300 GB.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Shadow copies (Volume Shadow Copies) are consuming space on the data disk
Why this is correct
Volume Shadow Copies store previous versions on the same volume, consuming space invisible to folder-size checks and the recycle bin. With 300 GB of 500 GB visible, shadow storage accounts for the hidden remainder, explaining the 100% full report despite an apparently empty recycle bin.
- ✗
The cloud provider has imposed a quota on the disk's storage capacity that is lower than the provisioned size
Why it's wrong here
Cloud disk quotas cap provisioned capacity, but here the OS already sees the full 500 GB, so no external quota is throttling writes. Quotas are the right control when you must limit a tenant's consumption below the disk size, not when reported free space disagrees with folder contents.
- ✗
The recycle bin on the data disk contains deleted backup files that are not counted
Why it's wrong here
Deleted backup files retained in the data disk's recycle bin still consume space, but the stem states that bin appears empty. It is tempting because hidden recycle bin contents commonly cause unexplained disk usage, yet here the reported 300 GB versus 500 GB gap points elsewhere.
- ✗
The backup software is compressing data, causing the disk to appear full due to index fragmentation
Why it's wrong here
Compression reduces bytes written, so it cannot make a disk report full while the folder holds only 300 GB; fragmentation affects read performance, not capacity accounting. Compression is chosen when storage cost or write throughput must be reduced, not to explain a hidden-space discrepancy.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This CV0-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CV0-004 exam.