AZ-104 Implement and Manage Storage Practice Question
A user deleted a nested folder tree from an Azure file share yesterday. Other folders in the share were updated after the deletion and must not be rolled back. Which two actions should the administrator take? Select two.
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume the only way to recover deleted data is to restore the entire share from a snapshot, overlooking the ability to mount the snapshot and perform a granular copy of only the deleted items.
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
✓
Open a snapshot taken before the deletion.
Azure file share snapshots provide a point-in-time, read-only copy of the entire share. By opening a snapshot taken before the deletion, the administrator can browse the exact folder tree as it existed at that time. Option C is correct because the administrator can copy only the deleted folder tree from the snapshot back into the live share, leaving all other folders (including those updated after the deletion) intact.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Restore the entire file share from the latest snapshot.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring the entire file share from the latest snapshot is inappropriate because it replaces the entire current share content with the snapshot's state, deleting or overwriting any files and changes created after that snapshot. Additionally, the 'latest' snapshot might have been taken after the deletion and would not even contain the deleted folder tree. A full restore is heavy-handed, risks losing newer data, and is unnecessary for a folder-level deletion.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question stated that no other files were modified after the deletion and the goal is to recover the entire share to its state before the deletion, restoring from the latest snapshot would be correct.
- ✓
Open a snapshot taken before the deletion.
Why this is correct
Opening a snapshot taken before the deletion provides a read-only, point-in-time view of the entire file share as it existed earlier. Because Azure Files snapshots are share-level, they contain the deleted folder tree in its prior state, allowing you to browse and identify the exact content to recover. This is the correct first step because it isolates the source data without altering the live share.
- ✓
Copy only the deleted folder tree back into the live share.
Why this is correct
After opening the pre-deletion snapshot, copy only the missing folder tree back into the live share using tools like AzCopy, robocopy, or Storage Explorer. This targeted copy operation restores only the lost data while leaving all newer modifications and files intact, satisfying the requirement to preserve subsequent changes. It is the appropriate recovery action, as opposed to restoring the whole share.
- ✗
Convert the file share to the Hot access tier.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the file share's access tier to Hot (or any tier) is a performance and cost optimization that affects storage characteristics such as access frequency handling and pricing, not the file data or snapshots. The Hot tier primarily benefits frequently accessed data and does not recover deleted folders because tier transitions never purge or reverse deletions. Thus, this action has no bearing on the snapshot-based recovery needed here.
When this WOULD be correct
An administrator needs to optimize costs for a blob storage account with frequent access patterns. Converting the blob storage account to the Hot access tier would reduce access costs compared to the Cool tier.
- ✗
Delete the newer folders so the share matches the snapshot exactly.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting newer folders to force the share to match a snapshot would discard valid, post-deletion changes and still not recreate the deleted folder tree, because removing content never resurrects missing data. The goal is additive recovery of a specific folder, not global rollback of the entire share's current state. This approach is destructive, unnecessary, and results in additional data loss, making it clearly incorrect.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question required restoring the file share to an exact previous state (e.g., after accidental bulk deletion) and no updates needed to be preserved, deleting newer folders to match a snapshot would be a valid approach.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The AZ-104 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Open a snapshot taken before the deletion.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Opening a snapshot taken before the deletion provides a read-only, point-in-time view of the entire file share as it existed earlier. Because Azure Files snapshots are share-level, they contain the deleted folder tree in its prior state, allowing you to browse and identify the exact content to recover. This is the correct first step because it isolates the source data without altering the live share.
✗Restore the entire file share from the latest snapshot.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Restoring the entire file share from the latest snapshot would roll back all changes, including the updates made after the deletion that must not be rolled back.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that no other files were modified after the deletion and the goal is to recover the entire share to its state before the deletion, restoring from the latest snapshot would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think snapshots are the primary recovery method and overlook the requirement to preserve later updates, assuming a full restore is the only option.
✗Convert the file share to the Hot access tier.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The Hot access tier affects storage costs and performance for blobs, not file shares. It does not provide any mechanism to restore deleted files or folders.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
An administrator needs to optimize costs for a blob storage account with frequent access patterns. Converting the blob storage account to the Hot access tier would reduce access costs compared to the Cool tier.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse file shares with blob storage and think that changing the access tier can help with data recovery or performance improvements for deleted files.
✗Delete the newer folders so the share matches the snapshot exactly.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Deleting newer folders to match the snapshot would also remove the updates that must not be rolled back, violating the requirement to preserve those changes.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question required restoring the file share to an exact previous state (e.g., after accidental bulk deletion) and no updates needed to be preserved, deleting newer folders to match a snapshot would be a valid approach.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that restoring from a snapshot requires making the live share identical to the snapshot, and deleting newer folders seems like a direct way to achieve that without understanding that it would discard recent changes.
Analysis generated from the official AZ-104blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on AZ-104
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your company stores departmental documents in an Azure file share. Users need to be able to recover previous versions of files that were deleted or modified accidentally. You need a solution that supports recovery at the file share level without deploying additional virtual machines. What should you configure?
hard- A.Enable blob versioning.
- B.Configure Azure File Sync cloud tiering.
- ✓ C.Create share snapshots for the Azure file share.
- D.Enable immutable blob storage.
Why C: Azure file share snapshots provide point-in-time, read-only copies of the entire file share, allowing users to recover previous versions of files that were deleted or modified accidentally. This feature operates at the file share level without requiring any additional virtual machines, making it a straightforward and cost-effective solution for version recovery.
Variation 2. A finance department stores spreadsheets in an Azure file share. Yesterday a user deleted a subfolder tree, but other folders were modified after that point and must not be rolled back. The administrator wants to restore only the deleted subfolder tree to its state from yesterday. What should the administrator use?
hard- A.Restore the entire share from Azure Backup to the yesterday recovery point.
- ✓ B.Use the Azure Files snapshot taken before the deletion and copy back only the required folders.
- C.Enable blob soft delete on the storage account and then recover the folders.
- D.Create a new file share and use synchronization to merge the deleted content.
Why B: Azure Files supports snapshot-based restore at the share level. By taking a snapshot before the deletion, the administrator can mount that snapshot as a read-only copy of the share, then copy back only the deleted subfolder tree without affecting any modifications made to other folders after the snapshot was taken. This meets the requirement of restoring only the deleted content while preserving later changes.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-104 exam.