The correct answer is to mount the recovery point and copy the file back, because Azure Backup’s file-level recovery feature allows you to mount a VM backup as an iSCSI drive directly from the Recovery Services vault, enabling you to browse the file system and restore a single document without restoring the entire virtual machine. This works specifically for Windows VMs and avoids the time and cost of a full VM restore. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of granular restore options versus full VM recovery—a common trap is choosing “restore the entire VM” or “use Azure File Sync,” which are unnecessary and incorrect for a single file. Remember the key distinction: file-level recovery mounts the backup as a drive; you do not redeploy the VM. Memory tip: think “Mount, don’t mount a full restore”—if you only need one file, mount the snapshot and copy it out.
AZ-104 Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of monitor and maintain azure resources. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user deleted a single document from a backed-up Windows VM. Which two Azure Backup actions are appropriate if only that file must be recovered? Select two.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use file recovery from the backup point
Option A is correct because Azure Backup provides file-level recovery for Windows VMs via the 'File Recovery' option in the Recovery Services vault. This allows you to mount the recovery point as a drive on the VM (using iSCSI) and directly copy the deleted file back to its original location without restoring the entire VM. Option B is also correct because mounting the recovery point (via the same file recovery process) and copying the file back is the exact mechanism used; the two options describe the same action from different perspectives.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Use file recovery from the backup point
Why this is correct
File recovery lets you retrieve individual files from a backup point without restoring the whole VM.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Mount the recovery point and copy the file back
Why this is correct
Mounting the recovery point allows you to browse it and copy the needed file manually.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Recreate the VM in another region
Why it's wrong here
Recreating a VM in another region is far more than needed for one missing file.
✗
Change the VM size
Why it's wrong here
Changing size affects compute capacity, not retrieval of deleted files from backup.
✗
Disable the backup policy
Why it's wrong here
Disabling protection does not recover data and may reduce future protection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think file recovery requires a full VM restore or that mounting the recovery point is a separate, unsupported action, when in fact both options describe the same Azure Backup feature.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Backup's file recovery uses iSCSI to mount the recovery point's VHD as a local drive on the VM, allowing read/write access to the file system. The iSCSI initiator on the VM connects to the backup storage, and the mount script (generated by the portal) handles authentication and connection. This process works only for Windows VMs and requires the VM to be running; for Linux VMs, a different script-based approach is used.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-104 question in full detail.
Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — This question tests Monitor and Maintain Azure Resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use file recovery from the backup point — Option A is correct because Azure Backup provides file-level recovery for Windows VMs via the 'File Recovery' option in the Recovery Services vault. This allows you to mount the recovery point as a drive on the VM (using iSCSI) and directly copy the deleted file back to its original location without restoring the entire VM. Option B is also correct because mounting the recovery point (via the same file recovery process) and copying the file back is the exact mechanism used; the two options describe the same action from different perspectives.
What should I do if I get this AZ-104 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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