- A
Enable Boot diagnostics on the virtual machine.
Correct. Boot diagnostics captures startup output even when the guest OS does not finish booting.
- B
Review the screenshot and serial log in Boot diagnostics.
Correct. The screenshot and serial log reveal where the boot sequence stopped and help narrow the failure.
- C
Reimage the VM immediately to a clean managed disk.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Reimaging removes evidence of the problem and is not the fastest diagnostic step.
- D
Increase the VM size to a larger SKU.
Why wrong: Incorrect. More CPU or RAM will not help if the operating system is failing before login.
- E
Reset the network interface configuration from the portal.
Why wrong: Incorrect. A black screen before sign-in usually indicates boot or OS issues, not a NIC-only problem.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
After applying a custom image, a Linux VM stops at a black screen before the sign-in prompt. The administrator cannot use RDP or SSH and needs the fastest way to inspect the boot process. Which two actions should they take? Select two.
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
Enable Boot diagnostics on the virtual machine.
Enabling Boot diagnostics on the virtual machine allows the administrator to capture serial console output and screenshots of the VM during boot. This is the fastest way to inspect the boot process without requiring network connectivity (RDP/SSH), as the serial log provides kernel-level messages and the screenshot shows the display state at the point of failure.
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.
- ✓
Enable Boot diagnostics on the virtual machine.
Why this is correct
Correct. Boot diagnostics captures startup output even when the guest OS does not finish booting.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Review the screenshot and serial log in Boot diagnostics.
Why this is correct
Correct. The screenshot and serial log reveal where the boot sequence stopped and help narrow the failure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Reimage the VM immediately to a clean managed disk.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Reimaging removes evidence of the problem and is not the fastest diagnostic step.
- ✗
Increase the VM size to a larger SKU.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. More CPU or RAM will not help if the operating system is failing before login.
- ✗
Reset the network interface configuration from the portal.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A black screen before sign-in usually indicates boot or OS issues, not a NIC-only problem.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume RDP/SSH are the only ways to diagnose a VM, overlooking that Boot diagnostics provides out-of-band access to boot-time information even when the OS is unresponsive.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Boot diagnostics in Azure uses the Azure Host Agent to capture serial console output (via COM1) and a screenshot of the VM's display (via the Hyper-V video driver) during the boot sequence. The serial log includes kernel boot messages, systemd journal entries, and any panic or hang details, which are essential for diagnosing issues like missing drivers, filesystem corruption, or misconfigured GRUB. In a real-world scenario, a black screen often results from a failed X server or a kernel module that hangs during initialization, and the serial log can reveal the exact error without requiring interactive access.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-104 question test?
Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — This question tests Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Boot diagnostics on the virtual machine. — Enabling Boot diagnostics on the virtual machine allows the administrator to capture serial console output and screenshots of the VM during boot. This is the fastest way to inspect the boot process without requiring network connectivity (RDP/SSH), as the serial log provides kernel-level messages and the screenshot shows the display state at the point of failure.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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