AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
Exhibit
Command output: - Azure portal shows: DataDisk01 size = 512 GiB - Inside the guest OS, the partition still shows 256 GiB used and 256 GiB unallocated - The application cannot write to the extra space yet
Based on the exhibit, what should the administrator do next so the VM can use the extra capacity on the resized data disk?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume resizing the disk in Azure automatically makes the extra space available inside the VM, overlooking the required OS-level partition extension step.
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
✓
Extend the partition or file system inside the VM.
After resizing a managed disk in Azure, the additional capacity is allocated at the Azure platform level but is not automatically available to the operating system. The administrator must extend the partition or file system inside the VM using tools like Diskpart (Windows) or fdisk/resize2fs (Linux) to make the new space usable. This is a standard post-resize step because the OS still sees the original partition boundaries.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Resize the managed disk again in Azure.
Why it's wrong here
Resizing the managed disk again in Azure is redundant because the disk is already at the requested larger size; the Azure API already reflects the new capacity. Simply changing the size again without an OS-level partition or filesystem extension will never expose the free space to applications, as the guest OS is still operating on the original partition boundaries. This option misunderstands that disk expansion is a two-step process: update the Azure disk first, then extend the volume in the guest OS.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question stated that the disk was resized but the new capacity is not reflected in the VM, and the administrator had already extended the partition inside the VM. In that case, resizing the disk again might be needed if the initial resize did not apply correctly.
- ✓
Extend the partition or file system inside the VM.
Why this is correct
After Azure increases a managed disk, the guest operating system still needs to recognize the new space. Expanding the partition or file system inside the VM makes the newly allocated disk capacity available to applications.
- ✗
Detach the disk and attach it to another VM.
Why it's wrong here
Detaching the managed disk and attaching it to another VM does not help the original VM recognize the additional capacity. The disk object in Azure is already resized correctly; the missing step is strictly inside the guest OS of the current VM. Moving the disk would require downtime and, even after attaching it elsewhere, you would still need to extend the partition or file system from within that other VM before the space could be used. This action is wrong because it avoids the actual requirement rather than addressing the guest OS.
When this WOULD be correct
When a data disk is corrupted or inaccessible on the current VM, and you need to recover data by attaching it to a different VM that can read it.
- ✗
Create a new virtual machine from the disk.
Why it's wrong here
Creating a new VM from the disk treats a guest-OS issue as an infrastructure problem. Since the managed disk has already been successfully expanded in Azure, rebuilding a VM from it would not give you a working larger volume unless you subsequently extend the partition inside the new VM as well. It would also incur additional cost and complexity for no benefit, because the existing VM already has the correct disk capacity attached and only needs an OS-level extension.
When this WOULD be correct
If the existing VM is corrupted or has irreparable OS issues, and you need to recover data from the disk by attaching it to a new VM as a data disk, then creating a new VM from the disk (or attaching it) would be correct.
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.
✓Extend the partition or file system inside the VM.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
After Azure increases a managed disk, the guest operating system still needs to recognize the new space. Expanding the partition or file system inside the VM makes the newly allocated disk capacity available to applications.
✗Resize the managed disk again in Azure.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Resizing the managed disk in Azure only increases the disk's capacity; the VM's operating system still needs to extend the partition or file system to use the new space. Simply resizing again does not address the missing step inside the VM.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question stated that the disk was resized but the new capacity is not reflected in the VM, and the administrator had already extended the partition inside the VM. In that case, resizing the disk again might be needed if the initial resize did not apply correctly.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that resizing the disk again will automatically make the extra capacity available, misunderstanding that Azure resizing only changes the disk's size limit, not the partition layout inside the OS.
✗Detach the disk and attach it to another VM.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Detaching the disk and attaching it to another VM does not make the extra capacity available on the original VM; the partition must be extended inside the OS.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When a data disk is corrupted or inaccessible on the current VM, and you need to recover data by attaching it to a different VM that can read it.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that moving the disk to another VM will automatically utilize the extra space, confusing disk attachment with partition management.
✗Create a new virtual machine from the disk.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Creating a new VM from the disk would not utilize the extra capacity on the existing resized data disk; it would create a new VM with the same disk, still requiring partition extension inside the OS.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the existing VM is corrupted or has irreparable OS issues, and you need to recover data from the disk by attaching it to a new VM as a data disk, then creating a new VM from the disk (or attaching it) would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that creating a new VM from the disk is a way to 'refresh' the configuration and automatically recognize the new disk size, but disk resizing in Azure does not automatically extend the partition inside the OS.
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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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.