- A
A new managed disk from the snapshot
A snapshot is a backup point for a disk, but it must be turned into a managed disk before it can be attached to a VM. Creating a new managed disk from the snapshot restores the data in a recoverable form while leaving the VM's OS disk untouched. After the new disk is created, you can attach it as a data disk. This is the normal restore path for a deleted or lost managed data disk.
- B
A new virtual machine
Why wrong: Creating a new VM is unnecessary and would not be the most direct way to restore only the missing data disk.
- C
A new availability set
Why wrong: An availability set is about VM placement and resilience, not about recovering a deleted disk.
- D
A larger VM size
Why wrong: Increasing VM size changes compute capacity, but it does not recover deleted storage data.
Quick Answer
The answer is to create a new managed disk from the snapshot. This is correct because a snapshot is a point-in-time read-only copy of a disk, and the only way to use it for data recovery is to convert it into a writable managed disk. By creating a new managed disk from the snapshot, you restore the deleted data disk without touching the OS disk or requiring a VM rebuild, keeping downtime to just the brief moment needed to attach the new disk. On the AZ-104 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure disk lifecycle management and the distinction between snapshots and managed disks—a common trap is thinking you can attach a snapshot directly to a VM, which is not supported. Remember the memory tip: "Snapshot to disk, then attach to VM" to avoid the common mistake of trying to mount a read-only snapshot.
AZ-104 Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Practice Question
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage azure compute. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 data disk was accidentally deleted from a VM. You have a snapshot of that disk from before the deletion. What should you create first to restore the data with minimal impact to the VM's OS disk?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
A new managed disk from the snapshot
A is correct because creating a new managed disk from the snapshot is the direct and minimal-impact method to restore the deleted data disk. Once the new managed disk is created, you can attach it to the existing VM without affecting the OS disk or requiring a VM rebuild. This approach avoids any downtime beyond the brief attachment operation.
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.
- ✓
A new managed disk from the snapshot
Why this is correct
A snapshot is a backup point for a disk, but it must be turned into a managed disk before it can be attached to a VM. Creating a new managed disk from the snapshot restores the data in a recoverable form while leaving the VM's OS disk untouched. After the new disk is created, you can attach it as a data disk. This is the normal restore path for a deleted or lost managed data disk.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A new virtual machine
Why it's wrong here
Creating a new VM is unnecessary and would not be the most direct way to restore only the missing data disk.
- ✗
A new availability set
Why it's wrong here
An availability set is about VM placement and resilience, not about recovering a deleted disk.
- ✗
A larger VM size
Why it's wrong here
Increasing VM size changes compute capacity, but it does not recover deleted storage data.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think they need to recreate the entire VM (Option B) to use the snapshot, not realizing that a snapshot can be converted directly into a managed disk and attached to the existing VM without any OS disk impact.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A snapshot in Azure is a point-in-time, read-only copy of a managed disk stored as an incremental snapshot using Azure Blob Storage. When you create a managed disk from a snapshot, Azure allocates the underlying page blobs and copies the data, allowing the new disk to be attached to any VM in the same region. This process is independent of the OS disk and can be performed while the VM is running, minimizing impact.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Deploy and Manage Azure Compute — study guide chapter
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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: A new managed disk from the snapshot — A is correct because creating a new managed disk from the snapshot is the direct and minimal-impact method to restore the deleted data disk. Once the new managed disk is created, you can attach it to the existing VM without affecting the OS disk or requiring a VM rebuild. This approach avoids any downtime beyond the brief attachment operation.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 →
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. A managed data disk was accidentally deleted from a VM. A snapshot taken the day before is still available. Which two actions should the administrator perform to recover the data? Select two.
easy- ✓ A.Create a new managed disk from the snapshot.
- ✓ B.Attach the new managed disk to the VM.
- C.Mount the snapshot directly as a data disk.
- D.Redeploy the VM and reinstall the operating system.
- E.Delete the snapshot after verifying it exists.
Why A: Option A is correct because a snapshot is a point-in-time, read-only copy of a managed disk. To recover the data, you must create a new managed disk from the snapshot using the `az disk create --source` command or the Azure portal. This new disk will contain the exact data as it existed when the snapshot was taken.
Variation 2. A data disk was accidentally deleted from a production VM. The team has a snapshot of that disk from the previous night and wants the fastest Azure-side recovery path with the least risk of overwriting the existing OS disk. What should the administrator do first?
hard- A.Restore the entire virtual machine from the snapshot and overwrite the current instance.
- ✓ B.Create a new managed disk from the snapshot, then attach that disk to the VM.
- C.Convert the snapshot into a temporary storage account and copy the files back manually.
- D.Recreate the VM from the same marketplace image and restore only the deleted disk later.
Why B: Option B is correct because creating a new managed disk from the snapshot and attaching it to the VM is the fastest Azure-side recovery path. This approach directly reuses the existing OS disk without any risk of overwriting it, and the new data disk can be attached within minutes using the Azure portal, CLI, or PowerShell. It avoids any downtime for the VM beyond the brief attach operation.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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