A Windows Server 2016 VM backed up daily with Azure Backup Instant Restore becomes infected with ransomware and must be restored. Which action should you take to restore the VM?

Restoring the VM to a new Azure VM is the recommended and safest approach when dealing with a ransomware-infected machine. This ensures that the restored VM is clean and isolated from any potential lingering threats on the original, compromised VM. Deleting the infected VM first is not strictly necessary for the restore operation itself, as Azure Backup can create a new VM independently. Restoring to "any VM within the subscription" is too broad and doesn't guarantee a clean slate. Restoring to an on-premises Windows machine is not a direct capability of Azure Backup for an Azure VM and would involve more complex, multi-step processes like disk export and local VM creation, which is not the primary restore method.