I largely agree, but please note that B might be preferable to A and possibly C and D because of considerations of robustness. In the event that one of the two simulations in B is destroyed, you are left with something very close to the isomorphic A rather than nothing at all.
I am assuming p(both simulations are destroyed | B) < p(the simulation is destroyed | A), and also that there is no intrinsic disutility in destroying a simulation provided that other identical simulations exist.
I interpreted it as a question of utility, not expected utility. The expected utility of attempting B is higher because if you fail, at least you get A.
Suppose I have choice between the following:
A) One simulation of me is run for me 100 years, before being deleted.
B) Two identical simulations of me are run for 100 years, before being deleted.
Is the second choice preferable to the first? Should I be willing to pay more to have multiple copies of me simulated, even if those copies will have the exact same experiences?
Forgive me if this question has been answered before. I have Googled to no avail.