You attempt to connect to VM1 using Remote Desktop but the connection fails. What should you do first?

To successfully connect to a virtual machine (VM) using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), the VM must be running. If the connection fails, the first step is to verify the status of the VM. If the VM is not started, no remote connection can be established regardless of network settings or security rules in place.

When a VM is powered off, it will not respond to any incoming connection requests, including RDP. Starting the VM ensures that it is operational and ready to accept connections, which is the prerequisite for troubleshooting further connection issues.

The other options relate to network settings and configurations that could be relevant but would only be useful after confirming that the VM is actually running. If the VM is already started and issues persist, then examining network interface configurations or inbound and outbound rules would be the next steps in the troubleshooting process. However, starting the VM should always be the initial action taken when a connection attempt fails.