diff --git a/cmd/limactl/factory-reset.go b/cmd/limactl/factory-reset.go
index 2f91f60ec91..b7a87edc0bc 100644
--- a/cmd/limactl/factory-reset.go
+++ b/cmd/limactl/factory-reset.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/lima-vm/lima/pkg/store"
+	"github.com/lima-vm/lima/pkg/store/filenames"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ func factoryResetAction(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 	for _, f := range fi {
 		path := filepath.Join(inst.Dir, f.Name())
-		if !strings.HasSuffix(path, ".yaml") && !strings.HasSuffix(path, ".yml") {
+		if !strings.HasSuffix(path, ".yaml") && !strings.HasSuffix(path, ".yml") && f.Name() != filenames.VzIdentifier {
 			logrus.Infof("Removing %q", path)
 			if err := os.Remove(path); err != nil {
 				logrus.Error(err)
diff --git a/pkg/driver/driver.go b/pkg/driver/driver.go
index 84c65f40aa1..837a16e5ca5 100644
--- a/pkg/driver/driver.go
+++ b/pkg/driver/driver.go
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@ type Driver interface {
 	// Validate returns error if the current driver isn't support for given config
 	Validate() error
 
+	// Initialize is called on creating the instance for initialization.
+	// (e.g., creating "vz-identifier" file)
+	//
+	// Initialize MUST return nil when it is called against an existing instance.
+	//
+	// Initialize does not create the disks.
+	Initialize(_ context.Context) error
+
 	// CreateDisk returns error if the current driver fails in creating disk
 	CreateDisk() error
 
@@ -69,6 +77,10 @@ func (d *BaseDriver) Validate() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (d *BaseDriver) Initialize(_ context.Context) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (d *BaseDriver) CreateDisk() error {
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/osutil/osversion_darwin.go b/pkg/osutil/osversion_darwin.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9a9338dcb5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/osutil/osversion_darwin.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package osutil
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os/exec"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
+)
+
+// ProductVersion returns the macOS product version like "12.3.1".
+func ProductVersion() (*semver.Version, error) {
+	cmd := exec.Command("sw_vers", "-productVersion")
+	// output is like "12.3.1\n"
+	b, err := cmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to execute %v: %w", cmd.Args, err)
+	}
+	verTrimmed := strings.TrimSpace(string(b))
+	// macOS 12.4 returns just "12.4\n"
+	for strings.Count(verTrimmed, ".") < 2 {
+		verTrimmed += ".0"
+	}
+	verSem, err := semver.NewVersion(verTrimmed)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse macOS version %q: %w", verTrimmed, err)
+	}
+	return verSem, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/osutil/osversion_others.go b/pkg/osutil/osversion_others.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c54d0f1dfc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/osutil/osversion_others.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//go:build !darwin
+
+package osutil
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
+)
+
+// ProductVersion returns the OS product version, not the kernel version.
+func ProductVersion() (*semver.Version, error) {
+	return nil, errors.New("not implemented")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/qemu/qemu.go b/pkg/qemu/qemu.go
index 90189a45eb4..0d0d7f50ac4 100644
--- a/pkg/qemu/qemu.go
+++ b/pkg/qemu/qemu.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/lima-vm/lima/pkg/networks/usernet"
+	"github.com/lima-vm/lima/pkg/osutil"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
 	"github.com/digitalocean/go-qemu/qmp"
@@ -398,25 +399,6 @@ func showDarwinARM64HVFQEMU620Warning(exe, accel string, features *features) {
 	logrus.Warn(w)
 }
 
-func getMacOSProductVersion() (*semver.Version, error) {
-	cmd := exec.Command("sw_vers", "-productVersion")
-	// output is like "12.3.1\n"
-	b, err := cmd.Output()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to execute %v: %w", cmd.Args, err)
-	}
-	verTrimmed := strings.TrimSpace(string(b))
-	// macOS 12.4 returns just "12.4\n"
-	for strings.Count(verTrimmed, ".") < 2 {
-		verTrimmed += ".0"
-	}
-	verSem, err := semver.NewVersion(verTrimmed)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse macOS version %q: %w", verTrimmed, err)
-	}
-	return verSem, nil
-}
-
 // adjustMemBytesDarwinARM64HVF adjusts the memory to be <= 3 GiB, only when the following conditions are met:
 //
 // - Host OS   <  macOS 12.4
@@ -443,7 +425,7 @@ func adjustMemBytesDarwinARM64HVF(memBytes int64, accel string, features *featur
 	if !features.VersionGEQ7 {
 		return memBytes
 	}
-	macOSProductVersion, err := getMacOSProductVersion()
+	macOSProductVersion, err := osutil.ProductVersion()
 	if err != nil {
 		logrus.Warn(err)
 		return memBytes
diff --git a/pkg/start/start.go b/pkg/start/start.go
index ccfb0ab9041..a5c49c8a00b 100644
--- a/pkg/start/start.go
+++ b/pkg/start/start.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ type Prepared struct {
 }
 
 // Prepare ensures the disk, the nerdctl archive, etc.
-func Prepare(_ context.Context, inst *store.Instance) (*Prepared, error) {
+func Prepare(ctx context.Context, inst *store.Instance) (*Prepared, error) {
 	y, err := inst.LoadYAML()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ func Prepare(_ context.Context, inst *store.Instance) (*Prepared, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if err := limaDriver.Initialize(ctx); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// Check if the instance has been created (the base disk already exists)
 	created := false
 	baseDisk := filepath.Join(inst.Dir, filenames.BaseDisk)
@@ -114,6 +118,7 @@ func Start(ctx context.Context, inst *store.Instance) error {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(haPIDPath); !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("instance %q seems running (hint: remove %q if the instance is not actually running)", inst.Name, haPIDPath)
 	}
+	logrus.Infof("Starting the instance %q with VM driver %q", inst.Name, inst.VMType)
 
 	haSockPath := filepath.Join(inst.Dir, filenames.HostAgentSock)
 
diff --git a/pkg/vz/vz_driver_darwin.go b/pkg/vz/vz_driver_darwin.go
index a95c40e750a..7a12be75192 100644
--- a/pkg/vz/vz_driver_darwin.go
+++ b/pkg/vz/vz_driver_darwin.go
@@ -130,6 +130,11 @@ func (l *LimaVzDriver) Validate() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (l *LimaVzDriver) Initialize(_ context.Context) error {
+	_, err := getMachineIdentifier(l.BaseDriver)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (l *LimaVzDriver) CreateDisk() error {
 	return EnsureDisk(l.BaseDriver)
 }