diff --git a/pkg/crc/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/crc/cluster/cluster.go
index e07c6a19e6..3fba74ab9f 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -233,13 +233,10 @@ func EnsureGeneratedClientCAPresentInTheCluster(ctx context.Context, ocConfig oc
 	}
 
 	logging.Info("Updating root CA cert to admin-kubeconfig-client-ca configmap...")
-	jsonPath := fmt.Sprintf(`'{"data": {"ca-bundle.crt": %q}}'`, selfSignedCAPem)
-	cmdArgs := []string{"patch", "configmap", "admin-kubeconfig-client-ca",
-		"-n", "openshift-config", "--patch", jsonPath}
-	_, stderr, err = ocConfig.RunOcCommand(cmdArgs...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to patch admin-kubeconfig-client-ca config map with new CA` %v: %s", err, stderr)
+	if err := sshRunner.CopyData(selfSignedCAPem, "/opt/crc/custom-ca.crt", 0644); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to copy generated CA file to VM: %v", err)
 	}
+
 	if err := sshRunner.CopyFile(constants.KubeconfigFilePath, ocConfig.KubeconfigPath, 0644); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to copy generated kubeconfig file to VM: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/crc/cluster/kubeadmin_password.go b/pkg/crc/cluster/kubeadmin_password.go
index f8beb9fb13..1fcf5f79ba 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/cluster/kubeadmin_password.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/cluster/kubeadmin_password.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/constants"
 	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/logging"
-	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/oc"
+	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/ssh"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt"
 )
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func GenerateKubeAdminUserPassword() error {
 }
 
 // UpdateKubeAdminUserPassword updates the htpasswd secret
-func UpdateKubeAdminUserPassword(ctx context.Context, ocConfig oc.Config, newPassword string) error {
+func UpdateKubeAdminUserPassword(ctx context.Context, sshRunner *ssh.Runner, newPassword string) error {
 	if newPassword != "" {
 		logging.Infof("Overriding password for kubeadmin user")
 		if err := os.WriteFile(constants.GetKubeAdminPasswordPath(), []byte(strings.TrimSpace(newPassword)), 0600); err != nil {
@@ -41,39 +41,14 @@ func UpdateKubeAdminUserPassword(ctx context.Context, ocConfig oc.Config, newPas
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot read the kubeadmin user password from file: %w", err)
 	}
-	credentials := map[string]string{
-		"developer": "developer",
-		"kubeadmin": kubeAdminPassword,
-	}
 
-	if err := WaitForOpenshiftResource(ctx, ocConfig, "secret"); err != nil {
+	if err := sshRunner.CopyDataPrivileged([]byte(kubeAdminPassword), "/opt/crc/pass_kubeadmin", 0600); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	given, stderr, err := ocConfig.RunOcCommandPrivate("get", "secret", "htpass-secret", "-n", "openshift-config", "-o", `jsonpath="{.data.htpasswd}"`)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s:%v", stderr, err)
-	}
-	ok, externals, err := compareHtpasswd(given, credentials)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := sshRunner.CopyDataPrivileged([]byte("developer"), "/opt/crc/pass_developer", 0600); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if ok {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	logging.Infof("Changing the password for the kubeadmin user")
-	expected, err := getHtpasswd(credentials, externals)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	cmdArgs := []string{"patch", "secret", "htpass-secret", "-p",
-		fmt.Sprintf(`'{"data":{"htpasswd":"%s"}}'`, expected),
-		"-n", "openshift-config", "--type", "merge"}
-	_, stderr, err = ocConfig.RunOcCommandPrivate(cmdArgs...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to update kubeadmin password %v: %s", err, stderr)
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/crc/machine/start.go b/pkg/crc/machine/start.go
index 17eacb2c33..336f4c0f97 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/machine/start.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/machine/start.go
@@ -427,11 +427,6 @@ func (client *client) Start(ctx context.Context, startConfig types.StartConfig)
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Error updating public key")
 	}
 
-	// Trigger disk resize, this will be a no-op if no disk size change is needed
-	if err := growRootFileSystem(sshRunner, startConfig.Preset, startConfig.PersistentVolumeSize); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Error updating filesystem size")
-	}
-
 	// Start network time synchronization if `CRC_DEBUG_ENABLE_STOP_NTP` is not set
 	if stopNtp, _ := strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("CRC_DEBUG_ENABLE_STOP_NTP")); stopNtp {
 		logging.Info("Stopping network time synchronization in CRC VM")
@@ -542,6 +537,15 @@ func (client *client) Start(ctx context.Context, startConfig types.StartConfig)
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to check certificate validity")
 	}
 
+	// copy the pull secret into /opt/crc/pull-secret in the instance
+	pullSecret, err := startConfig.PullSecret.Value()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := sshRunner.CopyDataPrivileged([]byte(pullSecret), "/opt/crc/pull-secret", 0600); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Unable to send pull-secret to instance")
+	}
+
 	logging.Info("Starting kubelet service")
 	sd := systemd.NewInstanceSystemdCommander(sshRunner)
 	if err := sd.Start("kubelet"); err != nil {
@@ -567,10 +571,6 @@ func (client *client) Start(ctx context.Context, startConfig types.StartConfig)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if err := cluster.EnsurePullSecretPresentInTheCluster(ctx, ocConfig, startConfig.PullSecret); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to update cluster pull secret")
-	}
-
 	if err := cluster.EnsureSSHKeyPresentInTheCluster(ctx, ocConfig, constants.GetPublicKeyPath()); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to update ssh public key to machine config")
 	}
@@ -579,20 +579,10 @@ func (client *client) Start(ctx context.Context, startConfig types.StartConfig)
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to update pull secret on the disk")
 	}
 
-	if err := cluster.UpdateKubeAdminUserPassword(ctx, ocConfig, startConfig.KubeAdminPassword); err != nil {
+	if err := cluster.UpdateKubeAdminUserPassword(ctx, sshRunner, startConfig.KubeAdminPassword); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to update kubeadmin user password")
 	}
 
-	if err := cluster.EnsureClusterIDIsNotEmpty(ctx, ocConfig); err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to update cluster ID")
-	}
-
-	if client.useVSock() {
-		if err := ensureRoutesControllerIsRunning(sshRunner, ocConfig); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-	}
-
 	if client.monitoringEnabled() {
 		logging.Info("Enabling cluster monitoring operator...")
 		if err := cluster.StartMonitoring(ocConfig); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/crc/services/dns/dns.go b/pkg/crc/services/dns/dns.go
index 91c80db06b..c4f4dc4263 100644
--- a/pkg/crc/services/dns/dns.go
+++ b/pkg/crc/services/dns/dns.go
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/network"
 	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/network/httpproxy"
 	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/services"
-	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/systemd"
-	"github.com/crc-org/crc/v2/pkg/crc/systemd/states"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -28,10 +26,6 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func RunPostStart(serviceConfig services.ServicePostStartConfig) error {
-	if err := setupDnsmasq(serviceConfig); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	if err := runPostStartForOS(serviceConfig); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -44,23 +38,6 @@ func RunPostStart(serviceConfig services.ServicePostStartConfig) error {
 	return network.UpdateResolvFileOnInstance(serviceConfig.SSHRunner, resolvFileValues)
 }
 
-func setupDnsmasq(serviceConfig services.ServicePostStartConfig) error {
-	if serviceConfig.NetworkMode == network.UserNetworkingMode {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	if err := createDnsmasqDNSConfig(serviceConfig); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	sd := systemd.NewInstanceSystemdCommander(serviceConfig.SSHRunner)
-	if state, err := sd.Status(dnsmasqService); err != nil || state != states.Running {
-		if err := sd.Enable(dnsmasqService); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return sd.Start(dnsmasqService)
-}
-
 func getResolvFileValues(serviceConfig services.ServicePostStartConfig) (network.ResolvFileValues, error) {
 	dnsServers, err := dnsServers(serviceConfig)
 	if err != nil {