To avoid people giving themselves a heart attack like I almost did I want people to know YOU MUST PLUG YOUR STEAM DECK INTO POWER to turn it on again AFTER PUTTING IT IN BATTERY STORAGE MODE! You did not just break your deck!
+100 to that, i unfortunately didn't read that message on time and had a rollercoaster of emotions, 4 times unplugged battery i thought maybe ja damaged a plug... it's a good tutorial but they should include this in it!
Few things to add: - 0:29 honestly no need to reduce the battery to 25% if you know what you're doing - 1:14 should mention use Philips #1 screwdriver - 1:53 not need to completely remove the foil cover, only pull it just enough to access the screw. Later can easily put it back - 2:03 should mention use Philips #0 screwdriver to take out the cover - 2:30 can simply slide the shielding off the SSD and insert it to the new one, since SSD is generally same size - 4:59 should mention to plug in the charger first to turn on the Steam Deck since previously set as Battery Storage mode
@@hastyscorpion You probably misunderstood. The sentence is referring to depleting the battery. If we do carefully enough such as ensuring not to accidently puncture the battery, no kids around to disturb us etc, then there's no need to deplete it. Those who are used to open small device e.g. laptop, phone etc still find this kind of video useful if it's their first time opening Steam Deck. Only the part on depleting battery is not really necessary.
@@hastyscorpion Having said that, it's just my opinion. I myself didn't deplete the battery when first time opening the SD, and I don't see any reason to do so since I know what I'm doing (e.g. lock the door, do in clean room etc, think SD as a very delicate device etc). Ofc I'm the one who takes the blame if any issue occurs, not others. But I stand corrected on my opinion. I'm sure lot's of others did the same. If you / others still prefer to deplete it as suggested in the video, that's your choice and it's definitely better.
Not the new steam deck OLED unfortunately it's trickier as you have to hold the cover plate up you can't take it off entirely without ripping off the ribbon cable
*IMPORTANT* If yours doesn’t say gpt and says mbr your fine it doesn’t matter as long as it’s properly formatted to fat 32 your fine. Also if you get stuck on the steam reinstallation update for hours and it keeps reinstalling and saying error it might be downloading multiple updates so be patient and keep doing it until it automatically reboots itself. Now if you don’t get that outcome and you got an installation stuck at 1second before finishing and stays there for a while try switching to a different internet or switch from 5g to 2 and if not that try a hot spot and then retry the installation and it should completely finish and reboot. I wish this was included I had to find this out on my own. I hope this helps
Also worth mentioning (as its overlooked here), there are deep indentations around the clips, don't get your pick in them, instead slide along the shallow part of the seem to unclip everything. It's very easy to make that mistake and target the wrong part.
@@butterybuttcheeks my first experience with this J hook began on Xbox One X, that I believe was the first time seeing the design. It’s punishment for the DiY peeps.
I used a kit that was made for the Switch on Amazon and it made it really simple, but I do have the newer version with the black cover so it could have been easier. It just took time figuring out where to put the triangle piece to get part of it to pop off and it was simple from there working my way around.
Had no idea you had to adapt the new ssd with steamOS. Was literally crying and panicking at wasting so much money for a 2tb ssd only for it to not work when I put it in. Not a lot of tutorials mention the software part when talking about the installation of a new ssd, or at least the ones the youtube algorithm recommended, so thank you so much for the tutorial including the entire set up process!
Yeah, most assume people already have the idea that changing a hard drive/ssd on a PC requires a new OS image, since the new one usually comes empty. But even people who know that can get a bit of dissonance by the fact that the Steam Deck looks like a portable console and forgets it works like a PC.
Very well done! Thank you. For powering on issues after you are done, remember when you put your Deck in battery save mode you have to plug your Deck into a power adapter to turn on. I went from a 64 GB Steam Deck to a 1 TB Steam Deck, throw in my 1 TB micro SD card and I now I have 2 TB of gaming on the go. Actually with the 64 GB of online memory I was not able to fully utilize my 1 TB micro SD card and now I can. The Steam Deck has to be one of the best values in video gaming and the fact that Valve actually made it user friendly to work on is the icing on an already good cake.
thank you , i was thinking i brick my SD , and couldn't find any info about that specific problem , i giver up and said fuk it , if i brick it , im gonna burn it by plugin it , and it revived. but seriously , thank you for that important piece of info .
done this after following this video :) as people said to exit battery mode you must connect the charger Valve suggest to go at least below 80% to enter safely in battery mode (that is because Lithium batteries survive better at storage if not fully charged) the SSD foil not always slides in, Sabrent SSDs for example are thicker and in that case it must be opened. my deck booted back now let's see if steamos reinstalls :D update: everything is fine
So I can buy the cheapest one and upgrade it with another drive, right? Is the only difference between the more expensive models the storage? What kind of ssds work best with the steam deck?
To anyone this may concern, if you’re having issues with installing the steam OS software through the usb-c you can also install the software onto a micro SD card and install it that way. I was having trouble turning my steam deck on with the usb-c insert into it. (It only went into turned on and went into boot manager when the battery charger was plugged in). Figured I’d let anyone who was having this same problem know!
Update: It’s also worth mentioning, I went back inside to look and noticed that my battery wasn’t very well seated so if anyone is experiencing similar problems, perhaps check that the battery is firmly seated inside the steam deck!
Just did install with 2tb SSD following your instructions and it worked perfectly, did run into same issue other ppl have formatting sd card and it not saying GPT but MBR. I tried this before and had no luck, the missing component was Rufus! But ya no issues, thank you!
1tb is plenty, you need to be careful with larger aswell as the deck was designed with gen 3 in mind. Anything higher can easily cause faster battery drain.
@@KamalaChameleon No need, even 1tb is too much for the Steam Deck. Unless you're planning on adding 98 AAA games on it, 256gb is well enough for most people.
@@catscanhavelittleasalamiif you look at any game made in the last 5 years that isn't a game made to look "retro" you're looking at hefty installs that require at least 500gb to a tb to not have to constantly uninstall and reinstall games
Very easy process, waiting on software took the longest. I borrowed tools from my bro and while I had his ifixit screwdriver set, I ended up using his LTT screwdriver and an old bass pick. 😁
boom! This was all I needed to upgrade my ssd. Thank you. If I could offer some advice, mentioning that you need a usbc-to usb adapter at the beginning of the video when you mention the fixmat and other hardware tools would help people going through the steps here. I had one handy because I use one alot but I assume some people may get frustrated learning that later in the video while trying to follow these steps.
you speak about the aluminum tape on the metal shield on top of the heatsink screw right? I don't have mine either, I don't think theres any disadvantage of not having that. @@S....
Would be nice to add that when rebooting it when you are all done, it can lose all button functions besides the touch screen and it will have to connect to internet to update it to fix the issue.
or that the battery storage mode needs it to be plugged in to turn on again. many mini heart attacks later its osrted lol but i ended up putting the original ssd back in twice troubleshooting
@@hybrispsycho1 I was trying to figure out why it wasn't turning on, then I plug it in and unplugged it and it powered on. Then I was confused why the buttons didnt work figured someone here at the same issues. I hate when guides skip steps to save 5 seconds.
@@hybrispsycho1 yeah i actually had also an heart attack xD Thought I broke it after only one hour after receiving. Would have been great if it would be mentioned in the video..
I just used the dock it came with and a USB followed everything and worked perfectly fine I also thought I fried my deck I stopped right at disconnecting the battery part lol but no worries it works and I have 2TB of storage and no problems thank you!!
NOTE : in my experience I don't know if this is because I use 8 GB usb stick or it just that the usb stick has a slow R&W speed, it works, just at the time when deck load the os from the usb stick it will be very unresponsive, you click and it will take another 10-30 second for the system to actually execute your click. And it takes me around 20-30 minute to load into the desktop with 4 shortcut. So I recommend to use a bigger usb stick or maybe faster because if you like me who impatiance when there is no indicator that the device processing something, you might think that it stuck and not working eventhough it was actually because the deck have a hard time booting through the usb stick.
@@vectorization yeah just took longer than expected. Took like half an hour for the desktop to load And it was super slow Had like 5 windows pop up when trying to run the script. Eventually worked tho
OK, I thought I messed up, but to be honest I'm really impatient now because I've been at this for an hour figuring out what I've done wrong. I wished the steam deck showed the progress ( 0% - 100%). I almost gave up on this.
This worked great for me thank you. Didn't have to flash new Steam OS on - Steam Deck started some sort of minimal KDE interface that prompted me to download and install it - very nice and easy.
Thanks for the guidance! I just installed a 2Tb WD into my original Steam Deck. The hardest part for me was disconnecting the battery connector, it didn't come off by the tape so I had to pry it a little bit.
Worked great thank you. I didn't charge mine enough after taking it out of battery storage mode and it died the first time while trying to install the new OS. I just charged it and held the power button and minus volume button and started over.
Just to note - mine booted straight off the usb drive without going to bios first, so it took ages to load, but just wait. It then lands you on the desktop with a link there to reimage the steam deck.
is that where a bunch of line items and "OK" goes across the screen? Because thats what happened to me. It then shut down but when I tried to power it back on, the power light flashed three times and its not coming back.
With Rufus the First link os fine. MBR is fine GPT is not necessary and you cant change it either. Also if you ever get stuck or the screen goes dark in the reimaging mode just reverse your steps and makesure to watch untill it prompts you to reboot.
my biggest struggles were getting the exterior screws out without stripping them, snapping the case off, and snapping the case on. everything else was super simple
Think bc if you have a mental model that the case should pop out with a little bit of tug, that it should go. But the J-hook from backcase latching onto frontcase make that a disastrous problem. It can damage it or snap the plastic locks. I wrote a long essay above describing where exactly those hooks are. One needs to jam in a small thin plastic to release the grip. When those 18 hooks unclick, then the case can be removed safely. Sliding is an ok way to do it but not elegant. It's better to insert the thin, flexible plastic (or even paper) into the unit to disengage the J-latch. Must be at the right spot to hit it.
Do the battery storage mode before doing ssd swap like the video says. Otherwise you will run into problems like battery going into protection mode and not turning on ...
When I formatted the usb drive with the Steam deck recovery, the partition scheme was locked into MBR instead of GPT. I used a 32GB micro SD card and the recovery worked anyway. My Deck is working so far, but at the time of this comment, it’s constantly installing updates in the Steam Deck Gaming Menu. Should I be concerned?
They really dont tell you it takes more like almost 2 hours. Stuck on a black screen after turning it on with my 3.2 usb-c flash drive with the BIOS on it...
You should really add something about plugging in the power adapter to get it out of storage mode. I figured it out, but come on, it wasn't worth the moment of anxiety!
Hardest part is removing the back cover. Had to format my usb to GPT also but that was a simple google search & only took a few minutes. Overall this is probably the easiest tutorial for upgrading the Steam Deck SSD...
couldnt even move the screws with the screwdrivers i had. had a friend come over with a drill and managed to open the screws. we also dented the holes a bit but everything works fine in the end.
At first my Steam Deck wouln't power on after installing the new SSD I almost got a heart attack, but after conecting it to the power socket it booted (the baterry was 100% charded)
This is the first time I followed this tutorial to change an SSD for a Steam Deck. I have replaced one before with no problems but after following this guide the only difference is the battery storage mode and no matter how many ways I try to get it to wake back up it refuses. No LED, No sounds, Left on the original charger for days, and yes I have tried the million different button combos to wake it up. Even reopened it, disconnected the battery, reconnected it, etc. Put the old SSD card in. Literally nothing. This has completely bricked my device and I am so frustrated I am down so much money over a simple fix. Is there any way I can get some help or anything??
2:13 My battery pulltab is glued underneath the battery. I can't even get it out with a spudger because the pulltab is now working like a teather that doesn't let the plug move far enough to leave the socket. I shouldn't have risked it, but luckily I was still able to successfully do the swap with the battery still partially plugged in
T-minus 6 days till I get my steam deck (finally pulled the trigger!) replacing the 512gb SSD for a 1 TB , then using a 1 TB micro SD. Overkill, I know. But hey 🤷. Thanks for the tutorial, it looks simple enough...😅
Is there anyway to do the OS/flashdrive step with the Steam deck before you install the new SSD? I dont have another pc or laptop to do that step with, unfortunately 😅 Edit: I finally found a tutorial! I can't post links in yt comments anymore, but a guy named Coil Whine made a video showing how to back up SteamOS on a SD Card! Hope this helps anyone in the future in the same predicament as me! 😅
Unfortunately you need a program like rufus to flash the drive with the OS. Which will need a computer of some sort to be able to do. Unless you can download and run a linux version to flash the drive through the deck
@@aceanime8634 Sorry for the late reply, lol. After i saw your message, I went and took a look around again and finally found a tutorial showing how to do it on Deck. You can use Balena Etcher to slap SteamOS on a SD card!
Because it is aimed at people who do this for the first time and are afraid of screwing everything up. Think about it, you'll feel better finishing everything in 5 minutes thinking it should have taken 20, than finishing everything in 20 minutes thinking it should have only taken you 5. It's also a little weird to feel "robbed" about something that is the oposite of negative. You're disappointed that the actual process is much faster than what's been said in the title?
After installing the SSD, connect the USB, then the power. The SteamDeck won't need to be manually booted to the USB, but it will do it on its own since there isn't a bootable partition on the new SSD.
I've just finished adding the ssd and I've gotta say (someone may have already commented this but tldr) that if you have the black shielding like me, although he makes mention of it, you only need to take it TWO screws! I took out 3 like he said and then had to reopen the sd twice to figure out where the third screw came from because i kept putting it into other screws (for the backplate) holes! Yes i could have taken notice of where they came from originally but when you trust a video guide to tell you the exact instructions you don't think you have to particularly. I actually thought ifixit were extremely thorough, obviously not enough in this case.
Please i need help... my r1 button was not pressing well so i opened my steam deck and cleaned it.. i mistakenly removed the ssd without unplugging the battery..... so after my steam deck came on and i noticed that my mouse and buttons are not working except volume and power buttons.. i only have window 11 on it. I have reimage to steam os and updated it but yet my buttons are not working except touch... please i need help asap. Thanks
Getting the battery ribbon out on mine seemed stuck because way part of it was jammed in between battery so it wouldn’t slide out as easy as some videos will show in just one direction. Also I first used a Sandisk cruiser 32 usb that was a few years old that was 3.0 but it fails loading so just use a newer one because this is also a reported problem that some older ones will just fail trying to load and get stuck.
i was unable to remove the motherboard cover due to the screwdriver wearing down the screw. But lucky me u can just push outwards the cover after removing the 2 other screws.
Can use ANY memory device with at least 8gb storage. I used a mini sd card I had plugged into my jsaux steam deck dock and booted it using that. 65gb to 1Tb just like that
Unless you're working on something like carpet and constantly moving your feet around it shouldn't be needed. Just make sure to ground yourself on something metal prior to touching anything internal and don't get back up until the job is done. If you do have to get up you will have to re-ground yourself again before touching the steam deck.
I've been tearing apart electronics and computers for most of my life and have never used a wrist strap. That said, if you are in a static shock prone area, might be a good idea.
Please help me. I have done everything correctly but when i start to boot from usb it errors and goes to emergency space or safe mode or how they call it.
Quick question, can I do this with a used steam deck? What i mean is, will I lose anything important from my old SSD considering I put all of my games on my microSD?
Yeah it's called drive cloning, you'll just need an nvme enclosure to connect the second drive to the deck externally since you'll need both drives connected
i hope im, doing this right, when loading up the image onto Rufus the partition scheme is locked as MBR and the file system type is also locked as "Large FAT32" Update: Everything works fine
I did the upgrade, and it was pretty easy and quick. - 1tb Nvme Corsair MP600 - SSD Heatsink 1 - Before plugin the usb with the restore image, plug the steam deck into power. 2 - You don't need much battery to reimage SteamOS 3 - After the reboot, you can remove the USB and charge again the steamdeck, to proceed the configuration (wifi, steam login etc.) 4 - You can check in Settings -> Storage, that the SSD was added 5 - Update SteamOS FYI - The image was named "repair" something, and it was in MBR.
I’m stuck where after boot manager, I selected the external drive. And I now have a black screen with a mouse curser. But. I don’t have the desk top with the short cuts popping up. Where or what did I do wrong?
I’m one the “Loading New OS on to SSD and Recovery Process” step but I can’t plug in my usb because my steam deck won’t stay on if it’s not plugged into the charger. What do I do?
PSA: when turning the steam deck on, you may want to press volume down and the power button to select the boot device (they for got to mention this VERY IMPORTANT STEP), or else the steam deck will go into Linux mode (a bunch of code that I don't understand), but it will eventually get to the desktop, where you can reimage the deck. I recommend watching this video a few times before attempting anything at all, and read the comments, since they do forget a lot of important stuff on this tutorial.
I have dual booted my steam deck but wish to upgrade SSD and keep my files, if I was to use an OS migration tool to a usb could I then just boot from the usb and copy that drive back to the SSD or am I best to follow these instructions and start fresh
To avoid people giving themselves a heart attack like I almost did I want people to know YOU MUST PLUG YOUR STEAM DECK INTO POWER to turn it on again AFTER PUTTING IT IN BATTERY STORAGE MODE! You did not just break your deck!
I'm awaiting my steam deck tomorrow, thank you for this.
I hope so because mine isnt turning on. Sigh
@@GOTN1804 Did you reconnect the battery?
@@AJMarraffa Yes, thank you. It works now!
+100 to that, i unfortunately didn't read that message on time and had a rollercoaster of emotions, 4 times unplugged battery i thought maybe ja damaged a plug... it's a good tutorial but they should include this in it!
Few things to add:
- 0:29 honestly no need to reduce the battery to 25% if you know what you're doing
- 1:14 should mention use Philips #1 screwdriver
- 1:53 not need to completely remove the foil cover, only pull it just enough to access the screw. Later can easily put it back
- 2:03 should mention use Philips #0 screwdriver to take out the cover
- 2:30 can simply slide the shielding off the SSD and insert it to the new one, since SSD is generally same size
- 4:59 should mention to plug in the charger first to turn on the Steam Deck since previously set as Battery Storage mode
On top of this this is exactly why battery storage mode exists. Go into bios and enable it and it essentially disconnects the battery.
the 4:59 one really scared the shit out of me, thought I broke the battery somehow but no, just plug in the charger
thanks a lot
People who "know what they are doing" don't need this video. it's a good piece of precautionary advice.
@@hastyscorpion You probably misunderstood. The sentence is referring to depleting the battery. If we do carefully enough such as ensuring not to accidently puncture the battery, no kids around to disturb us etc, then there's no need to deplete it.
Those who are used to open small device e.g. laptop, phone etc still find this kind of video useful if it's their first time opening Steam Deck. Only the part on depleting battery is not really necessary.
@@hastyscorpion Having said that, it's just my opinion. I myself didn't deplete the battery when first time opening the SD, and I don't see any reason to do so since I know what I'm doing (e.g. lock the door, do in clean room etc, think SD as a very delicate device etc). Ofc I'm the one who takes the blame if any issue occurs, not others.
But I stand corrected on my opinion. I'm sure lot's of others did the same.
If you / others still prefer to deplete it as suggested in the video, that's your choice and it's definitely better.
Props to Valve for making the deck easily upgradeable like this. As easy as adding an SSD to a gaming laptop!
Not the new steam deck OLED unfortunately it's trickier as you have to hold the cover plate up you can't take it off entirely without ripping off the ribbon cable
@@Ziyobladeryou can disconnect the ribbon cable and move the shielding to the side, it's one extra step but not particularly difficult
And props to them for making the OLED harder.
*IMPORTANT*
If yours doesn’t say gpt and says mbr your fine it doesn’t matter as long as it’s properly formatted to fat 32 your fine. Also if you get stuck on the steam reinstallation update for hours and it keeps reinstalling and saying error it might be downloading multiple updates so be patient and keep doing it until it automatically reboots itself. Now if you don’t get that outcome and you got an installation stuck at 1second before finishing and stays there for a while try switching to a different internet or switch from 5g to 2 and if not that try a hot spot and then retry the installation and it should completely finish and reboot. I wish this was included I had to find this out on my own. I hope this helps
Thank you!
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD AFTER SPENDING HOURS TRYING TO GET MY DRIVE GPT AND FAT32, THAT GPT AND EXFAT WORK AS WELL!!!
Thanks 👍
THANK YOU!!!!
Was searching for this, thanks for the help!
There is no need to peel the shielding open, you just slide it off the SSD!
Thank you! I was wondering about that when I saw it wiggle around the SSD
2:40 "you can slide it off"...
Doesn't necessarily work if your new ssd is thicker than your previous storage. Might only be a tiny bit, but it can be just enough to prevent it
@@Siris6771yeah, I had to open it after all
He mentioned it. Listen better?
Snapping the shell on the 64gb version was a BRUTAL pain even with the right tools. Do not panic on how hard it is to remove those plastic clips
Also worth mentioning (as its overlooked here), there are deep indentations around the clips, don't get your pick in them, instead slide along the shallow part of the seem to unclip everything. It's very easy to make that mistake and target the wrong part.
i just did it and it was even worse than taking the cover off of a ps4 pro and you have to man handle that thing
I wrote a long essay above. I identified all the clips. It was painful as well as potentially costly or damaging.
@@butterybuttcheeks my first experience with this J hook began on Xbox One X, that I believe was the first time seeing the design. It’s punishment for the DiY peeps.
I used a kit that was made for the Switch on Amazon and it made it really simple, but I do have the newer version with the black cover so it could have been easier. It just took time figuring out where to put the triangle piece to get part of it to pop off and it was simple from there working my way around.
Had no idea you had to adapt the new ssd with steamOS. Was literally crying and panicking at wasting so much money for a 2tb ssd only for it to not work when I put it in. Not a lot of tutorials mention the software part when talking about the installation of a new ssd, or at least the ones the youtube algorithm recommended, so thank you so much for the tutorial including the entire set up process!
Yeah, most assume people already have the idea that changing a hard drive/ssd on a PC requires a new OS image, since the new one usually comes empty. But even people who know that can get a bit of dissonance by the fact that the Steam Deck looks like a portable console and forgets it works like a PC.
So the Rufus part is necessary? I was hoping it wasn't
@@Sickwitit18It is, the steamOS was installed in the old SSD you just removed. So you need to install it again in the new one
Huge thank you to you and everyone in the comments made my life a lot easier love you guys
Very well done! Thank you. For powering on issues after you are done, remember when you put your Deck in battery save mode you have to plug your Deck into a power adapter to turn on.
I went from a 64 GB Steam Deck to a 1 TB Steam Deck, throw in my 1 TB micro SD card and I now I have 2 TB of gaming on the go. Actually with the 64 GB of online memory I was not able to fully utilize my 1 TB micro SD card and now I can.
The Steam Deck has to be one of the best values in video gaming and the fact that Valve actually made it user friendly to work on is the icing on an already good cake.
thank you , i was thinking i brick my SD , and couldn't find any info about that specific problem , i giver up and said fuk it , if i brick it , im gonna burn it by plugin it , and it revived.
but seriously , thank you for that important piece of info .
@@garaalgi Anytime. I felt the same way the first time when it happened to me so when I realized the issue I had to post. Glad it helped.
The cake is a lie
This was a triumph. I'm writing a note here: Huge success.
done this after following this video :)
as people said to exit battery mode you must connect the charger
Valve suggest to go at least below 80% to enter safely in battery mode (that is because Lithium batteries survive better at storage if not fully charged)
the SSD foil not always slides in, Sabrent SSDs for example are thicker and in that case it must be opened.
my deck booted back now let's see if steamos reinstalls :D
update: everything is fine
Update?
@@lokeshsangewar8392 everything ok, reimaged and updated
you can still slide it on the sabrent ssd by widening the foil with tweezers and going back and forth
Great guide, worked like a charm. 1TB model now baby! Thanks guys
So I can buy the cheapest one and upgrade it with another drive, right? Is the only difference between the more expensive models the storage? What kind of ssds work best with the steam deck?
To anyone this may concern, if you’re having issues with installing the steam OS software through the usb-c you can also install the software onto a micro SD card and install it that way. I was having trouble turning my steam deck on with the usb-c insert into it. (It only went into turned on and went into boot manager when the battery charger was plugged in). Figured I’d let anyone who was having this same problem know!
Update: It’s also worth mentioning, I went back inside to look and noticed that my battery wasn’t very well seated so if anyone is experiencing similar problems, perhaps check that the battery is firmly seated inside the steam deck!
Just did install with 2tb SSD following your instructions and it worked perfectly, did run into same issue other ppl have formatting sd card and it not saying GPT but MBR. I tried this before and had no luck, the missing component was Rufus! But ya no issues, thank you!
Man I feel like a peasant with my 1tb.. 2tb didn't exist when I did the swap..
1tb is plenty, you need to be careful with larger aswell as the deck was designed with gen 3 in mind. Anything higher can easily cause faster battery drain.
@@KamalaChameleon No need, even 1tb is too much for the Steam Deck. Unless you're planning on adding 98 AAA games on it, 256gb is well enough for most people.
@@catscanhavelittleasalamiif you look at any game made in the last 5 years that isn't a game made to look "retro" you're looking at hefty installs that require at least 500gb to a tb to not have to constantly uninstall and reinstall games
Very easy process, waiting on software took the longest. I borrowed tools from my bro and while I had his ifixit screwdriver set, I ended up using his LTT screwdriver and an old bass pick. 😁
Just upgraded my steam deck following your tutorial! Super easy to follow along, thank you!!
boom! This was all I needed to upgrade my ssd. Thank you. If I could offer some advice, mentioning that you need a usbc-to usb adapter at the beginning of the video when you mention the fixmat and other hardware tools would help people going through the steps here. I had one handy because I use one alot but I assume some people may get frustrated learning that later in the video while trying to follow these steps.
- 4:59 should mention to plug in the charger first to turn on the Steam Deck since previously set as Battery Storage mode
Ya forgot to put the aluminium tape back on that silver shield.
its not needed.
@NexXxus86 sure it is.
you speak about the aluminum tape on the metal shield on top of the heatsink screw right? I don't have mine either, I don't think theres any disadvantage of not having that. @@S....
Successfully upgraded from 64 GB to 1 TB. Great tutorial! I could even slip the shield of and on the Sabrent 2230 M.2.
Worked like a charm. Just remember to plug in power and turn it on after putting it in power save mode. Then insert the USB drive and hit go.
Awesome video!
Full process with hardware and software installation, something unexpected.
Would be nice to add that when rebooting it when you are all done, it can lose all button functions besides the touch screen and it will have to connect to internet to update it to fix the issue.
or that the battery storage mode needs it to be plugged in to turn on again. many mini heart attacks later its osrted lol but i ended up putting the original ssd back in twice troubleshooting
@@hybrispsycho1 I was trying to figure out why it wasn't turning on, then I plug it in and unplugged it and it powered on. Then I was confused why the buttons didnt work figured someone here at the same issues. I hate when guides skip steps to save 5 seconds.
@@hybrispsycho1 yeah i actually had also an heart attack xD Thought I broke it after only one hour after receiving. Would have been great if it would be mentioned in the video..
Steamdeck is truely a cool piece of machinery.
Just finished replacing the SSD and upgraded my 64GB deck to 1TB!
I just used the dock it came with and a USB followed everything and worked perfectly fine I also thought I fried my deck I stopped right at disconnecting the battery part lol but no worries it works and I have 2TB of storage and no problems thank you!!
Me who doesn't have a steam deck:
Watching it on my steamdeck lolol
Just a note you forgot to put the foil tape back over the big screw on the silver plate.
NOTE : in my experience I don't know if this is because I use 8 GB usb stick or it just that the usb stick has a slow R&W speed, it works, just at the time when deck load the os from the usb stick it will be very unresponsive, you click and it will take another 10-30 second for the system to actually execute your click. And it takes me around 20-30 minute to load into the desktop with 4 shortcut.
So I recommend to use a bigger usb stick or maybe faster because if you like me who impatiance when there is no indicator that the device processing something, you might think that it stuck and not working eventhough it was actually because the deck have a hard time booting through the usb stick.
Yeah, Mine has been stuck where the mouse cursor shows up but no desktop mode. getting worried. Its also inverted
@@Shadow1397 you just have to wait for the deck to load the desktop from the usb stick
@@Shadow1397hey, did everything work out okay? I’m currently looking at the same issue.
@@vectorization yeah just took longer than expected. Took like half an hour for the desktop to load
And it was super slow
Had like 5 windows pop up when trying to run the script. Eventually worked tho
OK, I thought I messed up, but to be honest I'm really impatient now because I've been at this for an hour figuring out what I've done wrong. I wished the steam deck showed the progress ( 0% - 100%). I almost gave up on this.
Oh wow. This is easier than i thought
no its not
oh?@@cp37373
This worked great for me thank you. Didn't have to flash new Steam OS on - Steam Deck started some sort of minimal KDE interface that prompted me to download and install it - very nice and easy.
Thanks for the guidance! I just installed a 2Tb WD into my original Steam Deck. The hardest part for me was disconnecting the battery connector, it didn't come off by the tape so I had to pry it a little bit.
Ty vm to this Video and all the many good fellas in the comments with their tips. Worked just fine 🙌🏻
Worked great thank you. I didn't charge mine enough after taking it out of battery storage mode and it died the first time while trying to install the new OS. I just charged it and held the power button and minus volume button and started over.
Used this video twice (liked it the first time, subscribed just now). Great video thank you
What if it doesn’t say GPT in the partition scheme. Instead it says MBR?
If only other devices can be upgraded as easy as this.
I bought the 512gb glass non-reflective screen version and found the storage space to be lacking so I have ordered myself a 2tb 2230 ssd replacement
trying this out soon hope it still works
Just to note - mine booted straight off the usb drive without going to bios first, so it took ages to load, but just wait. It then lands you on the desktop with a link there to reimage the steam deck.
is that where a bunch of line items and "OK" goes across the screen? Because thats what happened to me. It then shut down but when I tried to power it back on, the power light flashed three times and its not coming back.
awesome vid just fitted a 1tb to my 256 gb deck and now my dad has bought a 2tb drive and im to fit it :)
With Rufus the First link os fine. MBR is fine GPT is not necessary and you cant change it either. Also if you ever get stuck or the screen goes dark in the reimaging mode just reverse your steps and makesure to watch untill it prompts you to reboot.
Excellent video, can't wait to upgrade my deck
my biggest struggles were getting the exterior screws out without stripping them, snapping the case off, and snapping the case on.
everything else was super simple
Think bc if you have a mental model that the case should pop out with a little bit of tug, that it should go. But the J-hook from backcase latching onto frontcase make that a disastrous problem. It can damage it or snap the plastic locks.
I wrote a long essay above describing where exactly those hooks are. One needs to jam in a small thin plastic to release the grip. When those 18 hooks unclick, then the case can be removed safely. Sliding is an ok way to do it but not elegant. It's better to insert the thin, flexible plastic (or even paper) into the unit to disengage the J-latch. Must be at the right spot to hit it.
Is it the same steps for OLED version?
Do the battery storage mode before doing ssd swap like the video says. Otherwise you will run into problems like battery going into protection mode and not turning on ...
5:13 "Wait a few minutes" meant 10 - 15 minutes for me. This is quite a slow process for a computer to boot from a USB drive.
Great vid, did it today, no problem!!
When I formatted the usb drive with the Steam deck recovery, the partition scheme was locked into MBR instead of GPT. I used a 32GB micro SD card and the recovery worked anyway. My Deck is working so far, but at the time of this comment, it’s constantly installing updates in the Steam Deck Gaming Menu. Should I be concerned?
You ever get a fix for this?
Mine also says MBR. Is there a way to change this?
@@Chino11ification You need to do it via admin > cmd and then type in disk part list disk select disk clean format gpt
i don’t see why that should matter
They really dont tell you it takes more like almost 2 hours. Stuck on a black screen after turning it on with my 3.2 usb-c flash drive with the BIOS on it...
You should really add something about plugging in the power adapter to get it out of storage mode. I figured it out, but come on, it wasn't worth the moment of anxiety!
Can the SD card be used instead of a pendrive? I dont have USB A to C adapter :/
yes, but it can slow down the transfer from the recovery media
Hardest part is removing the back cover. Had to format my usb to GPT also but that was a simple google search & only took a few minutes. Overall this is probably the easiest tutorial for upgrading the Steam Deck SSD...
couldnt even move the screws with the screwdrivers i had.
had a friend come over with a drill and managed to open the screws.
we also dented the holes a bit but everything works fine in the end.
At first my Steam Deck wouln't power on after installing the new SSD I almost got a heart attack, but after conecting it to the power socket it booted (the baterry was 100% charded)
i bent a bracket opening my deck the way you guys instructed, just a heads up
This is the first time I followed this tutorial to change an SSD for a Steam Deck. I have replaced one before with no problems but after following this guide the only difference is the battery storage mode and no matter how many ways I try to get it to wake back up it refuses. No LED, No sounds, Left on the original charger for days, and yes I have tried the million different button combos to wake it up. Even reopened it, disconnected the battery, reconnected it, etc. Put the old SSD card in. Literally nothing. This has completely bricked my device and I am so frustrated I am down so much money over a simple fix. Is there any way I can get some help or anything??
Charge it and it should turn on
very helpful video! thank you for sharing
Im saving this video for later today... thanks m8
2:13 My battery pulltab is glued underneath the battery. I can't even get it out with a spudger because the pulltab is now working like a teather that doesn't let the plug move far enough to leave the socket.
I shouldn't have risked it, but luckily I was still able to successfully do the swap with the battery still partially plugged in
T-minus 6 days till I get my steam deck (finally pulled the trigger!) replacing the 512gb SSD for a 1 TB , then using a 1 TB micro SD. Overkill, I know. But hey 🤷. Thanks for the tutorial, it looks simple enough...😅
ya, it was ez to do. Thank you for tutorial.
Is there anyway to do the OS/flashdrive step with the Steam deck before you install the new SSD? I dont have another pc or laptop to do that step with, unfortunately 😅
Edit: I finally found a tutorial! I can't post links in yt comments anymore, but a guy named Coil Whine made a video showing how to back up SteamOS on a SD Card! Hope this helps anyone in the future in the same predicament as me! 😅
Unfortunately you need a program like rufus to flash the drive with the OS. Which will need a computer of some sort to be able to do.
Unless you can download and run a linux version to flash the drive through the deck
@@Shadow1397 ahhh, I gotcha! I'll try to look around and see if there's anyway to get rufus or some alternative on deck.
Thank you for the heads up!
@@aceanime8634 Sorry for the late reply, lol. After i saw your message, I went and took a look around again and finally found a tutorial showing how to do it on Deck. You can use Balena Etcher to slap SteamOS on a SD card!
Fantastic resource. Thank you.
Thank you my man!
I feel robbed, the title says 20 minutes and the video lasts only 5
What an unlikely thing to happen on YT :D
They meant the actual process not the video
Because it is aimed at people who do this for the first time and are afraid of screwing everything up. Think about it, you'll feel better finishing everything in 5 minutes thinking it should have taken 20, than finishing everything in 20 minutes thinking it should have only taken you 5.
It's also a little weird to feel "robbed" about something that is the oposite of negative. You're disappointed that the actual process is much faster than what's been said in the title?
After installing the SSD, connect the USB, then the power. The SteamDeck won't need to be manually booted to the USB, but it will do it on its own since there isn't a bootable partition on the new SSD.
you should be able to use gparted to transfer the partition to the new drive.
I've just finished adding the ssd and I've gotta say (someone may have already commented this but tldr) that if you have the black shielding like me, although he makes mention of it, you only need to take it TWO screws! I took out 3 like he said and then had to reopen the sd twice to figure out where the third screw came from because i kept putting it into other screws (for the backplate) holes! Yes i could have taken notice of where they came from originally but when you trust a video guide to tell you the exact instructions you don't think you have to particularly. I actually thought ifixit were extremely thorough, obviously not enough in this case.
*out
You, fellas, just saved me a 40$!
Please i need help... my r1 button was not pressing well so i opened my steam deck and cleaned it.. i mistakenly removed the ssd without unplugging the battery..... so after my steam deck came on and i noticed that my mouse and buttons are not working except volume and power buttons.. i only have window 11 on it. I have reimage to steam os and updated it but yet my buttons are not working except touch... please i need help asap. Thanks
Great video
Is it possible to put files on the last step onto the drive prior to starting by using the steam deck?
Getting the battery ribbon out on mine seemed stuck because way part of it was jammed in between battery so it wouldn’t slide out as easy as some videos will show in just one direction. Also I first used a Sandisk cruiser 32 usb that was a few years old that was 3.0 but it fails loading so just use a newer one because this is also a reported problem that some older ones will just fail trying to load and get stuck.
Just play BG3 for a few hours and your good on the battery xD
Nonono, Not Baldur's.
Post Phantom Liberty Cyberpunk.
I ran Metro Exodus for half an hour and battery dropped from 100% to 70%.
i was unable to remove the motherboard cover due to the screwdriver wearing down the screw. But lucky me u can just push outwards the cover after removing the 2 other screws.
Can use ANY memory device with at least 8gb storage. I used a mini sd card I had plugged into my jsaux steam deck dock and booted it using that.
65gb to 1Tb just like that
It is necessary for the silver foil to go back on ?
What about the ones with the black shield, does it screw off the same way?
This is a very good video! I’m fully convinced now and i won’t be doing this
Do you know what's wrong if it's stuck on "verifying installation?
AWESOME!
Does anyone recommend using an anti-static wrist strap while doing this?
Unless you're working on something like carpet and constantly moving your feet around it shouldn't be needed. Just make sure to ground yourself on something metal prior to touching anything internal and don't get back up until the job is done. If you do have to get up you will have to re-ground yourself again before touching the steam deck.
no you dont need it
I've been tearing apart electronics and computers for most of my life and have never used a wrist strap. That said, if you are in a static shock prone area, might be a good idea.
Please help me. I have done everything correctly but when i start to boot from usb it errors and goes to emergency space or safe mode or how they call it.
Quick question, can I do this with a used steam deck? What i mean is, will I lose anything important from my old SSD considering I put all of my games on my microSD?
Is it possible to backup your existing ssd and use this backup on the new instead of do a complete reinstall?
Yeah it's called drive cloning, you'll just need an nvme enclosure to connect the second drive to the deck externally since you'll need both drives connected
how to remove the new revision shield? Is it clipped on or does it have screws?
just screws.
Is there a way to re-image without the USB? I only have a microSD, and no USB-C adapters.
When's the retraction coming, and fixing the instructions so you wind up with a bootable drive?
Hmm can we clone the ssd before removing it? Then transfer the data to the new one?
i hope im, doing this right, when loading up the image onto Rufus the partition scheme is locked as MBR and the file system type is also locked as "Large FAT32" Update: Everything works fine
after I pull on the battery cable the grip come of from the cable. I unplugged it with this tool. I hope its not a problem :(
at 5:00 i had to boot up the deck first then put my usb drive in for it to work
I did the upgrade, and it was pretty easy and quick.
- 1tb Nvme Corsair MP600
- SSD Heatsink
1 - Before plugin the usb with the restore image, plug the steam deck into power.
2 - You don't need much battery to reimage SteamOS
3 - After the reboot, you can remove the USB and charge again the steamdeck, to proceed the configuration (wifi, steam login etc.)
4 - You can check in Settings -> Storage, that the SSD was added
5 - Update SteamOS
FYI - The image was named "repair" something, and it was in MBR.
Is it possible to install the reboot program directly to the ssd instead to the usb?
I’m stuck where after boot manager, I selected the external drive. And I now have a black screen with a mouse curser. But. I don’t have the desk top with the short cuts popping up. Where or what did I do wrong?
I’m one the “Loading New OS on to SSD and Recovery Process” step but I can’t plug in my usb because my steam deck won’t stay on if it’s not plugged into the charger. What do I do?
PSA: when turning the steam deck on, you may want to press volume down and the power button to select the boot device (they for got to mention this VERY IMPORTANT STEP), or else the steam deck will go into Linux mode (a bunch of code that I don't understand), but it will eventually get to the desktop, where you can reimage the deck. I recommend watching this video a few times before attempting anything at all, and read the comments, since they do forget a lot of important stuff on this tutorial.
I only get the linux code no matter what I do, but does it eventually boot into the desktop mode?
I have dual booted my steam deck but wish to upgrade SSD and keep my files, if I was to use an OS migration tool to a usb could I then just boot from the usb and copy that drive back to the SSD or am I best to follow these instructions and start fresh
My partition scheme sets to MBR and won't let me change it to GPT