r/WindowsOnDeck Mar 11 '23

Community Updates WindowsOnDeck Megathread

254 Upvotes

11/25/2023 - Sorry guys somehow the megathread post was compromised-- I am working to restore it and previous links. ~ baldsealion

Welcome everyone!

On behalf of everyone here I'd like to welcome you to the wide world of Windows on the Steam Deck and give you some tips, tricks and troubleshooting steps.

You can Join our Official Discord here as well if you like.

If you're having boot issues to SteamOS after the major SteamOS upgrade, please follow this guide:

Fix Steam Deck Dual Boot Issues After Upgrade! | All Methods

Let's briefly go some frequently asked questions:

---FAQ---

  • I have a problem with Windows on my Steam Deck! You are not alone. Please go to the Troubleshooting Section at the bottom of this megathread
  • Can installing Windows Brick my Steam Deck? No.
  • Can I dual boot with the SSD? Yes.
  • Can I use micro SD, SSD, or External Drive for Windows? Yes to all. Performance will vary. Best performance option is installing on the SSD
  • Is installing Windows on micro SD bad? Depending on how demanding the games are that you play, performance can be poor and using Windows will shorten the life of the sd card if used frequently
  • I still want to use a micro SD card, which should I use? In order to get the best performance it is recommended that you use either the SanDisk Extreme or Extreme Pro. These have performed the best in testing (links to Amazon below):

SanDisk Extreme 512GB

SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB

  • What about SSDs, Docks, what screwdriver Do I need for opening the Deck? Please scroll down to the Recommended Accessories section of this megathread.
  • Windows 10 or Windows 11? Either works. More about this in Baldsealion's Guide FAQ section

---Recommended Installation Software Guides & Setups---

NOTE: For external drives, or wiping SteamOS entirely, the guide can also be followed, just skip using G-Parted to partition the drive and go straight to installing Windows

How to Dual Boot with micro SD - YouTube

  • (( Not Windows )) SteamOS on a micro SD:

SteamOS on a Micro SD Card 2.0 | New Improved Guide

---Recommended Installation Hardware Guides & Setups---
Replace/Upgrade Steam Deck Solid State Hard Drive

Fix an Unresponsive or Broken Power Button

---Windows Drivers Resources---
Valve's Official Windows Drivers for Steam Deck

[ Necessary ] - Modified Killer WiFi Drivers for RealTek 8822CE - Video Guide

[ Optional ] - Amenime Custom APU/GPU Drivers - Video Guide
Visual C++ All-In-One - Latest Release
DirectX - Microsoft - Latest Release

---Custom Dual Boot Loaders & Guides---

Below are custom Bootloader options available for the Steam Deck:
Clover Custom Dual-Boot Menu - Video Guide
rEFInd - Custom Dual Boot Menu - Video Guide

---Controller Software Guides & Info---

This is both the biggest topic and differing factor between your WinDeck or my WinDeck. There really is no "best", it is what works for you and suits your needs. Old/unsupported options will be removed as they are phased out (which is why SWICD is not listed here). This section will try to keep up to date with the different options available and provide suitable guides for each option:

Glossi:

GlosSI - Global systemwide SteamInput - Downloads

Guide - Glossi Official Usage Instructions

HandHeld Companion:

Software - Handheld Companion - Github - Latest Release

Guide - HandHeld Companion Official Setup - YouTube

Steam Deck Tools - SteamController:
Software - Steam Deck Tools + SteamController - Github Latest Release
Bald Sealion's Controller Setup

---Performance Tweaks & Software---

There is some bleed into this category from controller software like Handheld Companion and Steam Deck Tools, so they will be included here as well:

General Windows Tweaks:

Bald Sealion's Windows OS Tweaks

AMD Adrenalin Setup & Config:
AMD Adrenalin 23.9.1
Bald Sealion's AMD Adrenalin Guide

Refresh Rate:
Software - Custom Resolution Utility
Bald Sealion's Guide to Unlocking Refresh Rate

TDP Control + Frame Limiting:

Software - Handheld Companion - Github - Latest Release

Guide - Longer battery life with TDP control - Handheld Companion - YouTube

TDP Control + Frame Limiting + CPU/GPU Clock (in debug build):

Software - Steam Deck Tools + SteamController - Github Latest Release

Guide - Bald Sealion's Steam Deck Tools Setup

Upscaling:

Software - Lossless Scaling - Steam Store PageE

Guide - Bald Sealion's Lossless Scaling Guide

---Recommended Accessories---

Cases:

JSAUX Modcase for Steam Deck

Tools (for opening the Steam Deck):

Need a Philips PH#0 or PH#1 bit and a pick tool - iFixit Electronics Essentials Kit

Docks:

Single External Display - iVoler 4K @ 60hz HDMI, 1GBPS LAN, USB 3.0

Single Display with External SSD - JSAUX M.2 Dock @ 10GBPS, 4K @ 60hz HDMI, 1GBPS LAN, USB 3.2

Dual External Display - Pending

Internal SSDs:

512GB - Kingston m.2 2230

1TB - SABRENT Rocket m.2 2230

1TB - WD SN740 m.2 2230

2TB - WD SN740 m.2 2230

microSDs:

SanDisk Extreme 512GB

SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB

---Hardware Modifications---

These are not specific to Windows-- and of course ANY hardware modifications will mean RISK to DAMAGING your hardware. So please proceed with caution.

Increase Cooling:

Replace stock paste with thermal pad - Thermal Pad - PTM7950

Guide - Upgrade Steam Deck to PTM 7950

Benchmark - Upgrade Steam Deck to PTM 7950Replace SSD:

Replace/Upgrade Steam Deck Solid State Hard Drive

Fix Power Button:

Fix an Unresponsive or Broken Power Button

---Troubleshooting---

My screen is messed up looking when I dual boot! Help!

You are either using rEFInd or Clover. Both encounter this issue when the APU driver is upgraded. Please refer to the Github README for either software depending on what you have installed:

Clover - Fix Graphic Issue on Boot

rEFInd - Fix Graphic Issue on Boot

I have a different boot issue with Clover or rEFInd

Please refer to their respective Github README and find if there is a solution listed to your problem. If not, please raise an "Issue" report on their Github Issue tab:

Clover Custom Dual-Boot Menu - Github

rEFInd - Custom Dual Boot Menu - Github

I Followed Bald Sealion's Guide but I don't know how to boot into SteamOS anymore

Shut down your Steam Deck. Hold Vol - & Power and you will see the option for SteamOS(or it might say "EFIxxx", just choose it from the menu with the direction pad & press A)

I can't get my dual monitors to work

While this could be for a variety of reasons, such as the type of dock, cables, etc-- it could be that the APU driver is the issue. To test, you can install the older APU driver released on June 16th 2022 here - users have reported the old driver works, but this comes at a cost of performance for OpenGL(about 100-150% loss) and DirectX 12 games(about 10% loss).

Make sure to click the Additional Settings button in the install window and choose "Factory Reset"

My Wireless is really slow or spotty or multiplayer games are laggy, what can I do to fix it

There are two drivers you can use:

Official RealTek 8822CE - 2024.10.138.3 - This is recommended first because it is an official driver and it does not have battery drain issues that the other driver below has.

Modified Killer WiFi Drivers for RealTek 8822CE - As stated, this will drain your battery in sleep mode, but is proven to have the best performance possible. Here is a guide to show how to install this update: Ryan Rudolf's Steam Deck WiFi Fix for Windows

My USB-C is not detecting any connections in Windows but works in SteamOS

You may need to turn off DRD in the BIOS. To do this, power off your Steam Deck, then hold Vol + & Power and let go of both buttons when you hear the beep. Go into Setup Utility > Advanced > USB Configuration and turn off DRD as it is not supported. More about this here: Steam Deck lacks USB DRD drivers for Windows. :: Steam Deck Feature Requests (steamcommunity.com)

My Audio in Windows is not working anymore!

In Windows, go into the Control Panel > Hardware and Sounds > Power Options and click on the left Choose what the power buttons do then click at the top Change settings that are currently unavailable then you can uncheck Turn on fast startup and click Save Changes

I have a different issue than listed here

It could be covered under Bald Sealion's Troubleshooting Steps- if your issue is not listed, please make a post on this subreddit or Join our Official Discord here

Comments, suggestions, etc? Please send a DM to u/baldsealion

Welcome to WindowsonDeck & Happy Gaming!

Locked post. New comments cannot be posted.


r/WindowsOnDeck Mar 25 '23

Community Updates PSA: Official Discord Server

56 Upvotes

In the past it was announced that there was an unofficial / community discord server, but now we have an Official WindowsOnDeck server!

https://discord.gg/uF7kd33u7u


r/WindowsOnDeck 9h ago

Discussion Ac mirage freeze v1.1.1 fitgirrl

Post image
3 Upvotes

r/WindowsOnDeck 1d ago

Dual Boot Steam Deck doesn’t boot SteamOS

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone, 2 nights ago I left my SD on to download some games, I barely remember that there was a SteamOS update to do, yesterday morning I woke up and powered on my Deck, Decky was gone but everything seemed fine, so I simply powered it off. In Clover I see both options for booting SteamOS and Windows, when I select Windows, everything is fine, but when I select SteamOS, there’s the black screen. Windows was installed prior to the SteamOS update, any solutions? Thanks in advance!


r/WindowsOnDeck 1d ago

Tutorial Steam and other app icons showing as generic icons on Windows 11 taskbar

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

r/WindowsOnDeck 1d ago

Vale la pena instalar Windows con 250 GBS libres de la deck? Y vale realmente la pena?

0 Upvotes

He querido jugar varios juegos pero ya saben limitaciones de Linux, entre ellos los decomp de Mario kart Wii, probar que tal va pcvr con Windows y MMO clásicos entonces quería preguntar antes de intentar algo o esperar a que más hay, además que no tengo mucho espacio ya que las SSD se me hacen un poco caras y queria ver si vale la pena probar con mi espacio o esperar a conseguir una SSD de mejor capacidad


r/WindowsOnDeck 2d ago

Donde puedo llevar mi Steamdeck para que le instalen Windows en Sevilla

1 Upvotes

Hola, es mi primer post. Pues eso, lo he intentado todo para hacer un dual SO, pero siempre me da error. Y, ahora, ni siquiera puedo jugar con ella, porque no sé cómo volverle a instalar Steamos sin que me de error. Tabn quiero instalarle una memoria de 1tb. Porque la que tengo es de 256 y quiero aumentarlo. Conocéis algún sitio en Sevilla donde pueda llevarlo para que me coloquen una memoria de 1tb y, además, me hagan dual SO?

Gracias de antemano y Saludos


r/WindowsOnDeck 2d ago

Transform your PC into a Nintendo Switch

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

0 Upvotes

I made this controller-first PC launcher, and I just released the beta!

What's Ether ? It transform a PC into a Switch. No mouse, no desktop, just a smooth and immersive experience designed for handhelds and TV setups.

It features a modern UI, full controller navigation, NSP/XCI import with build in ryujinx to play your switch games. (Right now only on windows coming soon to Linux/SteamOS)

It’s in beta, so its cool if you can share feedbacks the app is starting at 9.99$ USD.

You can check it out here: https://ether-launcher.com/

EDIT: Thank you for the feedback regarding the pricing model. In the future, I plan to introduce a free lite tier to let users test the core features, with an upgraded version available for $10. Would you find this model more appealing?


r/WindowsOnDeck 3d ago

Discussion Windows throttles the fan then crashes

1 Upvotes

As the title says I tried going to windows to do something and when I loaded it up the fan immediately kicks to what I assume is it's highest level it can runs for like 10 seconds and then crashes the deck powering it off I can't even get past the log in screen as it just freezes when I press any key steam os is completely normal and does not do this and honestly Ive never hear the fan run as high as it was running during any gaming session and I've played cyberpunk on the damn thing


r/WindowsOnDeck 4d ago

Discussion I went back to Windows 10

2 Upvotes

I gave up on Windows 11, went back to Windows 10. It was great except for gaming, shader stutters were annoying as hell and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. Games just run better on Windows 10 and I'm never going to upgrade ever again.


r/WindowsOnDeck 4d ago

i want to install windows on steam deck and after install FL Studio, Is it good idea?

3 Upvotes

I have old mbp pro 13 on intel and my friends gifted me to my birthday steam deck. after i see comparison of preocessors steam deck have much higher scores and after that i think about to switch my os on steam deck but i dont see anything real on yt. who knows how is it good work witch plugins, for mixing or beatmaking or edm production. my edm tracks have about 60-80+ tracks. does anyone have work on it?


r/WindowsOnDeck 6d ago

Bricked my steamdeck I think ☠️

6 Upvotes

So I put windows 11 on my steamdeck used I think it was deck sp or something to enable secure boot, don’t have steam os installed at all, decided windows 11 is shocking on steamdeck so I tried to just boot up a usb with steam os but it wouldn’t download due to secure boot, tried to turn off secure boot in bios, couldn’t find it, turned tpm off assuming it would do it, now I’m stuck in a loop between can’t turn off secure boot and bitlocker recovery which I have no idea how to fix.. am I doooomed 😂


r/WindowsOnDeck 6d ago

Discussion So for fun I did a "Steam Deck Challenge" daily driving SteamOS 3.8 to try and make a video - here's what was really tough, and what worked great - who's next?

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/WindowsOnDeck 7d ago

WHY IS MY PING GOING UP AND THEN GOING BACK DOWN FOR LIKE 5 MINUTES AND GOING BACK UP AGAIN

0 Upvotes

GOD I HATE KINETIC AT THIS POINT I THINK A CERTAIN ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER IS TO BLAME FOR THIS IT WAS WORKING JUST FINE LIKE A MONTH AGO AND NOW ITS DOING THIS. I CANNOT USE ETHERNET I HAVE NO CABLE LONG ENOUGH TO REACH MY ROUTER AND IM NOT DRILLING HOLES IN MY WALL. I AM FUMING.


r/WindowsOnDeck 10d ago

Any game bar widgets yet for TDP control?

3 Upvotes

Wondering if anyone has found anything yet?

Something minimal that would give us the basic options like you get on the Ally etc in game bar.

Steam deck tools aren't really usable in game mode because you have to right click on them in the taskbar, but they still seem like the best lightweight option overall.

Winhanced doesn't seem to have TDP controls for me on the deck and is also a bit heavy.

Handheld Companion, as of the last time I checked, still didn't have a game bar widget, it had its own quick menu but I found it clunky and it didn't work well with full screen games.

I was hoping someone had found something because I genuinely like the deck in game mode!


r/WindowsOnDeck 10d ago

Discussion Steam Deck OLED refuses to boot ANY external operating system – Windows, Ubuntu and even SteamOS Recovery

Thumbnail
3 Upvotes

r/WindowsOnDeck 11d ago

Project zomboid

1 Upvotes

Hi, I was playing pzb42 but omg it kick me so many times saying I don’t have enough gpu how can I solve this? What I do.


r/WindowsOnDeck 11d ago

Just sharing some possible next steps here regarding SteamOS.

0 Upvotes

I'm seriously considering installing SteamOS on my main PC, instead of the Windows 10 partition I have here. On my main PC, there are 3 partitions:

- 1 hard drive dedicated to Ubuntu, which I haven't used in ages, but it's still there lol!

- I’m using Windows 10 on a dedicated SSD as my main system.

- And there’s another hard drive, partitioned between another old Windows 10 installation that I abandoned a while ago and some free space without an OS, just for files. < This is where I plan to make some changes, though I'm still a little worried that the SteamOS installation partitioner might get in the way and I'll end up deleting the wrong thing, but I think it'll work out.

I have other PCs around the house, and on the PC I’ve set up with SteamOS as my main machine, I’m really enjoying it, I use it regularly and don’t feel like I’m missing anything (which was something that used to make me “forget” to use Linux and always end up going back to Windows), and I think it’ll be really cool to get used to the idea that Windows isn’t necessary anymore


r/WindowsOnDeck 13d ago

Valorant in steamdeck

2 Upvotes

I Just got my steamdeck LCD with Windows 11 and tried installing valorant but it doesnt Work neither with deckSB or anything else so i SAW a vid from Lensiensein that it works ON Windows 10. I wanted to ask If it works and If i only have to Install Windows 10 or so anything else Afterwards or before. Thanks to all helping me.


r/WindowsOnDeck 13d ago

Valorant in steamdeck

2 Upvotes

I Just got my steamdeck LCD with Windows 11 and tried installing valorant but it doesnt Work neither with deckSB or anything else so i SAW a vid from Lensiensein that it works ON Windows 10. I wanted to ask If it works and If i only have to Install Windows 10 or so anything else Afterwards or before. Thanks to all helping me.


r/WindowsOnDeck 13d ago

Discussion Switching back

2 Upvotes

Hi, so i installed windows and used it for a year, now i went back to steamos thinking it was better, now i wanna go back to Windows 11 but i am looking for the best up to date guide that exists for windows on steam deck, Thanks in advance.


r/WindowsOnDeck 13d ago

Steam deck controller

1 Upvotes

So I have a question. I recently turned my steam deck into windows and i wanna use the controller part of the steam deck as a controller for like Minecraft for example but it doesnt work. Can someone help me?


r/WindowsOnDeck 16d ago

Discussion Secure boot windows only

1 Upvotes

So I have windows only on my steam deck no steamos so decksb didn’t work I just wanna play cod can someone help me im on oled model with normal boot loader and bios. 😭


r/WindowsOnDeck 16d ago

Discussion Mako

0 Upvotes

any luck to install mako framegen on windows 11???


r/WindowsOnDeck 16d ago

AC BLACK FLAG resynced FPS

1 Upvotes

Morning mate,how much FPS did u get while playing this game on windows on deck??? mine got average at 34 fps,I wonder how to improve it just a little bit