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Use Steam Deck recovery mode and a USB drive to repair the Steam Deck’s operating system
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Do you need to reinstall SteamOS on your Steam Deck? Luckily, it's a fairly straightforward process that includes using the Steam Deck Recovery tool on Steam's site. This wikiHow article teaches you how to reinstall SteamOS on your Steam Deck.
Using the Steam Deck Recovery Tool
- Download the Steam Deck OS .
- Download a flashing/writing utility, like Rufus or Balena Etcher.
- Flash the image to your USB drive.
- Connect the USB drive to your Steam Deck.
- Boot your Steam Deck into Recovery Mode.
- Select "EFI USB Device (USB)."
- Choose a troubleshooting step: reinstalling, reimaging, clearing local data, or using more recovery tools.
Steps
Section 1 of 5:
Installing Tools
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Download the recovery image. Go to this link in a web browser on your Mac, Windows, or Linux computer to download the recovery image.
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Install Balena Etcher (Mac/Linux) or Rufus (Windows). Download a separate utility based on your OS to make your USB drive bootable.
- For Windows, you can download the Rufus utility .
- For Mac and Linux, download Balena Etcher .
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Section 3 of 5:
Booting Steam Deck into Recovery Mode
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Connect the USB storage drive to your Steam Deck. Use the USB-C cable with your USB drive, or use an adapter/hub to connect.
- Make sure that your Deck is powered off.
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Hold and press the "Volume Down" and "Power" buttons. You can release these buttons when you hear a chime and you'll start in the Boot Manager.
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Select "EFI USB Device (USB)" and press A . The screen will go dark as it boots into Recovery Mode, and that's normal.
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Tips
- Even if you don't have problems right now, you should get a recovery ready, which is helpful if you don't have reliable access to a computer.Thanks
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Thanks
- What to Do If Your Steam Deck Doesn't Power On helps you if your Steam Deck won't power up.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Steam Deck Recovery Image
- USB-C Adapter or Hub
- USB storage device with at least 8GB free
- Mac/Windows/Linux computer
About This Article
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