Thank you so much, Kris! I upgraded my non-OLED model to a 2TB using a combination of this tutorial for the cloning software and your older one with the 1st gen Steam Deck for the hard drive replacement. The transfer and upgrade worked flawlessly!
Great guide! Confirmed working. Date(UK): 21/07/2024 - Balena Etcher version 1.18.11 (Obtained from GitHub link in comments) - From 512GB to 2TB (WD SN770M). OLED Steam Deck and same enclosure. Cloning process took ~25 - 35 mins (75% of the 512GB was used). 👍
I will also confirm I just used the newest version on their website because I didn't read the comments first... thankfully their most recent version based on the github was from 3 days ago. I believe they fixed the problem. Everything downloaded successfully. I installed my new SSD, powered on and got worried at first because loading took a minute and it went to the original setup and login screen like a factory restore. Chose English and my time zone, logged into my account and everything is perfectly as I left it. I do have to redo settings and some things, it's almost as if it's a fresh install, yet all my games are installed and working (I've only tested elden ring so far). All my video files I've saved etc are there in desktop mode. All good! 👍
Are you happy with the WD SN770M SSD? I'm still in doubt going for this one or the Crucial P310 M.2 2230 2TB. which is a bit faster but has QLC instead of TLC, and i've read that TLC is better for the long term...
@@W13n3n Absolutely! The drive has been going strong since the initial install - I use my Deck daily for both SteamOS (Browsing / UA-cam / TV shows) and Gaming (300GB+ Skyrim modpack / Kenshi / Indies). No noticable performance loss.
@daexter8971 use the x64 version, then once you've extracted the zip file open balena by the item called "balena-etcher". Mines currently cloning now, will be changing drive over tonight once kids in bed 🤣
Phew, I was really afraid that you quit making vids. And now you're coming out of nowhere with a vid regarding exactly what I was going to do next. I ordered the Sabrent 1tb ssd just a couple of hours ago. Nice to see you're back. I really enjoy your calm and comforting voice during these vids. :D
This was by far the best tutorial I’ve seen for an ssd clone, took me 10 minutes to complete the clone and install it in my steam deck! Thank you so much :D
Worked like a charm. I was able to skip the whole etcher cloning step by using an ICY BOX cloning station. I upgraded from a 512 GB to a 2TB model and the cloning took approx. 5 minutes. Put everything back to together and everything is fine. Thanks for the tutorial.
I can confirm I just used the newest version on their website because I didn't read the comments first... thankfully their most recent version based on the github was released 3 days ago. I believe they fixed the problem. Everything cloned successfully. I installed my new SSD, powered on and got worried at first because loading took a minute and it went to the original setup and login screen like a factory restore. Chose English and my time zone, logged into my account and everything is perfectly as I left it. I do have to redo settings and some things, it's almost as if it's a fresh install, yet all my games are installed and working (I've only tested elden ring so far). All my video files I've saved etc are there in desktop mode. All good! 👍 Thank you for the guide! 😊 Edit: Also, decky is installed and all my decky settings/ui changes that I've noticed are intact as well.
Thanks for the video! I honestly preferred this tutorial over others, and I used Belena instead of just flashing the new drive with Steam OS. Much quicker and nicer process that doesn't make me lose any progress. 2tb upgrade to my Steam Deck OLED complete 😤
Went back to an even earlier build of 18 but now when I went to flash it tells me failed target with an error message saying einval: invalid argument, open ‘/dev/sda’
I found somebody on Reddit that suggested a code that I can’t remember but it essentially reformatted my ssd even though there was nothing on it…ended up doing it through Konsole which took over a day but eventually got done. Thanks for the guide.
Following your guide was pretty easy, the LCD model i got on sale had different wiring so I only ended up having to unplug the power while i did the swap and i used the older version of the cloning software and everything went smooth, i erased all my games before cloning and just reinstall after the swap, I had a complete panic attack waiting for that first boot up but it seems perfect Got 2tb to work with now : D
Great guide, very simple! Only issue I had was battery connector did not want to come out and looks slightly different to yours, the pull tab starded sliding down the cable so had to use my nails to pull it out but otherwise smooth sailing. Also a nice advantage to using an external enclosure is you have a portable hard drive you can use after.
Great guide! followed every step and it worked out great. Although my power cable from the battery didn't come out quite as easy as yours so i just left it unplugged but still in the port. everything still worked though. thanks for the video!
hi, I'm also planning on upgrading from 512gb to 2tb, quick question, after succesful cloning via balena etcher, is there another step or I can just go straight to installing the new ssd?
Just upgraded my 265GB Steam Deck LED to 2 TB with the cloning method. Easy, but I had tiny bits of settings reset on me. I got "verifying installation" upon boot and had to re-login to the user accounts. Other than that it was quick and easy method and highly recommended 👍
Hi, This video is amazing and very helpful! I'm currently working kn upgrading my 256GB Steam Deck LCD to 1TB. However, when I downloaded Belena Etcher, it downloaded as a .zip file instead of an app image like in this video. How do I install Belena from a .zip file on Steam Deck Desktop mode?
looks like my original comment with helpful info got deleted so im reposting as someone had replied for clarification on non-oled.. balena etcher downloads as a zip not an app image -- KEYWORDS FOR PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR A FIX TO BALENA ETCHER as it does not happen as this video shows exactly.. downloads as a ZIP file, extract that file, then run the 'balena-etcher' file.. it will not necessarily show the .app image file type and its not obvious to a non-linux person. Also; to get to the bios thing by pushing the volume up then power button.. if you just hold the power button it WILL just flash on then shut off, you only need to hold it for a few seconds and release.. the screen may remain dark while its loading (try to listen / feel the fan on). Lastly for a non- OLED Steam deck in addition to this video's tutorial.. refer to these links (or search ifixit) as you'll have already copied your drive you can skip some extra steps from the ifixit guide. Ifixit steam deck ssd replacement non-oled both the original and refreshed versions: www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989, it's the same site OP refers to but this will have the slight differences for non-oled and the OS setup steps, but i recommend you clone the drive as OP shows in this video, its easier.
thanks for this video. I just got a refurbished 64gb deck and a 1tb m.2 drive to go with it. I'm pretty sure I have a ssd enclosure somewhere around here.
Just finished installing the new drive and it works perfectly. I saved myself a ton of money. Seriously, I got this directly from Valve for less than the price of a Switch OLED. Thank you so much!
Same here. I got a 64gb refurbished deck for a grate price, and my new 1tb ssd is coming on tuesday. Im also gone clone instead of installing fresh, as I have already installed a bunch of stuff (just 800 MB left out of 64gb), and I really don't wanna do it all again....
Great video, the x64 Etcher download is now a zip, could not figure out how to get it to work, so got an earlier version from softronic. Worked great thank you.
For what it's worth, if you extract the zip archive, all you need to do is click on the balena-etcher file and choose the option to Execute it, and it will launch fine.
I have an LCD (Original) deck and am looking to upgrade the internal storage for it. I know you briefly mention near the middle of the video, but can this method be done on it? Or does it only work for OLED models.
This is insanely easy and doesn't require a windows PC which I love. I only have my steam deck at the moment because my laptop died around 2 years ago and I have been using my upgraded 64GB (256 GB) Steam Deck, which is desperately needing a 2 TB Upgrade. Tomorrow I am gonna buy a 2 TB SSD and enclosure and I'll finally have enough space to do my schoolwork and play games.
Would this work to clone an existing LCD drive and then installing into a new OLED? Should I set up the OLED at all first (upon receipt) or just go right to cloning and swapping the drive? I'm just not sure if there's any reason to fiddle with the OLED first.
Great Video, thank you! Going to jump into this with my LCD Deck this weekend - just before I do, you mentioned there were some differences with the LCD versus the OLED version, is it just the internals being slightly different?
Yes, the screws are different and also the placement of each of the internal parts. Personally I found the LCD easier. I’d recommend following along to the ifixit guide as it goes into more detail then I show in my video, and make sure to remove the SD card! Good luck!
My new M2 2230 SP does not show up/detect on the storage session. :( Then i plugged it on my windows box, and it was detected using the same cable and external case. I then initialized it as GPT, but still not showing up on Deck. Can i format it on windows before plugging on deck ?
Hi Kris, thank you for creating short and easy to follow guides like this, just 1 question, after cloning my 512gb ssd to 2tb ssd, I noticed the extra space are unallocated, should i expand the partition? or would steamdeck claim the unallocated space after installing the new ssd?
@@steamdeckguy great, so there are no extra steps needed? after cloning via balena etcher, I can go straight to mounting the new ssd? (after battery storage mode ofcourse)
I followed the steps, and it seemed to go well, but seems it is looping at the loading user data screen. I was abel to get to desktop mode, the disk size and my files is reported correctly. it seems that I am signed out of steam. Any idea if a new attempt at cloning will have better luck? I used the same UGREEN M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure and Balena Etcher 1.18.11.
It worked like a charm. Yesterday it took 7 hours for 1tb of data and another 7 hours for validation and work without any problem. However, today I'm stuck at the deck logo screen and during the boot from BIOS the error was (Cannot open access to Console the route account is locked) Not sure how to proceed.
Will this image work if my my steam deck is moded? I have a steam deck led and want to upgrade to led...my lcd has roms & emulators and I want the oled to be the same with out setting up the emulators from scratch...???
Hi i just bought 2TB ssd and connected it using an enclosure to my steam deck in gaming mode, is it normal for it to say 0 bytes free of 0 Bytes?? I haven't formatted it as per instructions of this video
@@steamdeckguy I'm such an idiot, thank you for telling me to check! It turns out that I didn't push the SSD chip all the way down enough into the enclosure to hear an audible click! I was worried about damaging it lol. It now reads the space properly on the steam deck! I'm going to clone my data now, thanks!
If you don’t do the recovery, you won’t have an operating system - just a blank drive and so you won’t make it past the bios boot menu. So yeah… it’s important!
@@zanec6139 you can use an micro sd card, but all the data on it will get wiped. The steps are exactly the same, you just select the sd card instead of a portable drive when writing the image and booting.
looks like my original comment with helpful info got deleted so im reposting as someone had replied for clarification on non-oled and belena etcher.. balena etcher downloads as a zip not an app image -- KEYWORDS FOR PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR A FIX TO BALENA ETCHER as it does not happen as this video shows exactly.. downloads as a ZIP file, extract that file, then run the 'balena-etcher' file.. it will not necessarily show the .app image file type and its not obvious to a non-linux person. Also; to get to the bios thing by pushing the volume up then power button.. if you just hold the power button it WILL just flash on then shut off, you only need to hold it for a few seconds and release.. the screen may remain dark while its loading (try to listen / feel the fan on). Lastly for a non- OLED Steam deck in addition to this video's tutorial.. refer to these links (or search ifixit) as you'll have already copied your drive you can skip some extra steps from the ifixit guide. Ifixit steam deck ssd replacement non-oled both the original and refreshed versions: www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989, it's the same site OP refers to but this will have the slight differences for non-oled and the OS setup steps, but i recommend you clone the drive as OP shows in this video, its easier.
I have successfully cloned my new 1tb ssd using balena etcher. I replaced the new ssd in the SD, but when i boot up, it is stuck in SD logo. Any thoughts on this?
First hold power button down for 10 seconds to force shutdown, and then turn back on again. If no luck, maybe check that ssd is inserted correctly. Failing that it could be a corrupted drive so you may want to try again.
@@kenbolz This happened to me thanks for the info. I had to open up my steamdeck, put back the old ssd, and reclone again. It was quite tedious but on the 2nd try got it to work! Thanks Steamdeckguy for the vid
After you done cloning to new nvme ssd can you put it away n still use your original inside steam deck since its cloned or do you have 2 replace it as soon as you finished cloning to the new ssd in the enclosure?
@steamdeckguy i see n i wanted 2 ask for the rest of this month of December if in meantime I'm using steam deck will the clone enclosure will still go out of date?
@@troublebear3600 it depends what you are doing with it in December….Obviously, if you install a ton of games and make changes, then those changes will be lost when you swap out the drives at a later date. Technically it’s not an issue.
@@steamdeckguy oh ok n no jus playing my games that I already have im not going to download new ones til I change ssd nvme 2 new 2tb nvme ssd the reason why I'm not going to switch rite away cuz I'm bout 2 travel n I rather just wait til after the holidays to open my steam deck n replace ssd nvme
@@MrFiolek I’ve not tested it, so can’t guarantee it will work, but I’d expect it to copy everything as is. You’ll probably find that the steamOS only shows the same size available that you had before - it won’t auto extend the partition. I’d try it - you’ve got nothing to lose
@@steamdeckguy ok, I took advantage of your guide a little from other sources and everything works, you have to clone the disk as in the video, then connect the copies to the PC and use a partition management program, I increased the partitions on which Windows was and the remaining unlocated memory must be moved next to the steam deck home partition and then automatically connects them, everything works great.
Yes, you can use the clone method for ANY steam deck. The only difference is when it comes to a physically swapping out the SSD since the OLED model internals has been revised
@@steamdeckguy thank you for the reply. Since I wrote the comment I managed to find several post online claiming the same. Someone suggested installing NIUBI beforehands on the Windows partition as that also allows you to move the partitions around in a convenient order for extension.
Thank you! I was searching the comments for this exact question. I just bought the OLED deck also. I have a program I wrote to run my VPN at startup and I really didn't want to do that again, and I wasn't planning on replacing the SSD. I have large enough drives to store and transfer.
Hello! Hoping you can help me out here! I want to stream games from steam deck to twitch and have thought of using obs but cannot use obs on desktop mode while playing games in game mode. Is there a way I can play games on desktop mode instead?
Heya! I've got a backup on an external hard ssd and I need to get my backup on a device that just returned from an RMA process. How would you suggest I go about doing that (I'm not trying to swap hard drives, just slap the cloned data on my returned Steam Deck Oled). Someone suggested booting off a usb and then using sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/nvme0n1 conv=sync status=progress but I don't know the steps to boot off a usb and then input that command... so lost!
Turn off steam deck, then hold volume up and press the power button. You should then see option to boot from usb or internal drive. You could potentially then follow this guide to clone the drive from USB to internal, or run the command in konsole
@@steamdeckguyThanks so much for the info! Minor snag - I was trying to put the cloned image from the external ssd on the rma’d device via balena etcher but balena etcher is saying the rma’d steam deck is too small. But the only data on the external ssd is the cloned steam deck info, so why won’t it fit?
@@steamdeckguyah, no. The ssd is a 2tb and the internal drive on the rma’d device reads as 1.02 tb. Do I need to do some kind of.. partitioning or something? I have a second backup of the external ssd so I could wipe the ssd and re-clone it if needed… I thought partitioning it wouldn’t be necessary cause the backup shouldn’t have filled up the full 2tb.
I tried this on my LED steam deck and also repasted the CPU. After putting it back together I plugged in the USB charger to turn it back on but it wouldn't turn back on again. The battery LED slow flashes and nothing happens. Please help!
original charger? make sure its not an under powered one.. make sure battery is plugged back in and you fully seated the SSD and the heat shield (silver metal plate that has 3 screws).. full tightened to make sure all the thermal pads are making contact again. initial boot can sometimes take a min, make sure you hear/feel the fan coming on even if the screen is staying black
@Artificial.Unintelligence I used a 200w ugreen charger. Found a reddit thread with people having the same issue. The steps didn't really make sense but I followed them and it actually worked!
I tried to do this and all I got was the steam deck boot screen. Couldn’t get passed it. Tried to clone it again and no good. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Maybe I will try a different clone wizard. 😢
looks like my original comment with helpful info got deleted so im reposting as someone had replied for clarification on non-oled.. balena etcher downloads as a zip not an app image -- KEYWORDS FOR PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR A FIX TO BALENA ETCHER as it does not happen as this video shows exactly.. downloads as a ZIP file, extract that file, then run the 'balena-etcher' file.. it will not necessarily show the .app image file type and its not obvious to a non-linux person. Also; to get to the bios thing by pushing the volume up then power button.. if you just hold the power button it WILL just flash on then shut off, you only need to hold it for a few seconds and release.. the screen may remain dark while its loading (try to listen / feel the fan on). Lastly for a non- OLED Steam deck in addition to this video's tutorial.. refer to these links (or search ifixit) as you'll have already copied your drive you can skip some extra steps from the ifixit guide. Ifixit steam deck ssd replacement non-oled both the original and refreshed versions: www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989, it's the same site OP refers to but this will have the slight differences for non-oled and the OS setup steps, but i recommend you clone the drive as OP shows in this video, its easier.
I'm planning on trying this clone method on my LCD deck as soon as it (ssd and enclosure) arrives from Amazon! I just wanted to verify that (as you mentioned in the video) you don't need to worry about partition sizes, etc. I'm just surprised that you don't need to boot to another drive first. There are other guides that show having to boot when using something like clonezilla. How does Belena Etcher handle this differently?
I believe steamOS is automatically extending the unused space to fit the size of the disk. Tbh, I was expecting to have to extend the partition but was surprised when I didn’t….
This didn’t work for me. Used the latest and that 18. Version suggested of etcher. Only bios is available. Odd! I have a 2tb P310 I’m trying to use. It just boots into emergency mode.
Great video! I had some trouble with my usb hub disconnecting the NVME enclosure - but switching to a USB 2.0 port fixed it, if anyone has the same issues (did mean cloning my 512gb drive took 3h though)
@Steam Deck Guy, My Steam Deck is the LCD 256 gb model, I had to factory reset my Steam Deck, Now all of a sudden my internal storage says 70 gb Instead of 256gb. I'm trying to figure out what in the blue hell has happened?
I have run into a problem. When downloading the Balena Etcher from the official website the APPIMAGE does not appears, that's importante because right there's just a zip file, when you extract the zip there's a bunch of file but there's no clear way for how install Balena Etcher. I NEED HELP PLEASE!!!
I understand that mileage may vary but when it comes to all the nuanced modding with games on deck and things adjacent to that; Would anything be lost with cloning or is it literally a perfect clone that will respond exactly how it did before, or rather should it? To be specific, I am personally referring to RE4R mods and Dark Souls 2/3 Cheat Engine. It was more of a pain that I would have liked to do both of those, especially cheat engine, and I would like to know of any issues before I put money towards an SSD upgrade.
I follow this video steps nice and simple to follow direct to the point, but unfurtunally when time to boot into the os my steam got stock in the boot logo. But it was an easy fix. I just boot an ubuntu USB and did some disk repair in disk utility and boot the steam again and is working fine.
I don't understand that this guy did this tutorial for 8 min but other content creators does a video for over 20min?! He has my vote, great job!
Bro said vote like it’s a presidential campaign
More time equals more $ for content makers
Thank you so much, Kris! I upgraded my non-OLED model to a 2TB using a combination of this tutorial for the cloning software and your older one with the 1st gen Steam Deck for the hard drive replacement. The transfer and upgrade worked flawlessly!
Great guide! Confirmed working.
Date(UK): 21/07/2024 - Balena Etcher version 1.18.11 (Obtained from GitHub link in comments) - From 512GB to 2TB (WD SN770M). OLED Steam Deck and same enclosure. Cloning process took ~25 - 35 mins (75% of the 512GB was used). 👍
I will also confirm I just used the newest version on their website because I didn't read the comments first... thankfully their most recent version based on the github was from 3 days ago. I believe they fixed the problem. Everything downloaded successfully. I installed my new SSD, powered on and got worried at first because loading took a minute and it went to the original setup and login screen like a factory restore. Chose English and my time zone, logged into my account and everything is perfectly as I left it. I do have to redo settings and some things, it's almost as if it's a fresh install, yet all my games are installed and working (I've only tested elden ring so far). All my video files I've saved etc are there in desktop mode. All good! 👍
Great to hear! Thanks for reporting back!
@@ThorGodofThunder420this one really messed me up. Only 18.11 worked for me. I tried 19.23, 18.13, etc. but none of them would detect any drives.
Are you happy with the WD SN770M SSD? I'm still in doubt going for this one or the Crucial P310 M.2 2230 2TB. which is a bit faster but has QLC instead of TLC, and i've read that TLC is better for the long term...
@@W13n3n Absolutely! The drive has been going strong since the initial install - I use my Deck daily for both SteamOS (Browsing / UA-cam / TV shows) and Gaming (300GB+ Skyrim modpack / Kenshi / Indies). No noticable performance loss.
This should have way more views its most hassle free way to do it and keep the games and settings same.
Thanks appreciate the feedback!
Just upgraded my steam deck today to a 2TB. Your guide really helped and was very easy to follow. Thank you!
I am going to upgrade my storage tomorrow. Which version of balena etcher did you use?
@daexter8971 use the x64 version, then once you've extracted the zip file open balena by the item called "balena-etcher". Mines currently cloning now, will be changing drive over tonight once kids in bed 🤣
The balena etcher keeps coming up as a zip file and I'm stuck
@@daexter89711.18.11
@@PoppaSimTVgit hub version 1.18.11
Phew, I was really afraid that you quit making vids. And now you're coming out of nowhere with a vid regarding exactly what I was going to do next. I ordered the Sabrent 1tb ssd just a couple of hours ago. Nice to see you're back. I really enjoy your calm and comforting voice during these vids. :D
Thanks for the feedback it means a lot! Good luck with the upgrade!
This was by far the best tutorial I’ve seen for an ssd clone, took me 10 minutes to complete the clone and install it in my steam deck! Thank you so much :D
Just used this video and the older video to upgrade my very old steam deck. Worked like a charm! (figured I'd comment on both videos)
Short and to the point!
Thank you very much. One of the best tutorials for an SSD Upgrade I saw until now.
10/10 would swap and clone SSD again
This worked for me using the newest version of Balena. Best video online and love the channel. Keep on doing what you’re doing!
Great tutorial, followed all the steps and it worked perfectly!
Thank you for the guide! Super easy to follow, very concise, and very short! Already on 2 TB, and very happy!
Thanks for the feedback. Glad it helped out! 👍
Worked like a charm. I was able to skip the whole etcher cloning step by using an ICY BOX cloning station. I upgraded from a 512 GB to a 2TB model and the cloning took approx. 5 minutes. Put everything back to together and everything is fine. Thanks for the tutorial.
I can confirm I just used the newest version on their website because I didn't read the comments first... thankfully their most recent version based on the github was released 3 days ago. I believe they fixed the problem. Everything cloned successfully. I installed my new SSD, powered on and got worried at first because loading took a minute and it went to the original setup and login screen like a factory restore. Chose English and my time zone, logged into my account and everything is perfectly as I left it. I do have to redo settings and some things, it's almost as if it's a fresh install, yet all my games are installed and working (I've only tested elden ring so far). All my video files I've saved etc are there in desktop mode. All good! 👍
Thank you for the guide! 😊
Edit: Also, decky is installed and all my decky settings/ui changes that I've noticed are intact as well.
What am I doing wrong the balena etcher on mine keeps coming up as a zip file
@@PoppaSimTVdid you sort this out ?
Simple easy to follow guide, I managed to clone my 500GB to my New 2TB drive without any issue
Thanks for the video!
I honestly preferred this tutorial over others, and I used Belena instead of just flashing the new drive with Steam OS.
Much quicker and nicer process that doesn't make me lose any progress.
2tb upgrade to my Steam Deck OLED complete 😤
Followed instructions using Balena Etcher 1.18.11 and worked perfectly..thanks.
There is an issue with version 1.19 of balena etcher. Until it’s fixed, you’ll need to download earlier 1.18 version if you want to follow this guide
Still didn’t work for me…please help
Went back to an even earlier build of 18 but now when I went to flash it tells me failed target with an error message saying einval: invalid argument, open ‘/dev/sda’
You say to use an earlier version, but the website doesnt allow you to do that. Awesome guide, thanks for wasting everyones time
@@AbatedFawn prior versions can be found here github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases
I found somebody on Reddit that suggested a code that I can’t remember but it essentially reformatted my ssd even though there was nothing on it…ended up doing it through Konsole which took over a day but eventually got done. Thanks for the guide.
Thank you!! This was super helpful and gave me the confidence to do it myself!
Following your guide was pretty easy, the LCD model i got on sale had different wiring so I only ended up having to unplug the power while i did the swap and i used the older version of the cloning software and everything went smooth, i erased all my games before cloning and just reinstall after the swap, I had a complete panic attack waiting for that first boot up but it seems perfect
Got 2tb to work with now : D
Great guide, very simple! Only issue I had was battery connector did not want to come out and looks slightly different to yours, the pull tab starded sliding down the cable so had to use my nails to pull it out but otherwise smooth sailing.
Also a nice advantage to using an external enclosure is you have a portable hard drive you can use after.
Thank you! Easiest guide I've seen. I just bought the materials looking forward to the set up.
I wish I could like this video twice. Very helpful, sir!
Thank you for this easy Method!
Thanks for this great tutorial! Just updated mine SD Oled to 2TB. Now to the next step, dual boot 😁
You're the only person I saw that used this method and it seems significantly more convenient
Tried it and it works. Awesome solution and thank you for simple and easy to follow tutorial!
Thanks for the Idea with the cloning. I bought the same ssd housing and the upgrade worked flawless.
Glad to hear it worked out for you!
Great guide! followed every step and it worked out great. Although my power cable from the battery didn't come out quite as easy as yours so i just left it unplugged but still in the port. everything still worked though. thanks for the video!
This worked great converting a 512 OLED deck to a 2 TB deck! I used Balena Etcher 1.18.11 as another suggested and it worked perfectly! Woot!
hi, I'm also planning on upgrading from 512gb to 2tb, quick question, after succesful cloning via balena etcher, is there another step or I can just go straight to installing the new ssd?
Amazing easy to follow guide thank you so much !
Just upgraded my 265GB Steam Deck LED to 2 TB with the cloning method. Easy, but I had tiny bits of settings reset on me. I got "verifying installation" upon boot and had to re-login to the user accounts. Other than that it was quick and easy method and highly recommended 👍
Thank you for this guide!
Great video! Right to the point and very helpful. Thank you 🙏🏻
Upgraded my OLED to 2tb today! Great tutorial!
Hi,
This video is amazing and very helpful! I'm currently working kn upgrading my 256GB Steam Deck LCD to 1TB.
However, when I downloaded Belena Etcher, it downloaded as a .zip file instead of an app image like in this video.
How do I install Belena from a .zip file on Steam Deck Desktop mode?
I managed to find the app image after extracting the .zip file to the Desktop.
looks like my original comment with helpful info got deleted so im reposting as someone had replied for clarification on non-oled..
balena etcher downloads as a zip not an app image -- KEYWORDS FOR PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR A FIX TO BALENA ETCHER as it does not happen as this video shows exactly..
downloads as a ZIP file, extract that file, then run the 'balena-etcher' file.. it will not necessarily show the .app image file type and its not obvious to a non-linux person.
Also; to get to the bios thing by pushing the volume up then power button.. if you just hold the power button it WILL just flash on then shut off, you only need to hold it for a few seconds and release.. the screen may remain dark while its loading (try to listen / feel the fan on).
Lastly for a non- OLED Steam deck in addition to this video's tutorial.. refer to these links (or search ifixit) as you'll have already copied your drive you can skip some extra steps from the ifixit guide. Ifixit steam deck ssd replacement non-oled both the original and refreshed versions: www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989, it's the same site OP refers to but this will have the slight differences for non-oled and the OS setup steps, but i recommend you clone the drive as OP shows in this video, its easier.
thanks for this video. I just got a refurbished 64gb deck and a 1tb m.2 drive to go with it. I'm pretty sure I have a ssd enclosure somewhere around here.
Just finished installing the new drive and it works perfectly. I saved myself a ton of money. Seriously, I got this directly from Valve for less than the price of a Switch OLED.
Thank you so much!
Same here. I got a 64gb refurbished deck for a grate price, and my new 1tb ssd is coming on tuesday. Im also gone clone instead of installing fresh, as I have already installed a bunch of stuff (just 800 MB left out of 64gb), and I really don't wanna do it all again....
I tried a few guides. This one was the best.
Nice to see you're back.
What the heck is up with your profile pic?
@@tommyg4842 it’s a scene from the short film ‘Begotten’.
@@sunwheel666 okay thanks, thought it was maybe ai, and I was making shapes out of nothing. Good to know it was good ol nightmare fuel lol
Great video, the x64 Etcher download is now a zip, could not figure out how to get it to work, so got an earlier version from softronic. Worked great thank you.
Can you put a link for x64? I'm having the same issue. Thanks!
@@maritimemongo01just use the zip file, extract then tap on the item called "balena-etcher" worked first time for me
For what it's worth, if you extract the zip archive, all you need to do is click on the balena-etcher file and choose the option to Execute it, and it will launch fine.
Just upgraded my LCD 64gb to 512gb, thanks for the video. I did have to find an older version of the imaging software like your comment said though.
Just followed your steps and it works perfectly. Thanks man
Is this a re-upload? I'm sure I watched and liked this video last night 😂
Yeah, you’re not going mad! I removed the background music as it was too loud!
what if i just want to clone my old steamdeck to an external drive and use that backup for my new oled? Will it work?
I have an LCD (Original) deck and am looking to upgrade the internal storage for it. I know you briefly mention near the middle of the video, but can this method be done on it? Or does it only work for OLED models.
Works on any steam deck.
@ cheers boss 👌🏻
This is insanely easy and doesn't require a windows PC which I love. I only have my steam deck at the moment because my laptop died around 2 years ago and I have been using my upgraded 64GB (256 GB) Steam Deck, which is desperately needing a 2 TB Upgrade. Tomorrow I am gonna buy a 2 TB SSD and enclosure and I'll finally have enough space to do my schoolwork and play games.
just used this guide, worked great
PERFECT guide! Thank you so much
Worked perfectly 👍! I used Balena Etcher 1.18.11 (even 1.18.13 wouldn't work for some reason).
I cant seem to launch the app image. Is there a certain program I should be using?
Great guide! If I can't get my hands on an enclosure, could I use a big memory card or memory stick?
Would this work to clone an existing LCD drive and then installing into a new OLED? Should I set up the OLED at all first (upon receipt) or just go right to cloning and swapping the drive? I'm just not sure if there's any reason to fiddle with the OLED first.
Great Video, thank you! Going to jump into this with my LCD Deck this weekend - just before I do, you mentioned there were some differences with the LCD versus the OLED version, is it just the internals being slightly different?
Yes, the screws are different and also the placement of each of the internal parts. Personally I found the LCD easier. I’d recommend following along to the ifixit guide as it goes into more detail then I show in my video, and make sure to remove the SD card! Good luck!
@@steamdeckguy Awesome! Thank you for the insight! Just subscribed to your channel, looking forward to seeing all the videos to come!
Does using this belena method of cloning drive work with my existing drive that had dual-boot windows in it?
I did it! Great tutorial! So easy, nerves for nothing.
My new M2 2230 SP does not show up/detect on the storage session. :( Then i plugged it on my windows box, and it was detected using the same cable and external case. I then initialized it as GPT, but still not showing up on Deck. Can i format it on windows before plugging on deck ?
great tutorial! are you ever coming back to post more btw?
Hi Kris, thank you for creating short and easy to follow guides like this, just 1 question, after cloning my 512gb ssd to 2tb ssd, I noticed the extra space are unallocated, should i expand the partition? or would steamdeck claim the unallocated space after installing the new ssd?
steamOS should automatically claim the unused space when you boot for the first time.
@@steamdeckguy great, so there are no extra steps needed? after cloning via balena etcher, I can go straight to mounting the new ssd? (after battery storage mode ofcourse)
I followed the steps, and it seemed to go well, but seems it is looping at the loading user data screen. I was abel to get to desktop mode, the disk size and my files is reported correctly. it seems that I am signed out of steam. Any idea if a new attempt at cloning will have better luck? I used the same UGREEN M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure and Balena Etcher 1.18.11.
Can I use an external hard drive as the clone? I’d obviously have to do it twice if it does work but I’d hate to buy a cable I’m only gonna use once
Does this still work rn or do i have to get an older version of belena etcher
It worked like a charm.
Yesterday it took 7 hours for 1tb of data and another 7 hours for validation and work without any problem.
However, today I'm stuck at the deck logo screen and during the boot from BIOS the error was (Cannot open access to Console
the route account is locked)
Not sure how to proceed.
Will this image work if my my steam deck is moded? I have a steam deck led and want to upgrade to led...my lcd has roms & emulators and I want the oled to be the same with out setting up the emulators from scratch...???
Hi i just bought 2TB ssd and connected it using an enclosure to my steam deck in gaming mode, is it normal for it to say 0 bytes free of 0 Bytes?? I haven't formatted it as per instructions of this video
It usually would tell you the size. I’d check that you have inserted it correctly into the enclosure
@@steamdeckguy I'm such an idiot, thank you for telling me to check! It turns out that I didn't push the SSD chip all the way down enough into the enclosure to hear an audible click! I was worried about damaging it lol. It now reads the space properly on the steam deck! I'm going to clone my data now, thanks!
@@blueish5063 haha happens to us all
I got lost on the recovery image part, is that something that I MUST do or can I ignore this?
If you don’t do the recovery, you won’t have an operating system - just a blank drive and so you won’t make it past the bios boot menu. So yeah… it’s important!
@ oh okay, would be able to tell me how to do it though the micro sd card that I already have in the deck?
@@zanec6139 you can use an micro sd card, but all the data on it will get wiped. The steps are exactly the same, you just select the sd card instead of a portable drive when writing the image and booting.
How do I install balena etcher after download please, no exe file
looks like my original comment with helpful info got deleted so im reposting as someone had replied for clarification on non-oled and belena etcher..
balena etcher downloads as a zip not an app image -- KEYWORDS FOR PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR A FIX TO BALENA ETCHER as it does not happen as this video shows exactly..
downloads as a ZIP file, extract that file, then run the 'balena-etcher' file.. it will not necessarily show the .app image file type and its not obvious to a non-linux person.
Also; to get to the bios thing by pushing the volume up then power button.. if you just hold the power button it WILL just flash on then shut off, you only need to hold it for a few seconds and release.. the screen may remain dark while its loading (try to listen / feel the fan on).
Lastly for a non- OLED Steam deck in addition to this video's tutorial.. refer to these links (or search ifixit) as you'll have already copied your drive you can skip some extra steps from the ifixit guide. Ifixit steam deck ssd replacement non-oled both the original and refreshed versions: www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989, it's the same site OP refers to but this will have the slight differences for non-oled and the OS setup steps, but i recommend you clone the drive as OP shows in this video, its easier.
I have successfully cloned my new 1tb ssd using balena etcher. I replaced the new ssd in the SD, but when i boot up, it is stuck in SD logo. Any thoughts on this?
First hold power button down for 10 seconds to force shutdown, and then turn back on again. If no luck, maybe check that ssd is inserted correctly. Failing that it could be a corrupted drive so you may want to try again.
@@steamdeckguy I already fix the issue. what i did was I recloned the ssd, and it work flawlessly
@@kenbolz This happened to me thanks for the info. I had to open up my steamdeck, put back the old ssd, and reclone again. It was quite tedious but on the 2nd try got it to work! Thanks Steamdeckguy for the vid
Is it ok to upgrade a 512g to a 2tb instead of a 1tb. Or are there limitations or advisory reasons not to do this ?
As long as the drive you are cloning to is larger, there no limitations. I actually upgraded from 256GB despite the thumbnail.
After you done cloning to new nvme ssd can you put it away n still use your original inside steam deck since its cloned or do you have 2 replace it as soon as you finished cloning to the new ssd in the enclosure?
You don’t have to swap them right away, but obviously if you continue using it then you ‘cloned’ copy will become out of date.
@steamdeckguy i see n i wanted 2 ask for the rest of this month of December if in meantime I'm using steam deck will the clone enclosure will still go out of date?
Cloned nvme in enclosure I mean
@@troublebear3600 it depends what you are doing with it in December….Obviously, if you install a ton of games and make changes, then those changes will be lost when you swap out the drives at a later date. Technically it’s not an issue.
@@steamdeckguy oh ok n no jus playing my games that I already have im not going to download new ones til I change ssd nvme 2 new 2tb nvme ssd the reason why I'm not going to switch rite away cuz I'm bout 2 travel n I rather just wait til after the holidays to open my steam deck n replace ssd nvme
Is that just for the oled model? can I do the software things on lcd? the working on the hardware I know.
You can follow the same steps on LCD model
@@steamdeckguy Perfect thank you 🤝
Thanks working smooth on my deck ❤❤ uprade to 2tb😊
What when i have dualboot witch Windows this still will work?
I believe you may have to extend the partitions manually
@@steamdeckguy It's not a problem for me to increase them, but will they move and will everything work?
@@MrFiolek I’ve not tested it, so can’t guarantee it will work, but I’d expect it to copy everything as is. You’ll probably find that the steamOS only shows the same size available that you had before - it won’t auto extend the partition. I’d try it - you’ve got nothing to lose
@@steamdeckguy ok, I took advantage of your guide a little from other sources and everything works, you have to clone the disk as in the video, then connect the copies to the PC and use a partition management program, I increased the partitions on which Windows was and the remaining unlocated memory must be moved next to the steam deck home partition and then automatically connects them, everything works great.
Is this the same for a regular Steamdeck?
Yes, you can use the clone method for ANY steam deck. The only difference is when it comes to a physically swapping out the SSD since the OLED model internals has been revised
Hi! Is the process the same if I have dual boot on the internal storage? Or would I need to redo it?
You may need to extend the partitions manually after you have completed the clone process. But everything else should work.
@@steamdeckguy thank you for the reply. Since I wrote the comment I managed to find several post online claiming the same. Someone suggested installing NIUBI beforehands on the Windows partition as that also allows you to move the partitions around in a convenient order for extension.
If i used a used SSD not a new one.
Do i have to format it on gaming mode first?
No. The clone process will overwrite it.
Just to confirm - you didn't need to format the new SSD at all? That was handled by the cloning software? Thanks in advance.
Correct, cloning will overwrite that anyways so no need to format.
So a usb stick is no longer needed when updating the storage?
you only need USB stick if you want to reimage (reinstall) steam OS. For this clone method you just need an NVMe enclosure.
If I bought an OLED deck, could I clone my current LCD deck's ssd and then put that in the OLED one and have it work fine?
Yes. Just make sure your current deck is updated to latest OS version
Thank you! I was searching the comments for this exact question. I just bought the OLED deck also. I have a program I wrote to run my VPN at startup and I really didn't want to do that again, and I wasn't planning on replacing the SSD. I have large enough drives to store and transfer.
Confirmed newest release does not work. Ver. 1.18.11 works perfectly. Thanks for this vid!
Hello! Hoping you can help me out here! I want to stream games from steam deck to twitch and have thought of using obs but cannot use obs on desktop mode while playing games in game mode. Is there a way I can play games on desktop mode instead?
Yes, of course. Just load up steam in desktop mode.
@steamdeckguy Thanks! Will emulator games work this way too?
@@TheAnimatedWonders yes, everything will work the same
thanks for the tutorial! this is trully the easiest method (with ssd enclosure). i tried sudo DD in Konsole but my steam deck wont boot up.
is the clonage method also works with lcd models?
Yes
Heya! I've got a backup on an external hard ssd and I need to get my backup on a device that just returned from an RMA process. How would you suggest I go about doing that (I'm not trying to swap hard drives, just slap the cloned data on my returned Steam Deck Oled). Someone suggested booting off a usb and then using sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/nvme0n1 conv=sync status=progress but I don't know the steps to boot off a usb and then input that command... so lost!
Turn off steam deck, then hold volume up and press the power button. You should then see option to boot from usb or internal drive. You could potentially then follow this guide to clone the drive from USB to internal, or run the command in konsole
@@steamdeckguyThanks so much for the info!
Minor snag - I was trying to put the cloned image from the external ssd on the rma’d device via balena etcher but balena etcher is saying the rma’d steam deck is too small. But the only data on the external ssd is the cloned steam deck info, so why won’t it fit?
@@Tomoe1868 is the drive you are cloning to at least the same size or bigger?
@@steamdeckguyah, no. The ssd is a 2tb and the internal drive on the rma’d device reads as 1.02 tb. Do I need to do some kind of.. partitioning or something? I have a second backup of the external ssd so I could wipe the ssd and re-clone it if needed…
I thought partitioning it wouldn’t be necessary cause the backup shouldn’t have filled up the full 2tb.
anyone have any opinions on using the copper heat sinks over the foil wrap?
I tried this on my LED steam deck and also repasted the CPU. After putting it back together I plugged in the USB charger to turn it back on but it wouldn't turn back on again. The battery LED slow flashes and nothing happens. Please help!
original charger? make sure its not an under powered one.. make sure battery is plugged back in and you fully seated the SSD and the heat shield (silver metal plate that has 3 screws).. full tightened to make sure all the thermal pads are making contact again. initial boot can sometimes take a min, make sure you hear/feel the fan coming on even if the screen is staying black
@Artificial.Unintelligence I used a 200w ugreen charger. Found a reddit thread with people having the same issue. The steps didn't really make sense but I followed them and it actually worked!
I tried to do this and all I got was the steam deck boot screen. Couldn’t get passed it. Tried to clone it again and no good. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Maybe I will try a different clone wizard. 😢
looks like my original comment with helpful info got deleted so im reposting as someone had replied for clarification on non-oled..
balena etcher downloads as a zip not an app image -- KEYWORDS FOR PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR A FIX TO BALENA ETCHER as it does not happen as this video shows exactly..
downloads as a ZIP file, extract that file, then run the 'balena-etcher' file.. it will not necessarily show the .app image file type and its not obvious to a non-linux person.
Also; to get to the bios thing by pushing the volume up then power button.. if you just hold the power button it WILL just flash on then shut off, you only need to hold it for a few seconds and release.. the screen may remain dark while its loading (try to listen / feel the fan on).
Lastly for a non- OLED Steam deck in addition to this video's tutorial.. refer to these links (or search ifixit) as you'll have already copied your drive you can skip some extra steps from the ifixit guide. Ifixit steam deck ssd replacement non-oled both the original and refreshed versions: www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989, it's the same site OP refers to but this will have the slight differences for non-oled and the OS setup steps, but i recommend you clone the drive as OP shows in this video, its easier.
thanks, It did work fine I just had to dl older version of BALENA etcher as the new one is borked.
I'm planning on trying this clone method on my LCD deck as soon as it (ssd and enclosure) arrives from Amazon!
I just wanted to verify that (as you mentioned in the video) you don't need to worry about partition sizes, etc. I'm just surprised that you don't need to boot to another drive first.
There are other guides that show having to boot when using something like clonezilla. How does Belena Etcher handle this differently?
I believe steamOS is automatically extending the unused space to fit the size of the disk. Tbh, I was expecting to have to extend the partition but was surprised when I didn’t….
This didn’t work for me. Used the latest and that 18. Version suggested of etcher. Only bios is available. Odd! I have a 2tb P310 I’m trying to use.
It just boots into emergency mode.
so did you successfully launch and clone before going into the bios to do the no-battery power mode?
Great video!
I had some trouble with my usb hub disconnecting the NVME enclosure - but switching to a USB 2.0 port fixed it, if anyone has the same issues (did mean cloning my 512gb drive took 3h though)
Will this clone a dual partitioned drive?
I believe it will, but you may need to manually extend the partitions
Will this clone any emulators and games that are installed as well?
Yes. It will clone everything on your current drive.
Amazing, thanks!
@Steam Deck Guy, My Steam Deck is the LCD 256 gb model, I had to factory reset my Steam Deck,
Now all of a sudden my internal storage says 70 gb Instead of 256gb. I'm trying to figure out what in the blue hell has happened?
THANK YOU!! I couldn't get it done using Konsole or other methods mentioned online, but yours worked perfectly. Quick and easy. 👍
I have run into a problem. When downloading the Balena Etcher from the official website the APPIMAGE does not appears, that's importante because right there's just a zip file, when you extract the zip there's a bunch of file but there's no clear way for how install Balena Etcher. I NEED HELP PLEASE!!!
Best guide on the Internet about how to do this!!!!
Did u figure it out?
You just double click on the balena-etcher file in the folder after extracting the zip archive, and choose the option to Execute it.
I understand that mileage may vary but when it comes to all the nuanced modding with games on deck and things adjacent to that; Would anything be lost with cloning or is it literally a perfect clone that will respond exactly how it did before, or rather should it? To be specific, I am personally referring to RE4R mods and Dark Souls 2/3 Cheat Engine. It was more of a pain that I would have liked to do both of those, especially cheat engine, and I would like to know of any issues before I put money towards an SSD upgrade.
It will be an exact copy, and steam should automatically increase the partition size to use the additional unused space.
You mentioned doing this with a micro SD, do you have a video explaining how? 4:20
I use a USB drive in this video to reinstall steamOS. You can follow the same method using a microSD card.
ua-cam.com/video/8SqomrDTYfs/v-deo.html
I follow this video steps nice and simple to follow direct to the point, but unfurtunally when time to boot into the os my steam got stock in the boot logo. But it was an easy fix. I just boot an ubuntu USB and did some disk repair in disk utility and boot the steam again and is working fine.
I'm having a hard time cloning my internal ssd to my 2tb ssd. When I use balena, it gives me an error message and it won't continue. Can you help??
Are you using an earlier version of balena etcher? The latest version is broken, so that may be why you’re having issues.
@steamdeckguy I downloaded several versions of 18 and it says it's starting, but never does..