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1.0 Getting Started

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baldsealion edited this page Oct 17, 2022 · 56 revisions

Windows 11 Installation Info & Common Questions

Currently, the current recommended version of Windows 11 is 22H2

The recommended method to install Windows is to either install it onto the internal Solid State Drive, or connect an external Solid State Drive.

Using a microSD or USB Flash Drive is NOT recommended for installation of Windows. You can see more about that on the Home Page

What Exact Version of Windows Should I Get?

Typically the recommendation will be stock Windows 11 which can be obtained from Microsoft Here

  • NOTE: If wanting a "seamless"(eliminating "Welcome" screen) Windows logon with Playnite, you will need either Windows Enterprise or Windows Education edition. Home or Pro editions will not work for this(this is covered in the guide Here

What about a debloat script, or custom Windows installation?

I can't recommend a de-bloat script custom Windows version because of two reasons:

  • Custom Windows builds that you can download violate Microsoft's re-distribution terms
  • They often leave out important functionality that you may need later, or can cause un-expected issues with game compatibility, making it difficult to troubleshoot the exact issue

If anyone has a good guide for de-bloat, step-by-step process that can be vetted out to confirm no compability issues with any games, launchers, etc -- I would be interested to review and possibly update this section

YouTube Tutorial for Dual Boot(READ COMPLETELY)

Please follow the YouTube guide below but stop at the "Windows Drivers"(Timestamp 12:20) section, as we cover all this and more in this guide.

  • NOTE: you will need at least 1 USB flash drive(the tutorial uses 2, one for SteamOS Recovery and one for Windows, but you could use 1 flash drive and complete the SteamOS Recovery portion of the tutorial, then flash Windows after) -- and you may need a mouse and keyboard if your SteamDeck is a newer hardware revision(Purchased in August or later):

  • Download the SteamDeck Recovery Image and write it to a Flash Drive-- You will need it to partition the SSD for dual boot:

Steam Deck Recovery Instructions

Existing Internal SSD Installs

If you have not replaced you SSD and are just setting up dual boot, start the video here:

New Internal SSD Installs

If you just replaced your internal SSD for SteamDeck, start at the beginning of the video here:

Valve's Official SteamDeck Drivers

After installing Windows, please install all the latest drivers from Valve. Follow all of their instructions, located here:

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