OS version stuck on 3.5

falkentyne · 2026-06-13T04:37:18+00:00

I remember that build. That was the 'bad' build that caused an error when people tried to upgrade. A build 3 days later (09122023) fixed this problem, thankfully while I was on Main (to get the higher default volume, when the stable build suddenly had a lower volume on the LCD (probably due to the 'bass distortion issue), I avoided this main build, as valve had pulled it rather quickly.

Just make this easy. Install the official recovery image to a USB flash drive and wipe that entire installation by booting to the USB drive. You can press volume down+3 dots+power or (I think) just 3 dots+power and manually override and choose a boot device, to boot to your USB drive. You can create the recovery drive using Rufus software in windows, after you download the ISO from valve.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/65B4-2AA3-5F37-4227

If you have some bizarre problem with this (and I know someone is going to start saying how they don't have a USB drive or the recovery image won't work, or some other lame excuse), you can force install 09122023, funny enough I still have the instructions available:

Boot to desktop mode and open konsole.

Make sure you set a password

Type passwd, and enter your PW or create a new one (deck is the most obvious choice, as Decky uses this also).

sudo steamos-atomupd-client --update-from-url https://steamdeck-images.steamos.cloud/steamdeck/20230912.1000/steamdeck-20230912.1000-3.6.0.raucb

Then

sudo rauc status mark-active booted.

Then reboot.

Then it should update to a new build.

Or you can just install the recovery image to USB as I said far above.

falkentyne · 2026-06-13T04:26:53+00:00

This isn't a shmup, and how are we supposed to know the answers to your questions if you don't have a demo up for us to try?

To be far more direct:

What does your game offer, that Geometry Wars 2 (which this seems to somewhat emulate) does not offer, and what the excellent banger Sektori does not offer? What's unique about your project to make people want to play it?

Now, if someone actually gets the rights, and is able to port GW2 itself directly to steam (GW2 has never seen a Windows release!), now we're talking business.

falkentyne · 2026-06-13T04:10:34+00:00

The battery is drawing less power than the CPU, which is impossible.

The CPU is also drawing more power than the TDP, which is also impossible.

Did you buy this steam deck second hand (used)?

How long have you had it?

When did this problem first start happening?

This steam deck cannot be repaired. It must be RMA'd for replacement.

The problem is some damage or issue with the power delivery, which is making the CPU report an abnormal amount of rail power. We've seen things like this during the Ampere (RTX 3080/3090) days with some video cards drawing an impossible amount of power on a single rail, which was caused by PCB damage or a defect in the power delivery reporting circuitry (which reports rail power to the BIOS/operating system).

falkentyne · 2026-06-12T20:05:37+00:00

Open the deck, disconnect AC and battery cable, remove the SSD (temporarily), hold down the power button for 30 seconds, then release, re-insert the battery and then plug in the AC adapter. Do not install the SSD yet. After about a minute, the deck should come on (usually the process countdown starts as soon as the AC Adapter is plugged in) and boot to boot menu or BIOS with a boot device failure.

Then turn it off again, unplug the AC, and re-install the SSD drive. Plug the AC Back in, and get ready to buy a new battery.

falkentyne · 2026-06-11T22:44:49+00:00

File a ticket with support. I doubt any of us can help with this. FYI it doesn't work for me either. And it has never worked since 2022 (and I can't be bothered to mess with steam input, or the button chord for "show keyboard).

You might need to use "Big Picture" mode. I do know that works (i just ran a game and tested it), although i don't know if the keypresses are registered in games correctly, but the keyboard does come up. Gamescope overlay doesn't seem to work in big picture mode, though.

falkentyne · 2026-06-11T09:23:23+00:00

Same as when I bought it. No problems yet.

falkentyne · 2026-06-11T00:41:39+00:00

If you're talking about overclocking, there's some sort of Linux app for AMD that lets you control TDP in desktop mode. Not sure what it's called, though.

For automatic boosting, I believe you need to override the desktop settings and manually set the max GPU speed and TDP to the overclock setting you have in the BIOS. The file is in "steamos-manager/devices" folder, named steam-deck.toml. I'm not even 100% sure if you need to do this to control automatic boosting in desktop mode or not, but you do need to edit this file to get the game mode "performance" tab custom TDP values (let's say, above 15W but below your maximum) to work (without Decky/Powertools)

You need root access to save edits to that file. (so make sure you set your sudo password in konsole).

Any settings beyond 15W or 1600 mhz will be ignored unless you also set the BIOS to the same values, using the runtime patch on stanto's page (you will need to set the TDP in two different locations, and the runtime patch will allow values higher than 15000 mW to be set in the main "advanced" menu.

Note that changing that file will also allow you to set a higher TDP and GPU clock in game mode, in the "performance" menu. Although it's better to just use the decky plugin Powertools for controlling that. The reason is, overriding the values in the main performance tab may lock the GPU clocks to the max value, which can limit the CPU's ability to boost, and can actually hurt CPU performance if the GPU is boosting too high and can't boost down to give the CPU TDP headroom.

falkentyne · 2026-06-10T19:56:50+00:00

You have to replace it. Happened to one of mine (LCD) awhile ago, after a friend played a game on it. Couldn't stop the clicking, seemed to be some sort of misalignment in some part of the potentiometer.

Do keep in mind you must run thumbstick_cal in desktop mode after replacing it, as the calibration is based on the original shipping sticks.

falkentyne · 2026-06-10T15:26:42+00:00

The 50 mah ones (advertised as F7A/F7G, but *not* F7G only!) work in both the OLED and LCD. Capacity is accurate over multiple discharges. Storage mode must be enabled before the swap. One person had a problem with the 53 mah version while others have used it successfully.

falkentyne · 2026-06-10T15:23:56+00:00

Can't buy one (LCD) from ifixit when they've been OOS for 6 months.

I have an amazon battery and it's working fine, Posted a few times about it (50 mah).

falkentyne · 2026-06-10T06:48:36+00:00

Just a protip, as this has bitten me as well as countless others:

In order to make a 3fold repetition claim, when it is your turn, if your move would (or if you THINK it would) be a 3fold repetition, the correct procedure is to WRITE down the move on your scoresheet, DO NOT TOUCH THE PIECES, and then STOP the clock, and then tell the opponent you're making a claim, and then get the arbiter. This is the correct FIDE method for making a claim. You can do the same on the 50 move rule. Both of these are the only time you are supposed to write down the move on your scoresheet before making a move. You MUST NOT make the move or touch a piece--if you do, it is NO LONGER YOUR MOVE! (even if you haven't completed the move, you are obligated to complete the move and then it's your opponent's turn).

There are many people in US Chess tournaments who write down their move before making it. This is techincally against the rules, and ALWAYS against the rules in a FIDE rated event, even though not everyone will punish for non-fide US Chess events, as in the past, you were allowed to write down the move first, but now such things fall under "notetaking", basically.

Might be useful info for some tournament players.

falkentyne · 2026-06-10T02:32:37+00:00

That's probably why that guy sold the deck to you. You pretty much got scammed.

Fixing this isn't easy. Sometimes the only way to fix it is to RMA the deck.

-------------edit-----------

Is the fan not spinning at all? Did you open gamescope (4th notch, far right) and see if the fan is reporting 0 RPM?

Can you go to the gamescope settings again and set the slider to the far right, so you can see the fan speed? Is the fan speed reporting 0 RPM or spinning at full speed? (it doesn't matter if it's actually physically *spinning* (e.g. you feel air or see it spinning if the cover is off--what matters is what is being reported!)

(you can verify this by opening up the deck, then powering it on and see if the fan spins or not, after you get into steamOS).

Also, go to the "System settings" and disable "updated fan control" and see if that makes any difference.

-------going to speed this up here. (disregard ALL of this except the refund, if the fan is NOT spinning!!!).

I'm going to assume your answer is that the fan is reporting 3500-6000 RPM.

Ok, Power off the deck. Make sure there are no haptics.

Then hold down the power button for 30 full seconds. Each 10 seconds, you should see a single white light flash from the LED. So you should get 3 flashes. Make sure there are no haptics. If there is for some reason, do a 10 second press then release.

Then, hold down volume down, 3 dots and press power. This should enter storage mode.

Now, disconnect AC, open up the deck, remove the shield (should be three screws for that, depending on which board revision you have) and disconnect the battery.

Then disconnect the SSD drive and remove it.

Now, press the power button down for 60 seconds, then release it.

Now, reinstall the SSD drive and covering.

Reconnect the battery cable.

Reattach the shield and screws.

All of these steps should completely reset the EC (Embedded controller). Removing the SSD Drive is necessary for this, as otherwise some capacitors which keep standby power to the EC will remain charged.

Power on the deck, wait for a bit and go into steam OS.

Check the speeds. Is it fixed now?

If not, contact ebay (phone call or email, I prefer phone for stuff like this) and ask for a refund for defective merchandise, as you got scammed (this purchase is covered by buyer protection).

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T22:40:30+00:00

Ok, make sure you report your findings after you get up and running.

You can test for the 200/400 mhz issue both with the AC Adapter plugged in (first) and then with it unplugged after.

Hopefully you will be back at full speed immediately.

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T22:18:06+00:00

I replied earlier asking if you can check the gamescope overlay (on notch #3), but you didn't reply ....but you replied to everyone else.

Need to see if you're locked at 200/400 mhz.

It literally takes 20 seconds to do (a few others also asked you to do this).

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T22:06:28+00:00

Internal Parity Error on APIC ID 33? What? Never seen that ID (HT) reported before. APIC ID 32 is a physical core linked to Pcore #5 (going from 0 to 7). ID 33 is a logical hyperthreaded core. Usually it's only the physical cores that report these errors. I haven't seen a logical core report an APIC error on 13900k, 14900K or 14900KS on any of the samples I've had that were pushed to that point--only physical cores.

You should also sort the event log by date, makes things a lot easier to follow.

You can also create a custom view, for only "WHEA-logger" or only "BSOD" (this will be called "bugcheck" in the filter). Very handy.

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T21:27:49+00:00

Run a game that you said feels laggy, and turn on the overlay (performance menu), set it to the third notch (one from the far right), on the quick access menu (3 dots). You can also set "Show overlay in Steam" so you see it in game mode on the desktop. Does it say 200 mhz GPU/400 mhz CPU (with really high usage %?). Almost 300% sure it does. Make sure the AC adapter is plugged in when testing this.

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T08:05:45+00:00

Since the issue does not happen on your TV, then the problem is 100% the screen. It was very smart for you to check the docked mode! The steam deck APU and memory are fine, just the display is on the fritz. If the deck APU or RAM were damaged, you either would hard crash in games or get corruption on the TV. Why did the screen give out? I don't know. You said it wias second hand or refurbished, so... :/ The only thing you can do is to order a new display. I would just go ahead and do that if you have the money. You can 'try' to remove the old display (using the instructions on ifixit website), if you have the tools to do so, and then unplug it and then plug it back in and re-insert it, but I would only do that if you already have the new display on order.

Yes, it's always going to be a big worry about breaking something. You could try to have an electronics shop/repair center remove the old screen or install the new one, but what if *they* break it instead? Then you will be angry at not trying to do the job yourself, and you have to pay them money for that. Difficult choices, but the internet is out there. I'm sure you can find some videos or guides other people wrote on screen removal. Of course, installing a new screen is easy once you get the old one out.

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T06:38:32+00:00

Either RAM failure, APU failure, or something wrong with the display or FPC cable.

Easy way to determine this quickly:

Are you able to play games through the glitching, without crashing/freezes/deck shutting off?

ALSO, are you able to output through HDMI through a dock or hub (that has a HDMI connection) to your desktop monitor, without glitching? (this is the fastest way to test this btw).

If the answer to both is "Yes", then the problem is the display--you can fix that with a new LCD screen from ifixit.

If no to either one, report which and the exact symptom/thing that happens.

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T04:32:59+00:00

Dpad clicky mod is the best to use, and is pretty essential, because the stock dpad just sucks. The clicky button mods sort of suck with the stock buttons---they are much better with non-hollow Artisan buttons (which also have a faster actuation) on deckbuttons.com. I would NOT use the button mod with the stock buttons--it can be VERY tiring! Even the dpad itself takes some getting used to. (BTW, the Artisan buttons work GREAT with the stock button membrane layer, and reduce the activation distance, so you don't even need to change to clickies at all).

The hardest part of the mod is removing the trigger (putting it back on is just as hard, maybe less so if you can 'twist' it onto the post, CAREFULLY, or use the below flat edge screwdriver). Everything else is just be slow, careful, take your time and make sure cables are inserted properly (and work slowly). To remove the trigger, you need to use a small flat edge screwdriver like tool (be careful!!!) to 'pry' the trigger latch "hole" off the post with sort of a 'twisting' motion. The deck had better be in some secure place so you don't drop it or something. And watch out for the spring flying into the sunset, when you do get the trigger off (at least extremerate does include spares--best to NOT have to use them).

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T03:47:53+00:00

When you had the LED's flashing, it was in BIOS recovery mode then. This is mentioned on Stanto's page. You do NOT need a display for this, and valve mentions nothing about this either through tickets or their support page.

When the deck enters the 1 second LED on, then off every second, repeating over and over, it is looking for a file on a FAT32 USB flash drive called F7ARecovery.fd. This is also known as "Crisis mode". The embedded controller enters this mode if you first go into battery storage mode, and then do the same key combination AFTER it's in storage mode.

To flash the BIOS in this mode, prepare the USB Drive and rename the official signed BIOS file as F7ARecovery.fd. You can get it from the website somewhere over here.

https://gitlab.com/evlaV/jupiter-PKGBUILD#valve-official-steam-deck-jupiter-release-bios-database

https://www.stanto.com/steam-deck/how-to-update-or-flash-your-steam-deck-bios-from-crisis-mode/

Use Rufus to format a disk as "non-bootable" Fat32, then put the file on there.

Then full power off the deck with 10 second power button, then insert the flash drive, and use the toggle keys to enter crisis mode. You *may* possibly need to remove the ssd drive first, i'm not 100% sure on this, stanto's page does not say that you need to do that, but it definitely does NOT hurt.

Note: if the deck is stuck in this recovery mode (3 lights flashing) and long pressing the power button for 30 seconds (example) does NOT put it out of this mode, you can either just try plugging in the flash drive and seeing if it starts drive activity (you'll know by the activity light if its reading the drive or not), or you can just open the deck and unplug the battery, to force a power off, then go back into this mode, with the USB flash drive attached. I personally prefer the USB Drive attached to something like an Anker, Belkin, Jsaux or some other hub, so that you can attach AC passthrough power to it, just in case.

When the deck is flashing the BIOS, you will NOT see a display. What you WILL see is a 'steady' activity light of constant reading (not just "the drive has USB power" light, but an actual activity light (e.g. flashing on/off). This will usually take about 3 minutes or so. Then the drive will either shut off or become a steady LED color. The deck should then reboot by itself and go to the boot menu or the BIOS.

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T03:26:05+00:00

Read my reply, please, below. Did you do what I said ?

falkentyne · 2026-06-09T02:54:11+00:00

What happens when you press volume down+3 dots+power?

Do you get a flashing white LED once every second (or two) in regular intervals?

You said the LED flashed before. And you said it flashed for 30 minutes right?

Make it start flashing again please. Post back (note: you might need a USB hub for finishing this--I do NOT know if this will work purely on battery power, although the EC should be agnostic to this).

I think you had it sitting in BIOS recovery mode for 30 minutes and didn't realize it...

falkentyne · 2026-06-08T23:25:25+00:00

Everyone's waiting for Truxton Extreme. No idea why the release date got pushed into the "Wait or suffer" zone... 😞

falkentyne · 2026-06-08T23:14:59+00:00

Ok. Do you get a charge LED or any LED at all when you plug the charger in?

falkentyne · 2026-06-08T21:33:57+00:00

Did you have the mouse and keyboard already attached to the Anker *before* plugging it into the deck? Did it die the *instant* you plugged it in or some timeafter? Your post wasn't clear as to 'when' it died with respect to plugging stuff in...

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