How to Backup Steam Deck Data Before An RMA?

There is a problem with my Steam Deck battery, so I am ready to send it off and change to a new one. But I have many games that are not saved in the cloud, and I don't want to lose my progress. So how can I back up my Steam Deck data before RMA?

If you want to back up your Steam Deck data before RMA, you first need to confirm the following points:

• Your computer has more than 600GB of free space.
• Your computer is equipped with an m2 or m2-USB adapter.

After confirming that your computer meets the above conditions, you need to prepare the following items:

• Bootable Linux system USB.
• External USB.

Then, please backup your Steam Deck as follows:

Step 1. Open your Steam Deck and plug the SSD directly into the PC or the USB adapter. 

Step 2. Boot the Linux system with the bootable Linux USB drive.

Step 3. Use the Linux dd command: if=/dev/DECKDRIVENAME to create the whole image of your Steam Deck drive.

If you want to restore the backup in the new Steam Deck, you can repeat steps 1-2 above and use Linux another dd command: of=/PATH/TO/FREE/SPACE/backup.img to get your game progress back.

Of course, if you are not only a player of Steam Deck but also use Steam on PC to play games, you can rely on EaseUS Todo Backup Home to back up your game saves. 

After all, sometimes the synchronization function of Steam Cloud is unreliable, and it can cause problems that cannot be solved, resulting in a permanent loss of your game progress. Therefore, if you want to protect your PC game data at the same time, you can use the help of professional backup software.

Related article: How to Backup Steam Cloud Saves in 2023