Copy2Deck documentation

Getting started

Copy2Deck connects directly from your Windows PC to your Steam Deck over your local network. Both devices should be connected to the same home network.

What you need

• A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC.
• A Steam Deck connected to the same network.
• Desktop Mode access on the Steam Deck.
• A password set for the Deck’s deck user.

Enable SSH on Steam Deck

On your Steam Deck, switch to Desktop Mode, open Konsole, and run these commands one at a time:

passwd
sudo systemctl enable --now sshd

The first command creates or changes your Deck password. The second enables the SSH service now and after restart. Copy2Deck already fills in steamdeck as the Host, so you normally do not need to find or type an IP address.

Connect to your Deck

1. Open Copy2Deck on your Windows PC.
2. Leave the prefilled Host as steamdeck.
3. Keep the port at 22 unless you deliberately changed the Deck’s SSH setup.
4. Keep the username as deck and enter the password you created.
5. Optionally select Save connection details.
6. Select Connect.

Once connected, you can move files, browse your Deck, find game folders, and run backups without connecting again in each area. If Windows cannot find steamdeck, use the IP-address fallback in Common Problems below.

Save connection details

When this option is selected, Copy2Deck saves the host, port, username, and password after a successful connection. The password is protected by Windows and can only be decrypted by the same Windows user account. The saved details are filled in automatically the next time the app opens.

Clear Save connection details at any time to immediately remove the saved connection file. If you share your Windows account with someone else, leave this option off.

Confirm your Deck

The first time Copy2Deck sees a Deck, it asks you to verify and trust its identity. This helps protect you from connecting to the wrong device. If that identity changes later, confirm that the Deck was reinstalled or intentionally reset before accepting it.

Use Connection Doctor

If Connect fails, select Connection Doctor. It checks hostname resolution, port 22, your login, SFTP startup, home-folder access, and whether the Deck allows a small write test. Results appear step by step, with a plain-language action for the first problem it finds.

Quick Copy

Use Quick Copy when you want a guided one-item transfer from Windows to a specific Steam Deck destination.

1. Choose a local file or folder.
2. Enter or browse to the remote destination.
3. Select how existing files should be handled.
4. Choose the verification level you want.
5. Start the transfer and follow its progress, speed, elapsed time, and remaining estimate.

Existing-file choices

Copy2Deck can overwrite all matching files, skip existing files, or compare size and modification time to avoid unnecessary uploads. Choose overwrite when you need an exact replacement; use comparison for faster repeat transfers.

Verification

Size verification checks that the remote file length matches the source. Stronger verification reads the uploaded data to confirm its contents. Strong verification takes longer but is useful for important files or unreliable networks.

Before uploading, Copy2Deck checks available destination space when the server supports that query. Folder transfers create the selected folder inside the chosen destination and preserve its internal structure.

Drag and drop

Drag a file or folder from File Explorer onto the Copy to Deck area. Copy2Deck fills in the source for you; review the remote destination and transfer options before starting. You can also drop items into Deck Manager to upload them to the folder currently open there.

Adaptive high-speed mode

For larger multi-file jobs, Copy2Deck can automatically use up to three trusted SFTP channels and larger transfer buffers. It activates only when a transfer contains at least eight files and at least 8 MB of data. Single files, small jobs, and transfers that ask about each conflict continue to use the standard transfer path.

Deck Manager

Deck Manager is the primary Copy2Deck workspace. It places This PC on the left and your connected Steam Deck on the right so you can browse and manage both devices together.

Navigation and quick locations

Each pane has matching Up, path, and Refresh controls. This PC includes shortcuts such as Local Disk, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Music. Steam Deck shortcuts can include Home, Downloads, Desktop, Steam libraries, game data, EmuDeck folders, and mounted storage.

Drag and drop

Select one or several files or folders and drag them between panes. Drop onto a highlighted folder to transfer into that folder, or drop onto empty space to use the directory currently open in that pane. Deck-to-PC downloads follow the existing-file choice selected in Quick Copy.

Right-click actions

• Open a selected folder.
• Create a new folder.
• Rename or move an item.
• Delete selected items after confirmation.
• Refresh the current directory.

Items deleted from This PC are sent to the Windows Recycle Bin. Steam Deck deletion is permanent and always requires confirmation.

Storage analysis

Calculate size measures selected items. Largest folders analyzes folders in the current directory, and Storage overview summarizes important Deck locations. Copy2Deck first asks the Deck’s native du tool for a fast total, then falls back to walking files over SFTP if necessary.

Steam Games

Select Scan games to discover installed titles from Steam library manifests. Copy2Deck searches the internal library and other Steam library folders it can access.

Select a game to jump directly to:

• Install folder — the game’s installed files.
• Compatdata — its Proton prefix and Windows-style user data.
• Shader cache — precompiled graphics data for the game.
• Workshop — downloaded Steam Workshop content.

The storage action calculates totals for these related locations so you can understand the game’s full footprint, not only its install size. A related location may legitimately be absent if the game has never created it.

Versioned backups

Backup profiles download a chosen Deck folder into dated version folders on your Windows PC. They are ideal for saves, mods, configuration folders, and other files you want to preserve before experimenting.

Create a profile

1. Select New profile and give it a clear name.
2. Choose the remote source folder on the Deck.
3. Choose the local Windows destination.
4. Optionally define include and exclude wildcard patterns.
5. Choose how many versions to retain.

Patterns can be separated by commas or semicolons. Use includes to limit the backup and excludes to omit caches or other unnecessary content.

Preview, back up, and restore

Preview scans the source and reports file count and total size without copying. Back Up Now creates a timestamped version, downloads matching files, and removes versions older than the profile’s retention setting. Restore uploads a selected version back to the configured remote source after confirmation.

Security & privacy

• Your connection to the Deck is encrypted.
• Your password stays in memory unless you choose Save connection details.
• Saved passwords are encrypted for the current Windows account and are not stored as readable text.
• Files move directly between your PC and Steam Deck; Copy2Deck does not upload them to a cloud service.
• Copy2Deck remembers trusted Deck identities so it can warn you about unexpected changes.
• Connection settings and backup profiles are stored locally on the Windows PC.

Only use Copy2Deck on networks you trust, keep Windows and SteamOS updated, and disable remote access on the Deck if you no longer need it.

Common Problems

Windows cannot find steamdeck

Confirm both devices are connected to the same home network. On the Steam Deck, open Konsole and run ip -4 addr show wlan0. Find the address after inet, such as 192.168.1.42/24, and enter only 192.168.1.42 in Copy2Deck’s Host field. The address may change after your router or Deck restarts, so try steamdeck again later.

Connection refused or timed out

Confirm both devices are on the same network and re-run sudo systemctl enable --now sshd in Konsole. If steamdeck does not work, use the IP-address steps above.

Authentication failed

Confirm the username is deck and reset the password with passwd in Konsole if needed. Remember that Konsole does not display password characters while you type.

Permission denied

The deck account cannot modify every system location. Choose a destination inside the Deck user’s home folder, Steam library, or another location owned by that account. If this appears immediately after Connect, check the Debug log to see whether the connection completed before an automatic folder scan encountered the restricted location.

A game or location is missing

Refresh the game list after connecting. Confirm the game is installed, and remember that compatdata, shader cache, and Workshop directories are created only when needed.

A transfer stopped

Reconnect, verify free space, and retry. Using comparison or skip behavior can avoid uploading files that already completed. Check the app log for the specific file and error.

Long and complex transfers

Recent Copy2Deck releases improve jobs containing large folder trees. High-speed channels now begin processing files immediately instead of completing a remote check for every folder and file before uploads can start.

Connection keepalives

The main connection and every high-speed transfer channel send an SSH keepalive every 20 seconds. This reduces idle-session timeouts from the Deck, Wi-Fi network, or router during lengthy jobs and pauses between many small files.

Automatic Steam Deck sleep prevention

While a transfer is active, Copy2Deck opens a dedicated trusted SSH session and asks SteamOS systemd-inhibit to temporarily block sleep and idle suspension. The inhibitor is released automatically when the transfer completes, fails, is cancelled, or the dedicated connection closes unexpectedly.

Steam Games permissions

Copy2Deck safely skips an inaccessible Steam library, mounted drive, or user-data folder instead of stopping the entire game scan. Readable libraries and games still appear normally.

If a game or related location is missing, confirm that it is installed and that the Steam Deck’s deck account can read its storage location. Copy2Deck does not elevate permissions or change ownership on your Deck.

Non-Steam Games

The Non-Steam Games tab reads the shortcut libraries Steam already uses in Gaming Mode. It scans automatically after Copy2Deck connects and lists shortcuts across every Steam user profile found on the Deck.

Add a game to Steam

1. Open Deck Manager and browse to the game executable or launch script.
2. Right-click the file and select Add to Steam.
3. Choose the name that should appear in the Steam library.
4. Confirm that Copy2Deck may close Steam before safely updating its shortcut library.
5. Reopen Steam or return to Gaming Mode to see the new shortcut.

Copy2Deck uses the most recently active Steam user, prevents duplicate entries, and creates a timestamped backup of shortcuts.vdf before making a change.

Remove a Non-Steam game

Select the shortcut in the Non-Steam Games tab and choose Remove from Steam, or use the same action from its right-click menu. This removes only the Steam shortcut. The executable, game folder, saves, and other files remain on the Deck.

Windows games and Proton

Adding a Windows .exe creates the Steam shortcut, but the game may still require a Proton compatibility tool. In Steam, open the shortcut’s Properties, choose Compatibility, and select the Proton version appropriate for that game.