Q: Do game mods get copied over when deploying a game with DDM to my SD card?
A. Official Steam Workshop mods – yes. Mods that are dropped directly into the game folders without using a tool? Yes, these should work too. Mods that are “installed” via a tool? It will heavily depend on how that tool works. Sometimes mod tools use a common “core library” of functionality that isn’t stored with the game – but is presumed on Windows when the game runs. That “core platform” for mods won’t be present when you copy the game over with DDM. YMMV with third party mods.
Q: I prepped a card using Linux File Systems for Windows + DDM and now my Deck is saying it cannot install anymore games, or I get a Disk Write error.
A. Please see our page on Linux File Systems for Windows.
Q: I can’t write files or create new folders on the root of the microSD card after I formatted with Linux File System for Windows.
A. Please see our page on Linux File Systems for Windows.
Q: I created an external hard drive with LFS for Windows, used DDM to copy games to it, but Steam doesn’t see it when I mount it – nor can I add it to the Steam Downloads folders list.
A: Add a zero byte text file to the root of the drive named: libraryfolder.vdf … then, the drive should show up when you go to add it.
Q: I have successfully used DDM to move a bunch of games, but suddenly I’m getting an error when trying to copy (Unhandled Exception)
A: Try restarting the Linux File Systems for Windows service (it is available in the program’s UI). Try again. If this still doesn’t work, please reach out to me.
Q: Can your app format my microSD card or drive in the EXT4 or BTRFS File System?
A: No. You’ll need to either format it in the Steam Deck or use a Windows tool like Linux Filesystems for Windows.
Q: Does your app enable the ability to read/write EXT4/BTRFS file systems on Windows?
A: No. You’ll need a Windows tool like Linux Filesystems for Windows for EXT4 or some other tool for BTRFS support.
Q: Can I use the BRTFS file system instead of EXT4 with Deck Drive Manager?
A: Yes, if you have a working solution for reading and writing that file system on Windows already – and it mounts it as a proper drive for Windows’ use. Tools like Linux Filesystems for Windows have support to READ from BTRFS, but not write to it – which makes it useless for this application. You must have full +RW to your Steam Deck drive for Deck Drive Manager to work. The “freebie” BRTFS driver appears to have great issues with Windows 11. Beware the blue screen.
Q: Can I use Deck Drive Manager to remove games from the destination drive to make space for the queue?
A: Yes, with the latest version of DDM you can enumerate, select and delete games from the SD card.
Q: I use SSH/SAMBA to connect my Windows PC to my Deck for file deployment. Can I use your tool with these conveyances?
A: Not directly. SSH will likely not be a supported conveyance. I’m a fan too, but there are things SSH file system access just won’t allow easily in a Windows app.
You can, however use SSHFS in conjunction with SSH to create a real live Windows drive letter from the Deck and THEN you literally can remote deploy across your network with DDM.
Check out my post on Reddit and check out this video:
Q: Can the app automatically download the games as part of the queue process?
A: No. This app works with games already installed on your hard drives by Steam.
Q: The application seems to hang while copying files. Is that normal?
A: Unfortunately, yes. The app isn’t really multithreaded (someday) so the window does appear unresponsive during large file copy operations. It is on my roadmap to fix this. I did add an audible “done” sound (you can shut it off or even replace it with a wave file of your own) to help notify you when things are completed.
Q: Is there a Linux/Mac/Other version of this app? Can I run it under Proton, Wine, Bottles, etc?
A: Ironically, despite Steam Deck being a Linux product – no, there are no other versions of Deck Drive Manager other than for Windows. I am an old school WinForms/.NET developer. It will very likely not work even via compatibility layers like proton or WINE as this application is incredibly “file IO heavy” and translation layers have typically proven poor at this sort of thing in my experience. The biggest issue is that this app is largely built around the Windows file system. The Linux/Mac file systems are totally different. Even if you could force this app to run, it would still likely fail out when it came to file access. It is possible that other developers will be interested in making a “port” of this in some fashion. We’ll see. As with my other projects, those that desperately want to run it will need a proper virtual machine to run it.
Q: Where can I get the source code?
A: This app will not start as open source, but could move there in the future. If you want to know why, discuss it with me on Discord. I’m more than happy to share functions and logical processes with any developer interested in a port. Again, I’d happily discuss my reasonings with you on Discord.
It is written using WinForms in .NET 4.8. I stopped being a full time developer about 10 years ago, and this is the end of my skillset. I realize it isn’t fancy, but I’m about getting stuff done – and if you’ve used my Oculus Quest BMBF/Beat Saber applications like Playlist Editor Ultimate, you’ll know it may not look like much, kid – but she’s got it where it counts.
Q: Is this app really free? How are you making money on it?
A: The app will always be free of charge. It will contain no means of monetization, phoning home or other things none of us like. At some point, it will likely be extended to check for new version alerts/updates – but anyone with simple networking skills will be able to sniff what it is doing. I realize that “open source” would allow you to verify for yourself, but again, see the point above.
I work on my apps as a hobby and for fun. My users typically like low pressure “contribute as you like” monetization. If you want to donate something for my efforts, there is a donate page here.
Q: How do I know your app is safe?
A: The app will be digitally signed for everyone’s safety. That should help ease some concerns. There is nothing in this code outside of basic file I/O so no security software should be “tripped” heuristically. Before release, I will submit the final build for online virus analysis and provide a link the results.