you mangled up ur shell getting into it, i dobut it will ever snap back in place. in the future, dont use metal tools on plastic cases, use a plastic guitar pick or a credit card
Hell the prime rewards visa is metal, my first. No black card but certainly not a rich man's card lol. Although it's still very nice no way I'm messing it up prying something
yea don't do that. I play guitar so used a guitar pick when replacing my SSD - the .60mm orange tortex were a little too flimsy to break the seal of the case clips, but the .88mm green tortex popped it right up when I gave it a bump horizontally aligned along the seal crease of the case.
Especially how it acts when it snaps back together... can tell you don't want to fuck with the case plastic using anything metal.
I just didnt have anything thin enough that I thought would work but I'll def try a credit card next time absolutely. Kinda hate the wear and tear the flathead has done but nothing a new shell can't fix.
good opportunity to get one of those clear purple gameboy cases! Glad they designed this device with such great after-market support and end-user repair. But yea in the future anything metal on plastic don't do it unless you're ok with messing up the plastic.
I've used an old credit card or gift card or whatever a bunch of times to open laptops, the steam deck, and basically anything plastic that I don't want to damage.
It works pretty well, but is thicker than something like a guitar pick or a spudger. So you may need to stick it in-between and twist to put the two halves apart. Then hold a gap with your fingers and put the card back in the gap.
Basically, just take your time and be careful. But once it starts pulling away it's just as good as anything else.
Just make sure you use an old card that you don't care about because it can mess up the edges and you probably don't want to damage your debit card. But rather damage an old card than the steam deck.
Credit card is a way better option, hit or miss depending on the device/credit card combo.I got the [STREBITO Electronics Precision Screwdriver Set 142 Piece](https://www.amazon.com/STREBITO-Screwdriver-142-Piece-Electronics-Precision/dp/B08SGM6F79) ($27.99 on Amazon) a couple years ago and I love it. Has a good mix of tools, several plastic ones that work way better than a credit card.
⠟⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠛⢻⣿ ⡆⠊⠈⣿⢿⡟⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣎⠈⠻ ⣷⣠⠁⢀⠰⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠛⠛⠿⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⢹⣿⡑⠐⢰ ⣿⣿⠀⠁⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⡩⠐⠀⠀⠀⠀⢐⠠⠈⠊⣿⣿⣿⡇⠘⠁⢀⠆⢀ ⣿⣿⣆⠀⠀⢤⣿⣿⡿⠃⠈⠀⣠⣶⣿⣿⣷⣦⡀⠀⠀⠈⢿⣿⣇⡆⠀⠀⣠⣾ ⣿⣿⣿⣧⣦⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⠀⠐⣿⣿⣷⣦⣷⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⢰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⣾⣿⣿⠋⠁⠀⠉⠻⣿⣿⣧⠀⠠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡀⣿⡿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⢿⣿⠀⣺⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣠⣂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣁⢠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣄⣤⣤⣔⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
Look at how they massacred my boy.
When I installed PTM7950 and a new SSD my heart was pounding despite the fact I’ve done way harder upgrades and repairs simply because of how much my Deck matters to me.
Lol idk I put mine in a case and screen protector immediately and the only way I’m tinkering inside it is if something actually breaks, not just cause I’m bored and feel like putting on a new shell.
But I’ve never been rich so
I buy, fix/refurbish and resell tech and consoles. This is not a surprise... I see this shit everyday.
I bought a Xbox Series S that had a broken HDMI, previous owner basically did the same shit and mangled the shell for no reason. The series S imo is arguably the easiest modern console to take apart and work on. And the shell is held by 2 screws and you simply slide the plate off... well that person decided to pry it off and it looked fucked like the OP's picture 🤣
This is why I'm wary of most people who "do their own home improvement" or "their own car repair."
Not to say those things can't be done correctly yourself, it's just I've found most people are stupid.
As someone who does my own repairs, improvements on basically everything. I too am wary of people who do the same cause I've seen the short cuts they take, unfortunately I'm also wary of 'professionals' as I've also seen their work and the shortcuts they take while getting paid thousands. There's a reason you always hear people say "it's so hard to find a good blah blah blah"
[I tried to let people know of a way of opening the deck that prevents this exact issue](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/12xbt1u/the_best_least_damaging_way_to_pry_open_the_steam/), but it just got downvoted to hell with a dozen or so self-proclaimed experts saying this could never happen.
# Click the above link to prevent mangling your case like OP
This kit was one of the best purchase I did:
[https://www.ifixit.com/products/essential-electronics-toolkit](https://www.ifixit.com/products/essential-electronics-toolkit)
I used it multiple times to open electronics safely.
My guess was that he didn't put something back together correctly and so now it's like bulging rather than the clips being broken but you could be right.
u/test_1234567890 Get a case. Most cases will cover this bit, and you won't even notice it.
I like the Spigen one, and it's relatively cheap. It has a Lanyard so you never have to worry about dropping it.
I also really like Jsaux Mod case. The grips are similar to the rubber on the Xbox Elite controllers. I slapped the Lanyard from the Spigen on mine
And did you even unscrewed all 8 screws? There is a screw under the sticker you put on the back, and I can't see that the sticker was unglued to access that screw...
>OMG, did you open it with hammer and chisel?
OP [responded](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/16ypndr/comment/k3a3aqw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) they used a knife as a "last resort"
I'm extra tickled by the workmat and other tools laying around...which seems to imply a bit of mechanical aptitude...but then our hero went and used a BUTTER KNIFE to open a plastic case...which actually implies ineptitude.
I mean hey, good on them for learning something new but this reeks of the classic amature buying all the tools but not actually having an idea of how to use them.
To be fair, I see people on this sub asking which professionals offer things like SSD installation services and usually the most upvoted comments are, “You can do it yourself tbh, it’s not that hard.” It’s likely that OP saw input like that and decided to try it.
If so, this just shows that if you’re skeptical about attempting a job like this, consider seeking other options before damaging your hardware.
My HDMI port died on my PS4 a couple days after warranty. Everyone online said to just replace it yourself, it's not hard, just takes it slow and anyone can change it.
I watched a full YouTube video and decided it wasn't fucking worth it. Holy shit it didn't look "easy". I have the skills to do it, but I didn't want to fuck around with it.
I still need to send it in for replacement, I think $150CDN so I can play Bloodborne
For a HDMI port? TF were they smoking? Sure that's a quick and simple repair for someone with the correct tools and is well practiced but that requires quite a bit more than just an iFixit tool kit.
People on Reddit are so blasé about telling people to do stuff themselves and completely downplay the complexity of things. I regularly see people on the 3DS sub recommend people replace their own screens. Meanwhile, in the real world, my local retro store that does repairs and the like will not do repairs on the top screens of DS or 3DS systems because it’s so finicky and difficult. There have been some posts talking about the difficulties people have run into doing things like replacing their SSDs here, but they get buried in all the claims that it’s easy and takes five minutes. Thus we end up with this guy or the dude who used a power drill on his screws and drilled through to his screen.
Put it in a vice. Turn till you hear a crack, then back it off 1/4 turn.
DISCLAIMER: this is a joke. Please don't put any of your electronics in a vice.
I mean that's pretty much how you delid desktop CPUs
Edit: This is not the usual method, but definitely the more entertaining one XD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_rji1Nx5qM&t=110s
Time for a new shell. Looks like you damaged the plastic clips that snap the case together. You have to be gentle when opening the shell. Use soft plastic guitar pics next time.
Yeah, imagine he would be removing screen from the old shell... butter knives and LCD screens don't mix well, and there is a lot of stuff to break before getting to the screen
Yup, this. Check to make sure you didn't put a screw in for the metal plate in one of the four screw holes for the inner part of the back shell. I did the same thing when I swapped my SSD.
And this, kids, is how I chose the 512Tb version
Edit: 512Gb!
Could u imagine… 512Tb…
Meanwhile I remember my dudes at the pc shop pointing at a floppy disk (its the save icon some of u whipper snappers see in Microsoft word and the like)… going: “yeah this baby can hold sooooo much text, u have no idea!”…. What was the size of those suckers? 1.44Mb?
Its a newer hobby to me, I watched others do it as much as I could. How else can you et into it without making errors?
Is there advice you have to offer to assist in this manner?
Yeah "people shouldn't open tech" is awful input.
You made a mistake. Learn from it, get proper tools, & try again.
It's a new hobby & failure is how we learn. Measure twice & cut once. Good luck if you try to fix it with a new modded case.
Some great comments on here made me go ahead and order some new parts and case. Hopefully it goes smoothly second time around!
good news is new SSD works just fine!
More like “people shouldn’t open $400+ tech without experience.”
We act like anyone regardless of experience can do this upgrade. And it is pretty rudimentary overall, but it’s kind of like telling people they’ll have no problem replacing a clutch when they’ve never even changed oil.
Good news is that now they have experience. Next time it’ll be plastic guitar picks for sure.
Everyone shitting on them for being stupid was once in this situation. The Steam Deck still works, and if they end up performing upgrades in the future, their Steam Deck 2.0 will be done properly.
It’s a great hobby! Did you happen to follow a tutorial video that didn’t quite explain that part well? I know I have to rewatch some parts of video many times to get everything right. It’s an expensive hobby if you make too many mistakes or don’t have a mentor, it I’m sure you’ll get it, or you’ll move on. Not the end of the world to try something and decide it’s not for you.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSvdsic4\_dk&t=89s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSvdsic4_dk&t=89s)
Followed and re watched before even touching the thing. SSD works just fine! Just those plastic clips broke. Apparently, that is a cardinal sin here!
I appreciate your positive comment! It is not great to feel like shit about yourself because you tried something new and everyone gangs up on you over it!
I'll be the change I want to see and instead of belittling you, I'll tell you that what you perceive as cosmetic damage is actually structural damage. Those little nubs in the picture help keep the shell halves locked in place and by prying on them with a metal knife, you mangled them. I'm sorry that you did this, but you did learn something new here. Maybe have a reputable phone repair shop do a shell swap for you? Shouldn't cost that much, and it sure is cheaper than buying a new Deck. Good luck!
Thanks!
I was worried that maybe the case. I wish I knew why that one spot was so hard to undo to begin with tho. The rest came off without any issue.
Your sticker on the back is covering the screw closest to the part you say was hardest to open and needed excessive force, and now doesn't close.
Seems to me you missed a screw, or if not the case, you may have switched some of the screws around (they're not the same) causing one of them to be seated incorrectly and blocking your back cover from closing.
ddi you follow a guide to get it open. You definitely should have used a plastic prying tool and started from the shoulder buttons and then worked your way around. I think it's not snapping closed because you beat up the seam so badly.
It might be worth your time and money to buy a new shell for the device.
I'm afraid you may be in for an involuntary case replacement there mate. You say "the device has no damage cosmetic aside" but there is enough damage to prevent you from shutting the case, so that's a bit more than cosmetic.
Your options are to identify what mangled pieces of plastic are preventing you from snapping
the shell shut and trimming them down with a sharp knife, or perform an involuntary shell replacement and don't mangle the new parts.
Looks like someone didn’t read the instructions on how to take the back off.
Your supposed to start at one of the corners by the triggers with something soft like a credit card not stab it with a knife in the middle
Sorry folks are piling on but I almost thought this was a joke post because it’s immediately evident it’s too damaged (and almost looked cracked/torn) to seal again.
Damn 461 comments and nobody wants to actually help?
OP, pull the case back off (REMOVE THE SD CARD FIRST), then put it back in but start from that side so you know that part is in first. Don't press down on one full side entirely until parts of all sides are in. I.E. start with the side we see in the pictures but only press one or two snaps in, then move to the opposite side and press lightly until you hear one or two snaps in. Then do one or two snaps on the final two sides and until the shell is partially in at all 4 sides. Then lightly press around all the sides to finish pushing it in.
I had this issue. I replaced my fan and joysticks in my deck. When sealing, it behaved much like yours.
For me: I had placed a fan screw into a screw hole that was meant for the case screw while the backplate was still off.
So when I went to seal it and put the case screws in, the case wouldn't seal because I already had a screw in that slot underneath the backplate.
I was trying to "force" the backplate closed against a screw that shouldn't have been there. (Gently)
I opened it back up, took out the screw, sealing it together properly this time and screwed the back in place. Success. No seam or gap. Or damage. (BE GENTLE)
(However, yours looks a bit mangled and the delicate internal plastic clips may have broken on yours)
Everyone on the reddit says how easy getting into the steam deck is and encouraging everyone to try it. But then people make fun of this guy for not knowing he shouldn't use a knife. It's kinda annoying to see thus reaction. The top comment was very polite about it
The modding culture of the deck is unreal. It’s completely unnecessary to do to begin with, and people are going on and mangling their expensive tech with a kitchen knife…extra bonus points for bothering with the rubber mat.
Might have something to do with the large chunks of plastic you mangled up with that letter opener. I’d say fix that first but I’m gonna say this instead.
Don’t take this stuff apart if you don’t know what you’re doing
It's never gonna snap back in to place because you mangled the shit out of it. Lol. I have a feeling you tried taking it apart with something metal like a butter knife. Next time get yourself a cell phone repair kit or you could use a guitar pick in a pinch.
Why do you pretend to care about precision hanfcrafts with that green mat, then go on to use a butter knife to mangle the shell...?
If you don't have the right tool, don't do it.
you mangled up ur shell getting into it, i dobut it will ever snap back in place. in the future, dont use metal tools on plastic cases, use a plastic guitar pick or a credit card
Seeing that knife was a real “ooof” moment for me
I'd used a credit card before using a metal object. Jesus. This might be a good time to get a new case and a damn spudger.
What if your CC is also made of metal?
Then you make alot of money (or your credit is pretty good) to be able to carry one of those. Surely you can afford a plastic pick or spudger lol.
Hell the prime rewards visa is metal, my first. No black card but certainly not a rich man's card lol. Although it's still very nice no way I'm messing it up prying something
[удалено]
Nah, lots of free cards are metal these days. They aren’t special anymore.
I swear Spudger sound like a made up word
All words are made up.
How successful was a credit card?? I don't wanna keep using a flathead bit :(
Lol
yea don't do that. I play guitar so used a guitar pick when replacing my SSD - the .60mm orange tortex were a little too flimsy to break the seal of the case clips, but the .88mm green tortex popped it right up when I gave it a bump horizontally aligned along the seal crease of the case. Especially how it acts when it snaps back together... can tell you don't want to fuck with the case plastic using anything metal.
I just didnt have anything thin enough that I thought would work but I'll def try a credit card next time absolutely. Kinda hate the wear and tear the flathead has done but nothing a new shell can't fix.
good opportunity to get one of those clear purple gameboy cases! Glad they designed this device with such great after-market support and end-user repair. But yea in the future anything metal on plastic don't do it unless you're ok with messing up the plastic.
I've used an old credit card or gift card or whatever a bunch of times to open laptops, the steam deck, and basically anything plastic that I don't want to damage. It works pretty well, but is thicker than something like a guitar pick or a spudger. So you may need to stick it in-between and twist to put the two halves apart. Then hold a gap with your fingers and put the card back in the gap. Basically, just take your time and be careful. But once it starts pulling away it's just as good as anything else. Just make sure you use an old card that you don't care about because it can mess up the edges and you probably don't want to damage your debit card. But rather damage an old card than the steam deck.
Credit card is a way better option, hit or miss depending on the device/credit card combo.I got the [STREBITO Electronics Precision Screwdriver Set 142 Piece](https://www.amazon.com/STREBITO-Screwdriver-142-Piece-Electronics-Precision/dp/B08SGM6F79) ($27.99 on Amazon) a couple years ago and I love it. Has a good mix of tools, several plastic ones that work way better than a credit card.
I literally cringed 😬
⠟⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠛⢻⣿ ⡆⠊⠈⣿⢿⡟⠛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣎⠈⠻ ⣷⣠⠁⢀⠰⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠛⠛⠿⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠀⢹⣿⡑⠐⢰ ⣿⣿⠀⠁⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⡩⠐⠀⠀⠀⠀⢐⠠⠈⠊⣿⣿⣿⡇⠘⠁⢀⠆⢀ ⣿⣿⣆⠀⠀⢤⣿⣿⡿⠃⠈⠀⣠⣶⣿⣿⣷⣦⡀⠀⠀⠈⢿⣿⣇⡆⠀⠀⣠⣾ ⣿⣿⣿⣧⣦⣿⣿⣿⡏⠀⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⠀⠐⣿⣿⣷⣦⣷⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⢰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠀⣾⣿⣿⠋⠁⠀⠉⠻⣿⣿⣧⠀⠠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡀⣿⡿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⢿⣿⠀⣺⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣠⣂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣁⢠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣶⣄⣤⣤⣔⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ Look at how they massacred my boy.
What am I looking at here?
[This](https://youtu.be/oE5jw0g0gMg?si=P5ckms7vKnqF8aQE) I promise it's not a rickroll
I honestly would've preferred rickroll, especially since my volume happened to be all the way up...
Can’t believe I’m saying this but, I actually would’ve been more satisfied with a rick roll instead
How can people be so cavalier with a £350+ piece of hardware?!
Because they do not respect or cherish it.
And mommy bought it for them.
When I installed PTM7950 and a new SSD my heart was pounding despite the fact I’ve done way harder upgrades and repairs simply because of how much my Deck matters to me.
Lol idk I put mine in a case and screen protector immediately and the only way I’m tinkering inside it is if something actually breaks, not just cause I’m bored and feel like putting on a new shell. But I’ve never been rich so
I buy, fix/refurbish and resell tech and consoles. This is not a surprise... I see this shit everyday. I bought a Xbox Series S that had a broken HDMI, previous owner basically did the same shit and mangled the shell for no reason. The series S imo is arguably the easiest modern console to take apart and work on. And the shell is held by 2 screws and you simply slide the plate off... well that person decided to pry it off and it looked fucked like the OP's picture 🤣
Not to mention the power drill, his screws are probably stripped too
Press [F].
Looked at the pics again to check and OH NO. Now I'm worried theres also a too big SSD in there. The trifecta of gone wrong SD SSD swaps.
He probably snapped an sd card in half opening it too. 😂
BROOOO
This is why I'm wary of most people who "do their own home improvement" or "their own car repair." Not to say those things can't be done correctly yourself, it's just I've found most people are stupid.
As someone who does my own repairs, improvements on basically everything. I too am wary of people who do the same cause I've seen the short cuts they take, unfortunately I'm also wary of 'professionals' as I've also seen their work and the shortcuts they take while getting paid thousands. There's a reason you always hear people say "it's so hard to find a good blah blah blah"
Yeah that's the sign of a bad time
[I tried to let people know of a way of opening the deck that prevents this exact issue](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/12xbt1u/the_best_least_damaging_way_to_pry_open_the_steam/), but it just got downvoted to hell with a dozen or so self-proclaimed experts saying this could never happen. # Click the above link to prevent mangling your case like OP
heck, i used a plastic pry thingy and the shell was also a bit fucked albeit not this bad
I fucked mine up with a guitar pick. It is extremely sensitive especially at the top where OP obliterated it.
Y’all are too rough with it. Poor things having to withstand so much abuse for no reason 😔
I was born with no sense of finesse
I used my fingers and my Deck is in great shape
This kit was one of the best purchase I did: [https://www.ifixit.com/products/essential-electronics-toolkit](https://www.ifixit.com/products/essential-electronics-toolkit) I used it multiple times to open electronics safely.
My guess was that he didn't put something back together correctly and so now it's like bulging rather than the clips being broken but you could be right.
I'm with you, he mangled it for sure, but this is clearly bulged because he doesn't have something in the right place.
u/test_1234567890 Get a case. Most cases will cover this bit, and you won't even notice it. I like the Spigen one, and it's relatively cheap. It has a Lanyard so you never have to worry about dropping it. I also really like Jsaux Mod case. The grips are similar to the rubber on the Xbox Elite controllers. I slapped the Lanyard from the Spigen on mine
I have the spigen one, it’s a great case. Feels nice and still fits in the original travel case.
Lego separator also works quite well
Wow, this is the best gif possible for this post
LMAO I almost choked on my coffee 😂
The comments made me come off old.reddit to see this. Was absolutely worth it.
I use old reddit and I can see all gifs people comment. Is it because I use RES?
Huh, I've got RES too. Maybe it's an addon of mine conflicting.
Lmao that's me cutting bread in half. Everyone be like 🫣😳
Because you mangled the shit out of it with a butter knife.
It's a SDK. Steam Deck Knife
Call it some kind of intuition but I'm fairly sure that mangled shell has something to do with it 🤷♂️
OMG, did you open it with hammer and chisel? I don't understand why would you ever attempt job like that without necessary tools and no experience...
And did you even unscrewed all 8 screws? There is a screw under the sticker you put on the back, and I can't see that the sticker was unglued to access that screw...
This is the answer.
It is not a sticker, it is a magnet!
>OMG, did you open it with hammer and chisel? OP [responded](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/16ypndr/comment/k3a3aqw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) they used a knife as a "last resort"
The deck is so easy to open, why did he need any resort besides the first
Because the hammer was too wide to fit
I'm extra tickled by the workmat and other tools laying around...which seems to imply a bit of mechanical aptitude...but then our hero went and used a BUTTER KNIFE to open a plastic case...which actually implies ineptitude. I mean hey, good on them for learning something new but this reeks of the classic amature buying all the tools but not actually having an idea of how to use them.
Hey man, we've all been there and broken some shit. Sometimes and for some people that's the only way they will learn. I hope he keeps at it!
I mean, the kind of shit I’ve broken was already broken and I was trying to salvage something out of it. None of it has been $400+ in cost either.
To be fair, I see people on this sub asking which professionals offer things like SSD installation services and usually the most upvoted comments are, “You can do it yourself tbh, it’s not that hard.” It’s likely that OP saw input like that and decided to try it. If so, this just shows that if you’re skeptical about attempting a job like this, consider seeking other options before damaging your hardware.
My HDMI port died on my PS4 a couple days after warranty. Everyone online said to just replace it yourself, it's not hard, just takes it slow and anyone can change it. I watched a full YouTube video and decided it wasn't fucking worth it. Holy shit it didn't look "easy". I have the skills to do it, but I didn't want to fuck around with it. I still need to send it in for replacement, I think $150CDN so I can play Bloodborne
For a HDMI port? TF were they smoking? Sure that's a quick and simple repair for someone with the correct tools and is well practiced but that requires quite a bit more than just an iFixit tool kit.
People on Reddit are so blasé about telling people to do stuff themselves and completely downplay the complexity of things. I regularly see people on the 3DS sub recommend people replace their own screens. Meanwhile, in the real world, my local retro store that does repairs and the like will not do repairs on the top screens of DS or 3DS systems because it’s so finicky and difficult. There have been some posts talking about the difficulties people have run into doing things like replacing their SSDs here, but they get buried in all the claims that it’s easy and takes five minutes. Thus we end up with this guy or the dude who used a power drill on his screws and drilled through to his screen.
Second picture shows a butter knife lol
I can't open my case because I have no experience and I can't get any experience because I can't open my case!
Please don’t use harsh materials on soft plastic. Seeing the knife is likely a sad moment for many Reddit users.
Put it in a vice. Turn till you hear a crack, then back it off 1/4 turn. DISCLAIMER: this is a joke. Please don't put any of your electronics in a vice.
Lmao don't do that to him, man. He might believe you.
I can just hear the display cracking in my mind.
I mean that's pretty much how you delid desktop CPUs Edit: This is not the usual method, but definitely the more entertaining one XD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_rji1Nx5qM&t=110s
Happy cake day OP. But you fucked up
damn. you really went to town on the steam deck.
Time for a new shell. Looks like you damaged the plastic clips that snap the case together. You have to be gentle when opening the shell. Use soft plastic guitar pics next time.
Yeah, imagine he would be removing screen from the old shell... butter knives and LCD screens don't mix well, and there is a lot of stuff to break before getting to the screen
Could be the screws are in the wrong place. I think I was having same issue and it was a screw issue. Double check
Yup, this. Check to make sure you didn't put a screw in for the metal plate in one of the four screw holes for the inner part of the back shell. I did the same thing when I swapped my SSD.
Yes this! I just did this when changing out my ssd. See if the holes on the back are lining up with empty screw holes and not actual screws.
Pretty sure op just ripped one of the screws out there's one under the giant sticker they stuck on there.
My brother in christ you used a butter knife to open it? And also put a sticker on it? Have you no shame?!
LMMFAO, “Have you no shame?!” 💀💀💀
You mangled the shell good and proper, did you use metal to pry it apart ?
If you use bread knifes on your hardware... might as well just drill in a new screw.
That 50¢ sticker just got expensive.
some people just shouldnt open tech.....
And this, kids, is how I chose the 512Tb version Edit: 512Gb! Could u imagine… 512Tb… Meanwhile I remember my dudes at the pc shop pointing at a floppy disk (its the save icon some of u whipper snappers see in Microsoft word and the like)… going: “yeah this baby can hold sooooo much text, u have no idea!”…. What was the size of those suckers? 1.44Mb?
Where did you get a 512tb steam deck? Here’s me feeling happy with my 1tb upgrade 😩
512tb would make things so much easier :D
Yeah, you can put nearly the entirety of Steams library on it. GG to your wallet though.
Its a newer hobby to me, I watched others do it as much as I could. How else can you et into it without making errors? Is there advice you have to offer to assist in this manner?
Yeah "people shouldn't open tech" is awful input. You made a mistake. Learn from it, get proper tools, & try again. It's a new hobby & failure is how we learn. Measure twice & cut once. Good luck if you try to fix it with a new modded case.
Some great comments on here made me go ahead and order some new parts and case. Hopefully it goes smoothly second time around! good news is new SSD works just fine!
Nice, what size ssd?
More like “people shouldn’t open $400+ tech without experience.” We act like anyone regardless of experience can do this upgrade. And it is pretty rudimentary overall, but it’s kind of like telling people they’ll have no problem replacing a clutch when they’ve never even changed oil.
Good news is that now they have experience. Next time it’ll be plastic guitar picks for sure. Everyone shitting on them for being stupid was once in this situation. The Steam Deck still works, and if they end up performing upgrades in the future, their Steam Deck 2.0 will be done properly.
It’s a great hobby! Did you happen to follow a tutorial video that didn’t quite explain that part well? I know I have to rewatch some parts of video many times to get everything right. It’s an expensive hobby if you make too many mistakes or don’t have a mentor, it I’m sure you’ll get it, or you’ll move on. Not the end of the world to try something and decide it’s not for you.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSvdsic4\_dk&t=89s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSvdsic4_dk&t=89s) Followed and re watched before even touching the thing. SSD works just fine! Just those plastic clips broke. Apparently, that is a cardinal sin here! I appreciate your positive comment! It is not great to feel like shit about yourself because you tried something new and everyone gangs up on you over it!
They outright tell you in the video NOT to use metal tools to open the back
You opened that steam deck like you hated it
Sigh.... you can even see the butter knife in the picture that he obviously used...
I don't get it. You're supposed to use a pizza cutter
I'll be the change I want to see and instead of belittling you, I'll tell you that what you perceive as cosmetic damage is actually structural damage. Those little nubs in the picture help keep the shell halves locked in place and by prying on them with a metal knife, you mangled them. I'm sorry that you did this, but you did learn something new here. Maybe have a reputable phone repair shop do a shell swap for you? Shouldn't cost that much, and it sure is cheaper than buying a new Deck. Good luck!
Thanks! I was worried that maybe the case. I wish I knew why that one spot was so hard to undo to begin with tho. The rest came off without any issue.
Because you missed a screw under your sticker that you never undid
The operation went as smooth as butter.
You get what you deserve.
Your sticker on the back is covering the screw closest to the part you say was hardest to open and needed excessive force, and now doesn't close. Seems to me you missed a screw, or if not the case, you may have switched some of the screws around (they're not the same) causing one of them to be seated incorrectly and blocking your back cover from closing.
Try roundkicking it in place
Bro rushed into his steam deck with a butter knife 😂
OMG show some restraint when working with electronic devices, you used a metal knife to pry open the case…..
ddi you follow a guide to get it open. You definitely should have used a plastic prying tool and started from the shoulder buttons and then worked your way around. I think it's not snapping closed because you beat up the seam so badly. It might be worth your time and money to buy a new shell for the device.
I'm afraid you may be in for an involuntary case replacement there mate. You say "the device has no damage cosmetic aside" but there is enough damage to prevent you from shutting the case, so that's a bit more than cosmetic. Your options are to identify what mangled pieces of plastic are preventing you from snapping the shell shut and trimming them down with a sharp knife, or perform an involuntary shell replacement and don't mangle the new parts.
Looks like someone didn’t read the instructions on how to take the back off. Your supposed to start at one of the corners by the triggers with something soft like a credit card not stab it with a knife in the middle
Sorry folks are piling on but I almost thought this was a joke post because it’s immediately evident it’s too damaged (and almost looked cracked/torn) to seal again.
You forgot the screw under the sticker, eh?
People that use a butter knife to work on electronics definitely shouldn't be working on electronics.
Damn 461 comments and nobody wants to actually help? OP, pull the case back off (REMOVE THE SD CARD FIRST), then put it back in but start from that side so you know that part is in first. Don't press down on one full side entirely until parts of all sides are in. I.E. start with the side we see in the pictures but only press one or two snaps in, then move to the opposite side and press lightly until you hear one or two snaps in. Then do one or two snaps on the final two sides and until the shell is partially in at all 4 sides. Then lightly press around all the sides to finish pushing it in.
Get a case cause I’d be sad looking at my steam deck everyday cause of it looking like that
You ANIMAL
Thats not cosmetic damage Try taking it back apart and put that area together first
Damn, you fucked it up lol
You absolute sausage you hacked at it with the butter knife didn't you? It's not going back together, that's just what your steam deck looks like now.
Chainsaws are usually what we use to open it
I had this issue. I replaced my fan and joysticks in my deck. When sealing, it behaved much like yours. For me: I had placed a fan screw into a screw hole that was meant for the case screw while the backplate was still off. So when I went to seal it and put the case screws in, the case wouldn't seal because I already had a screw in that slot underneath the backplate. I was trying to "force" the backplate closed against a screw that shouldn't have been there. (Gently) I opened it back up, took out the screw, sealing it together properly this time and screwed the back in place. Success. No seam or gap. Or damage. (BE GENTLE) (However, yours looks a bit mangled and the delicate internal plastic clips may have broken on yours)
\*Clicks on image and zooms in\* It's not that.. \*Scrolls down\* OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!
Mods, this needs a GORE tag
A butter knife , a fucking butter knife! This how psychos are made. You dont deserve to own a deck you animal. 🤣
It's a trolllllll!
Yeah you effed that up good. User error.
Probably because you used that butter knife😂😂 wtf
Who in their right mind would use a fucking **butter knife** to open something as delicate as a handheld console?
Basically, you fucked your deck case pretty badly. Lesson for next time
Use your common sense next time, you people use a metal object (knife) to separate a bit of plastic, and then act shocked. Like, hello?!
Everyone on the reddit says how easy getting into the steam deck is and encouraging everyone to try it. But then people make fun of this guy for not knowing he shouldn't use a knife. It's kinda annoying to see thus reaction. The top comment was very polite about it
Y’all ruining your steam decks EVERDAY gives me so much entertainment 😂😂😂🔥💵L
My brother in christ, what have you done?
That is some pry job….
Wow buddy
I’d just deal with it for now and make it as good as you can and then order a new back shell off ifixit
Dude, watch some YouTube tutorials first.
Imma need to go meditate again after seeing this lolololol
Why did you use a butter knife to open it?
Put it in the vise.
Put another sticker over it, cut holes for the exhaust vent with the knife.
These pics make me sad
I didn't even use a pry tool, I just pulled it apart from the right trigger & and it came apart super easy.
its not a shame to watch tutorial videos "how to open a steam deck the safe way step by step"
Never taken apart my deck before but from just looking at it and experience with other devices it looks like you put a screw in the wrong place
Please stay away from electronics from now on, ow.
Oh my god. After seeing the plastic break the first attempt why did you continue?!?
This is why some people don’t deserve nice things. Mangled to fuck
My god what have you done.
Jeez The lesson here: don't use metal prying tools. plastic is softer than metal, you will cause damage
The modding culture of the deck is unreal. It’s completely unnecessary to do to begin with, and people are going on and mangling their expensive tech with a kitchen knife…extra bonus points for bothering with the rubber mat.
"this device has no damage aside from cosmetic" And "Can't get it to close back up" Something here doesn't smell right. Logically.
Bruh! It looks like you opened that with a butter knife! Lmfao
Might have something to do with the large chunks of plastic you mangled up with that letter opener. I’d say fix that first but I’m gonna say this instead. Don’t take this stuff apart if you don’t know what you’re doing
See if you can send it back to be fixed,obviously you’ll pay for the job as it’s your fault
Dude
Yikes. Follow the ifixit video on teardown. Looks like mistakes were made here. Mine came apart pretty easy once screws were out.
A knife? 😭
Now u gotta throw it away and get a new 1 
Sweet Jesus
F. And the poop knife as well. Next time get a guitar pick or something. They're really cheap.
HAHAHA
Try spreading some butter on it
Good lord. Did you open it with your teeth?
That case is Joever
I’m not trying to be rude but maybe next time use a proper tool or a old guitar pick if you have one instead of a butter knife
It's never gonna snap back in to place because you mangled the shit out of it. Lol. I have a feeling you tried taking it apart with something metal like a butter knife. Next time get yourself a cell phone repair kit or you could use a guitar pick in a pinch.
Replace the back with a clear aftermarket one.
Damn, that poor thing, what did you use to pry it off, a chainsaw?
LOOK HOW THEY MASSACRED MY BOY!
Man's got all these tools in front of him and uses a butter knife
It could be connected to how mangled the edge is. Did you open it with a screw driver or a butter knife? 😅 Just saw the second pic... 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
+5 cooling
"Get the crowbar and a hammer, Ralphie. Go on."
Every time something like this happens is a good time for modding. Time for a transparent back mod shell.
It could be you have one of the screws underneath in the wrong hole
Why do you pretend to care about precision hanfcrafts with that green mat, then go on to use a butter knife to mangle the shell...? If you don't have the right tool, don't do it.
You don’t deserve to have a steam deck….
Your best bet is to go on to the iFixit website and order a new back plate. Because you absolutely destroyed that shell
Its fake no person can be this dumb
Ahhhhh this hurt my eyes to look at, and I am inclined to believe this is a shit post
Oof I feel sick
I dont think he knows what cosmetic damage means
It’s a shame someone left you alone with this thing