Turn Windows Into Steam Deck OS

Notice: Outside of turning your PC into a game console, this is not the best security practice.

Needed Prerequisites:

• Install Steam
• Install Discord or chat app of choice
• Any user account with a password

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1. Change Default Login Shell

1. Open Registry Editor, navigate to:

   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
   

2. Double Click on Shell and replace Value data with:

   "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam.exe"
   

   To log back into regular windows, change this to explorer.exe

2. Enable Passwordless Login

1. Open Registry Editor, navigate to:

   HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\PasswordLess\Device
   

2. Double Click on DevicePasswordLessBuildVersion and replace Value data with:

   0
   

3. Go to Accounts > Sign-in options and scroll down to Additional settings

   • Set If you’ve been away, when should Windows require you to sign in again? to Never

   • Set Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up after an update to On

4. Search for and open netplwiz.
   • Uncheck Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.

3. Enable Discord

You can use this method for any program you want to start at login. Regular Startup Apps will not work as they only launch in the default shell.

Add a new basic task for each app you want to open at login. Reuse the steps, but for Step 8 change the path to the app you want to open.

1. Pin Discord to your taskbar, right click Discord, right click Discord, and select Properties.
2. Hover over the blue highlighted text, the file target, and copy it to your clipboard.
3. Search for Task Scheduler
4. Click Action and then click Create Basic Task
5. Name it Discord and press Next
6. For When do you want the task to start? select When I log in

7. For What action do you want the task to perform? select Start a program

8. For Program/script paste Discord’s target from your clipboard. It should look like this (where name is your account name):

   C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Discord\Update.exe --processStart Discord.exe
   

9. Press next and then yes to the prompt.

10. Check Open the Properties dialog for this task when I click Finish and then press Finish.
11. Go to the Conditions tab and Uncheck Start the task if the computer is on AC power.
12. Go to the Settings tab and Uncheck Stop if the task does not end when requested, force it to stop.
13. Press OK.

4. Configure Steam

1. Open Steam, and click Steam, then click Settings then open the Interface tab.
   • Set Run Steam when my computer starts to On
   • Set Start Steam in Big Picture Mode to On

5. Final Steps

1. Reboot to apply changes
2. Use Alt Tab to swap between Discord and Steam.