Problem Updating DriveSmart50 using GarminExpress

**fchody** · 28th March 2020, 03:30 PM

Thanks for your answers. I perfomed as Butters suggested. I cleared the nonvol but after the problem still remains. It meens whae i connect the device to the computer, open Garminexpress i seen there are several updates including maps. So to not spend to much time to update everyting i try just to update the software version from 4.10 to 5.90. After update, disconnect the device from the computer ande connect it back after 5 seconds, garminexpress shows the same update available again. The devise has not been updated. What more can i do? As just a test a added by means of the computer a map with a random textfile. After diconnect the device from teh computer an reconnect the device, i see this last added map including the text file has vanniched? exactly what happens to the maps. I still wonder what's wrong with the device.
Kind regards,
Francis.

**asprin624** · 28th March 2020, 05:45 PM

@fchody,

Like I asked before:

Show me a screen shot of your DriveSmart 50 in Garmin Express
Then show a screen shot of your DriveSmart 50 when you click on it.
The show a screen shot of the updates that are there.

Click on view updates:

There is something you are doing wrong and with out a clear picture of what you are doing it is had to know what mistakes you are making.

Because we can keep going around in circles with this.

These are examples of Garmin Express

Spoiler: First step

Spoiler: second step view details

Show what is there to update
Installed maps or firmware updates do not just disappear after they have been installed

**Butters** · 29th March 2020, 03:23 AM

Originally Posted by fchody

............... i try just to update the software version from 4.10 to 5.90. After update, disconnect the device from the computer ande connect it back after 5 seconds, garminexpress shows the same update available again. The devise has not been updated.

Did you let it reboot so that it can LOAD the new firmware? It seems not if your quote "connect it back after 5 seconds" is literally what you did. When GE 'updates' the firmware it simply writes a new GCD file to the device's .System folder, the components of that GCD are then flashed (loaded) by the device itself to the various regions as part of the next boot cycle. Additionally, during boot an updated GarminDevice.xml file is written by the device into its Garmin folder, overwriting the existing file. If that XML file isn't updated then GE on reading it will sense that the older fw is still loaded and offer the latest GCD file again. Your understanding of this process is key to fixing this device. Your earlier posts seem to indicate that you have allowed the device to reboot however, so if you still can't get the device to update from a GCD file there are other methods, i.e. using an RGN file in preboot mode or flashing individual BINs via media card. It might even be necessary to re-format the device correctly. Do you know the history? Did you or your BinL reformat it at some stage and if so, how? If the device is not updating fw and rewriting the XML on boot cycle then it may indicate physical flash damage or it may only be that there is minor corruption in one of the firmware regions, probably rgn14 where fw_all.bin is flashed. The former is fatal, the later is easily fixed by flashing a healthy BIN file.

Give as much info as you can so we can diagnose this problem. The smallest detail may be be important, even if it seems irrelevant to you.

**fchody** · 29th March 2020, 01:55 PM

Hallo, first off all thanks for helping me. Please notice English is not may native language but i do my best. I will try to give you as much info as possible by inserting some screenshot i made during connecting and attempting to update my device. This first image shows my DrSm is connected to GE(

Spoiler: pic1

. After GE shows available updates (

Spoiler: pic2

. The next image shows the content of the DrSm(

Spoiler: pic3

and than the deploued Garmin map this all before update(

Spoiler: pic4

. The next image shows the available device software which is the 5.90(

Spoiler: pic5

). To save time i will first only try to update this device software fro 4.10 to the latest 5.90 as you can see in this picture:

Spoiler: pic6

. So after the update completed, i disconnected the device from the computer and start it again. After the device started up i went to look in the settings of the device. Also there i saw nothing has changed. The software version is still at 4.10. I reconnected the device to the computer and started GE again. In GE i could see the same updates are still available as befor and GE shows also the software version 4.10 as before (

Spoiler: pic7

). Also in the deployed Garmin folder shows the sam as before. When i update the maps, also i can see there has no maps been added to the Garmin folder even GE says everything has been updated. I hope you can follow because the language of GE is Dutch. I hope also i provided enough information for you to help me. If not i'll do my best to provide more needed info.
Kind regards and thanks a lot for spending time to help.
Francis.

**asprin624** · 29th March 2020, 02:54 PM

I thank you for the info you posted.

First thing I see no access to .system folder.

Spoiler: .system folder

Next on the SmartDrive the map is installed in the folder .system.

Spoiler: Map will be found there.

The file name is gmapprom.img

The second place the map is installed is here:

Spoiler: In the folder Map

When you are installing full coverage of Europe 2020.30

It is for most of the newer Garmin Units the same locations.

I find if I use a file browser XYplorer it let you see that folder with out having to do anything.
But it can be seen in the Explorer too as long as you put the SmartDrive 50 in MASS Storage mode

IF you do things correctly you get this

Spoiler: Map or firmware all updated

Yours will show a different firmware update.

Plus you show 13 updates.

Do the updates one at a time remove the SmartDrive 50 from PC each time and turn on the unit wait till it does it's updated.
It could take a couple of minutes to do so.
With the firmware it could take longer.
Then reconnect and do the next update.
Repeating the steps each time for every update.

Till all the updates have been completed.

Do not rush any of it.

How to see everything with the Windows Explorer

Spoiler: THe How Too to view .system folder.

**fchody** · 30th March 2020, 03:13 PM

Hallo,

First of all, i modified in the Hidden files and folders into "Show hidden files and folders and drives. In the DriveSmart tree i dont see the map .System

Spoiler: large image

This file is not present on my DriveSmart. My brother in-Law confirmed me he has never tried to perform an undate as he dont have the knowledge to perform this. Ver strange is the device worked properly untill i connected it to GE. I think the sofware should be reïnstalled but i dont wher or how i could do so? As i can see in the pictures you provided in your reply compared to my icluded picture in this reply, several maps are missing in my device.

Francis.

Use spoilers for large pictures. Respect all other rules as well. Read carefully:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
and
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

**FireFox58** · 30th March 2020, 08:16 PM

@[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
As stated above by Aspirin624 Garmin Drive series are MTP Devices, you must enable "Mass Storage Mode" on Device to view \.System folder
To enable the "Mass Storage Mode", like the previous series, proceed as follows:

From the Map screen, touch the speed icon to access the Travel Panel.
Press and hold the Direction / Speed indicator for about 10 seconds until a hidden Diagnostics menu appears
Scroll to "MTP Settings", set to "Mass Storage" and Save settings.
The Menu should appear like follow
MTP SETTING
MTP Auto Detect
Mass Storage
Mass Storage Single Session
Now your Nuvì is exactly like those of the old series (including .System folder)

**Butters** · 30th March 2020, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by fchody

First of all, i modified in the Hidden files and folders into "Show hidden files and folders and drives. In the DriveSmart tree i dont see the map .System

That picture of the DS's tree indicates that you may have Mass Storage set on your DS and it's connected in MSM to the computer however in addition to enabling the radio button next to "Show hidden files, folders and drives", you may also need to uncheck "Hide protected operating system files" in Control Panel>File Explorer Options>View. Set it like this:

Spoiler: Image

MTP connection looks like this before expanding:

Spoiler: Images

**asprin624** · 31st March 2020, 09:32 AM

Everyone has tried to help you out here.

If you do not do what is told to do you will still have problems.
Update all what is showing in Garmin Express no if, and or buts about it.

As for what your brother inlaw did or didn't do is not relevant here.
This is about you paying attention to what needs to be done.

As you can see from you screen shot you are missing folders.
Plus .system folder is there you just need to do the steps to see it.

I have showed you how to view it along with Butters and FireFox58 who are all experts with Garmin products.

No more can be said in the matter that has not already been shown to you.
But if you are not going to do any of this then we have just wasted are time on you.
So please do what is told of you to do.

**fchody** · 31st March 2020, 09:49 AM

Dear I performed as you suggested and now i see the complete content of my DS's tree. This picture show the tree before update:

Spoiler: first large pic

In this next picture you can see the .system folder deployed before update:

Spoiler: sedcond large pic

in this picture uou can see the gmapprom.img file. This file is up to 4GB large before update. Now again i made a complete update as suggested by GE. Next picture show the available updates in GE:

Spoiler: large pic again

Now i do a complete update of the 13 avilable updates and exactly what GE ask me to do:

Spoiler: third large pic

GE ask me to disconnect and reconnect after 5s the device.

Spoiler: pic 4

In the next picture GE continue to update the map:

Spoiler: pic5

Next picture shows GE update completed.

Spoiler: pic6

.
Before disconnet the device from the PC i made a screehot of the .system folder. In this picture you can see the gmapprom.img in the .system folder has changed his size. It went from up to 4 GB into approximatly 2.6GB. Now i disconnected
and reconnected it the device from the PC as the updates are completed. Now GE shows again the same updates as before.

Spoiler: pic7

The screenshot of the deployed .system folder afteer update shows the gmpapprom took his original size again up to 4GB. See picture:

Spoiler: pic8

So nothing has changed. The device even dont show the map exepted only the basemap. I do not understand what i have could been done wrong.
Anyway thanks for your patient,

Francis

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