Thread: GPSMAP 78s

Welcome to GPSPower Dave. As the above is your first post here, please now go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] to make a formal intro as required by the forum's rules.

Now as to your problem. The device showing the "System Software Missing" message on start-up can indeed indicate a hardware issue in that it might have some physical damage to the flash chip. That's more likely to not be the case however, the overwhelming majority of instances involving that message only indicate a simple "soft-bricking" due to corrupt or missing firmware in the device's region 14 (0x0E). That part of the flash memory contains the fw_all.bin component of the firmware, which Garmin quite correctly calls the main system software.

I can help with V7.30 which is the latest fw version and soft-bricking is easily corrected by flashing a good version of the fw as you've surmised. However, that cannot be done using an SD card because the device isn't moving far enough into the boot-cycle to search for and recognise a media card. Unless it actually has flash damage, we can however use another method to re-flash it but first we need to rule out a hardware problem. If it's physically ok, it should have spontaneously defaulted to pre-boot mode due to the stalled boot cycle. Please follow this guide and report back:

• Open Device Manager on a Window PC and leave it visible to observe the alphabetic list of devices.
• Connect the device via a USB2 port using a 'known-good' data cable. Avoid using any front port of a desktop, a hub or a USB3 port. If possible use only a USB2 port connected directly to the motherboard as a preference.
• If you have system sounds enabled, you should hear the Windows Device Connection tone. Immediately "GARMIN Devices" should appear in the list.

Provided it really has defaulted to pre-boot mode indicated by it being visible in Device Manager, we should be able to fix it. If pre-boot's not attainable then it's not recoverable by software methods. Good luck. don't forget to do your intro before replying back to this post.

You've got a chance to restore it with a firmware re-flash seeing it's defaulted to pre-boot. However ..... the symptoms you've described point to a failing flash chip rather than a corrupt fw region. Only one way to find out, re-flash it with an RGN file and it'll either then boot up and work if it's just corruption, or nothing will change if it's a failing chip. If it won't even accept a flash then it's definitely toast.

I've updated the links in [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. Download the RGN file (behind the Spoiler - MegaNZ, second link). Drag 111301000730.rgn onto Updater.exe (get it here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]) and then follow this:

• Select the radio button next to "USB Device"
• Connect the GPSMAP to PC
• Wait until it's recognised by Updater
• Immediately press "OK" .... and cross your fingers that Updater finishes with a 'success' message.

Spoiler: Image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]