Thread: Garmin Venu SQ2 firmware

@lotus
There doesn't seem to be any Venu Sq 2 firmware publicly available on the Garmin website or elsewhere. That doesn't mean it can't be sourced from Garmin's servers via Garmin Express, however it seems likely that your device is 'soft-bricked' (because it sticks on the start screen) so GE won't see it because it only recognises devices in Mass Storage Mode.

Do you have a backup of the internal memory with a file named GarminDevice.xml within the "Garmin" folder?

Originally Posted by lotos

The firmware is the latest, so GE does not allow you to update.

Yes, because GE cannot recognise a device which is unable to attain MSM as I mentioned.

.... There is a backup.

So in that backup you should have a file named GarminDevice.xml then. Try this:

• Take a CLEAN USB flash drive or media card formatted only as FAT32 and create a folder named GARMIN on it
• Copy the GarminDevice.xml into the folder
• Open the copied XML in any text editor and look for this: <SoftwareVersion>xxx</SoftwareVersion> (where "xxx" will be 3 numerals - e.g. it will show 268 if it's running V2.86 which is the latest version .... I think)
• Change the version to a lower version - e.g. use 262 if it's presently 268 - then save the changes
• Plug the media into your computer and start GE to see if it accepts it as the actual Venu

It doesn't always work with modern devices, but if it does fool GE it should offer to "install" the latest fw version and you'll then find a fresh gupdate.cgd in a newly created .System folder on the media. Ensure that your computer is set to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

GE defines the clock.

Spoiler: Image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

It's impossible to fool GE. The device firmware data likely remains on the Garmin server, and even after downgrading the firmware in the file, the program still knows the latest firmware is already installed.

Spoiler: Image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

What do you mean, "GE defines the clock"?

Also, the images aren't much helpful for a non-Russian speaker but it seems to have V2.69 on-board which must be the latest. BTW, use 'spoilers' for large pictures please and make an 'edit' to add info rather than make consecutive posts.

GE defines the device

If needed here is the Firmware

Code:

Please Login or Register to see the links

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
This shows 2.64 is Up to date but GE gives you 2.69 ?
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ][Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Originally Posted by Garman_Nuvi

.......
This shows 2.64 is Up to date but GE gives you 2.69 ?

Indeed! I hadn't noticed the fw version discrepancy in the two images showing 2.69 in the first and 2.64 in the second. That's a little weird anyway because according to the following post on the official Garmin forum, the changelog was 2.66 > 2.68 whereas your list from GE indicates that it was 2.64 > 2.69:

Code:

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Even without researching too deep it's obvious from other forum posts that this model series, like some other sports watches from Garmin, are finicky and unreliable and very often difficult to recover when they brick.

Garmin has always tended to remove failed fw version histories from their changelogs, resulting in odd progressions in version numbering. It seems the GE history you posted ignores any 'minor' updates between 2.64 > 2.69. The very presence of minor versions, i.e., other than "x.x0" can indicate failed previous attempts and in the case of Version 2 major fw series it seems there may have been at most 9 'minor' attempts, going by V2.69 being latest. Some of the other minors may not have even been released at all and some released and quickly withdrawn.

Another difficulty is the structure of their watch firmwares, many don't have a ramloader (aka 'boot.bin') intended for region 12 (0x0C). Rather some have a bootloader only which is flashed directly to region 5. At lease the Venu Sq 2 is conventional in that sense and has a ramloader ... However, it's main system software (fw_all.bin for region 14) is not accepted by GarminCure3.exe so it cannot make cure fw, therefore should the watch be soft-bricked by a corrupt file it might be toast. The only hope of recovery lies in it having bad data in rgn14 which is successfully re-flashable as an RGN by Updater.exe in Garmin/preboot mode, because Cure3 fails and so likely QuickCure will also:

Spoiler: Image