Thread: Need Help with Bricked nuvi 1490

Looking likely there's flash damage. However let's try some other things with SD card. Also what exactly happened to it? I know you said it bricked while using GarminExpress but can you give any more info, such as what was being updated, the detail map, firmware or other files at the time? Was the update interrupted or did it start bootlooping after properly disconnecting from GE?

Meanwhile, see if it can even recognize an SD and read from it by trying to dump it's NV. Read this: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. Command for your 1490 is "rrgn,41,1:/41.bin" as it's an older device. Let's try to dump a couple of other regions too, firmware regions 14 and 127, so make your update.txt file with these commands:

Code:

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Same as with flashing using Updater.exe, make sure the device is completely off by holding the power button down for 10 - 30 seconds to force it off, then insert the microSD and turn it on again. If it works 'Loader' will show on the screen and it won't bootloop until the flash finishes.

Ok, last gasp attempt and if this fails it's game-over from me. The problem is if SD flash doesn't work that indicates that fw_all isn't even starting, therefore likely region 14 is shot. That's where the main 'system software' (firmware) is stored.

So try this:

• Remove the Ldr.bin file from 0927 0972 folder and ensure that the file update.txt is the only content there.
• Open Ldr.bin/boot.bin in a Hex editor program (such as XVI32 for example) and search for the first instance of "0C 80 A0 E1" (4 bytes aligned) and change it to "0C 80 A0 E3" then save the changed file (Read more [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] if you wish).
• Open the changed BIN file in RGN_Tool and save it as 09720100630.rgn then open it in Updater.exe.
• Ensuring the device is fully OFF, insert the microSD with Garmin\Updater\09270972\update.txt.
• Start the device in preboot and attempt to flash the RGN file.

If it won't flash with modified boot.bin as RGN then it's almost certainly flash damage. It is rare but it happens occasionally and there's no software solution, the only way is to replace the flash chip (it's BGA so that's not an easy fix) and then re-program it (again, not an easy thing to do). Read here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

Please let's know the result, likely that's only morbid curiosity to be honest.
Typos fixed as requested by poster.

Well that's good news but we're not out of the woods just yet. Can you please upload the 14.bin and 127.bin files. Compress them to a ZIP or RAR file and you can attach them here (use "Go Advanced" button to open the advanced editor and scroll down to "Manage Attachments". If they're corrupt we can maybe replace their content using healthy BIN files with the same modify boot.bin as RGN method.

I may need the 41.bin at some stage but not yet. Keep it safe!!

Here you are. Thank you.

14 and 127 are healthy so corruption to the the fw data is not the direct reason the device won't start. Can you see anything on the screen below the Garmin logo just before it flashes white, such as "Loading Maps"?

Nothing at all. When it was working there was a green progress line on the bottom when connected to pc and "loading maps" when connected to power. Now it just sits on the Garmin logo, flashes white for a fraction of a second and restarts. It might be the map that's doing it. Is there a way to remove the map file with the procedure #14? The gps is not recognized by the pc at all.

Originally Posted by cbstealth

..... Is there a way to remove the map file with the procedure #14? ....

Yes it works to delete files which is why i asked about any message on boot. We could just assume that a detail map is the problem and delete any possible map in the .System folder and the entire Map folder. All can be easily replaced if this device can be recovered. Similarly with the folders JVC, Keyboards, GPX, POI, Text, Voice and Vehicle. Best to firstly see what's in the internal memory and have a copy of it before deleting stuff anyway. Using the hex modified boot.bin RGN in Updater.exe with preboot, try to flash this as update.txt in SD:

Code:

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It'll take many minutes to complete depending on the total size and you'll need to use a reasonable size card, 8GB should be plenty but not over 32GB unless you reformat it as FAT32 because 64GB> are exFAT which your Garmin won't recognize. Before you start make sure to remove last_id.bin from the 0972 folder or it likely won't start the flash. It will create a new folder "Backup" in the Garmin folder which should contain the entire file system.

The gps is not recognized by the pc at all.

Well not quite, it is recognized for a period in preboot as evidenced by the fact we can use the modded boot.bin as RGN. Also as indicated in your pic in Post #3 but it drops preboot with that error when it starts to write to one of the regions, likely 14 or possibly 127. While in preboot it will be shown in Device Manager but not seen by Windows Explorer.

The big concern is whether there is physical damage preventing writing to a region. Clearly we can write from the 2 fw regions and the nonvol also. Our next logical step if there are no obviously corrupt files on-board is to erase region 41 which if corrupt can cause these symptoms too. It's a process of elimination where we start by using the least damaging/invasive fixes and progressing to a sledgehammer approach. Frankly if cleaning the onboard memory and finally progressing to erasing region 41 doesn't work then it's game-over for sure.