Running programs from SD on nuvi

I certainly didn't understood perfectly what you were asking for, also i simply wanted to make it clear about 'patching' so that his thread doesn't end up as a 'de facto' place for users to get help with that because of their difficulty getting protected devices into preboot to load a patched RGN. If you wish to load a higher version ORIGINAL firmware you can do that quite easily with a GCD file even if your device has USB hardware problems, regardless of whether the lower version is patched or not: Simply name the downloaded file from "nuvi25x9_880.gcd" to "gupdate.gcd" and place it in a folder named Garmin in the root of the microSD card, insert the card and turn the nuvi on. However if that present version of fw loaded (original or patched) is already V8.80 you may as well just load individual BIN files via txt commands. If you're wanting to know specific commands, or how to obtain the BIN files from a GCD, how to use Ldr.bin (boot.bin) etc. then please ask precisely what you need to know.

We finally understood each other. I try to be brief and clear, but I become incomprehensible. My bad English only makes things worse. :(

My nuvi 2559 has the latest 8.80 software version, but it doesn't work properly. I would like to reinstall the software. I have tried gpupdate.gcd several time before and failed. I need help reinstalling with a SD card.

I know how to open the firmware using the RGN_Tool.exe program, but I don't know what to do next. Also, I don't know which text commands I should enter. My only experience with Ldr.bin is backing up Region 41/154.

Ok, i'll just make an SD kit for you to flash using original V8.80 fw. You'll have to be a little patient though, as i have other things to attend to but will do it in the next day then post a link for you. Standby please.

EDIT: Here is the kit for HWID 1758 device V8.80, behind spoiler. Please read the warning and instructions particularly regarding checking the device's HWID before using:

Spoiler:

It's essential to confirm the HWID before using SD to flash. That's particularly so when Garmin has made more than one device with the same MODEL NUMBER but with different HWIDs as is the case with US/EU nuvi 25x9 which can be either 1758, or 1947 in the case of devices with the C4 chip. If unsure please read this thread: [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]. Once you've confirmed the HWID is 1758 you can proceed as below.

• Extract this RAR file directly to a CLEAN microSD card: [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...];
• Ensure the device is fully OFF, not just in standby;
• Insert the card and turn on, preferably by connecting to a 5V power source such as the supplied Garmin card charger unless the battery is know to be fully charged (DO NOT use a computer USB port to power it on for this);
• "Loader"/"Software Loading" or similar words will appear on the screen as the text commands are initiated, wait patiently for the flash to finish indicated by the device booting normally;
• Remove the card and keep a copy of the new file "154.bin" which will now be present in the root.

The commands will do this in order (i) Delete any existing gupdate.gcd from the device if present; (ii) Make a copy of ("dump") the content of the NV region 154; (iii) Flash regions 14, 127 & 158 in turn with fresh V8.60 fw data; (iv) Boot the device.

WARNING: Note that any flashing carries risk and that use of this kit is beyond my control. I've taken every possible care in making it but you assume all risk in its use. Flashing the content to a device with a different HWID may result in it being permanently disabled, i.e. "hard-bricked". Do not modify the supplied kit in any way unless you know exactly what you are doing. I accept no responsibility whatsoever - so do not use it if you don't accept this warning.

Butters, is there a tutorial or list somewhere of all the commands that can be used this way? Does this work with all Garmin GPSr?

Thank you!

@baja615
Initial post lists all possible commands.

Modern MTP devices with RWFS write to the card with path "2:/" (in that case "1" is for the hidden RWFS partition of the device), older MSM-only devices such as nuvi 2, 5 & 7 series, 1xx0, 2xx0 etc. use "1" for the card. Curiously, even earlier devices nuvi 3x0/6x0 have the card's path as "2" like the much later MTP devices.

The most commonly used commands are "rrgn" to copy a region's contents to card and "xrgn" to write the contents of a BIN file from the card to a region. Less commonly used is "ergn" which permanently erases a region's contents so must be used very carefully. Other commonly used and handy commands are "copy" and "del" to write or delete specific files and "copydir" to dump a directory/folder, eg. "0:/.System", "0:/Garmin" etc. or just "0:/" for the entire file system usually visible in MSM and in that familiar form. The latter can also be done by dumping rgn48 or rgn83 depending on if older or newer device, such a dumped file system BIN file can be opened (with 7-Zip or PowerISO for example) to yield individual files and folders either for examination, modification for flashing back, or to decide on its possible deletion. Alterations/deletions can be done manually and the folder/files recompiled into a BIN file using an advanced program such as PowerISO (but not 7-Zip, it's only for extraction). That BIN file can be flashed back using rrgn command. Note that using ergn on 48/83 will then require the file system to be properly formatted to FAT32 using RMPrepUSB or similar software.

A command will only work if it's written in the device's firmware by Garmin. None of the old 'region-only' devices without a visible file system have any commands in their fw, e.g. StreetPilot 2xxx, 3xx. Some modern device fw may lack certain commands, e.g. nuvi 13xx/14xx don't have "if_error" and some Asian versions of common US/EU devices may lack some commands. To check their presence open a firmware BIN or RGN file (don't use a GCD as that can be unreliable) and, for example, search for r.r.g.n in a hex reader where "." is a wildcard character. Some regions are protected against copying/writing. Some regions are encrypted ... NV regions 41 or 154 for example usually show only all "FF" content but that's because the hex reader cannot interpret the encrypted content.

Ldr.bin is simply the boot.bin (the ramloader) renamed. Because there's no 'fail-safe' check matching the device's HWID against that of the fw's 'safe-naming' as done with Updater.exe flashing of XXXX01000xxx.RGN (where XXXX is the firmware's HWID), this method can be dangerous if the incorrect Ldr.bin is used in the correctly named HWID folder for the device because it only checks the folder's name, not the actual HWID in the Ldr.bin file itself. Flashing foreign data to the device's virtual region 12 (0x0C) which in-turn writes to physical regions 5 & 43 on next boot attempt. As rgn5 is the bootloader the device may then be permanently hard-bricked which is why it's better that anyone who doesn't fully understand the process does not make these kits or alter any existing kits. A lot of dead units have resulted from early experimentation when we were learning how to safely use these commands.

Note that after a card has been used correctly, in the HWID folder along with Ldr.bin & update.txt there should now also be created the files named "last_id.bin" and "update.log". Some devices require an empty "update.log" file to be present for any cmd to be successfully initiated (e.g. some early devices like nuvi 2xx i think). The file "last_id.bin" is created after a flash and it must be removed before the card can be used again to flash the same or identical device.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Butters [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

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EDIT: Here is the kit for HWID 1758 device V8.80, behind spoiler......

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Butters, short question:
in zip file, update.txt is written:
del,0:/.System/gupdate.gcd
rrgn,154,2:/154.bin
xrgn,14,2:/14.bin
xrgn,127,2:127.bin
xrgn,158,2:158.bin
In last 2 rows you missed "/" after "2:" or it is correct like that?

@isg
No, it's not correct. I've fixed it now and re-uploaded the kit so thanks for checking and advising. I'm unsure how that happened as i copy/pasted the commands from previous file templates i keep. Curiously in this case it probably wouldn't matter that those 2 commands would fail as any problem he was having would be very likely due to corruption in the main system software in region 14 and that would have been overwritten successfully by 14.bin cmd which had correct syntax. Thanks again for that.

Hi, I have a Nuvi 52LM and cant get it recognized in any PC, always goes to charge mode while connected (checked the board and dont have pin 4 and 5 shorted like the cable for the car charger.
So i cant enter and update the map, i had put a Map for my country in a SD card and got it there, but in long routes the devices hangs and shutdown while calculating.
Maybe there's a command to delete the old map there and copy the one i got from the web, and the alerts that gives me error in copy to internal memory prompt.
Can you help me with it? i read something in first and second pago, but the programs arent available anymore in that dropbox folder.
Thanks!

@motoltd
You could try a different USB cable if you haven't already tried a few. The chances are that the USB socket connections to the board are the problem though. That can happen with any device however 5" devices like nuvi 5x series and 14xx are particularly prone to the soldered connections failing. You can fix that by carefully reflowing the solder with a very fine tipped iron using plenty of paste and importantly also reinforcing the two attachment points that hold the socket in place as their weakness is the usual reason that the electrical connections fail. If the socket isn't physically loose then inspect its external pins using a magnifying glass to ensure none are bent or broken. There are plenty of videos on the internet how to repair or replace a mechanically-failed usb socket. The other reason for having no data connection to the PC might be due a failure of a component on the PCB itself, that's not at all easily user-fixable.

It's easy to delete any file from the onboard memory and replace it with another using txt commands. In the case of a device with USB connection problems that cannot be fixed by repair of the socket, it's unsafe to do so except as an absolute last resort because if you mess up and brick the device because of an unreadable file the device will likely also lose SD reading function. Then there's no way to fix it using cure firmware because preboot mode relies on having PC connection too.

The two commands to delete and then replace a primary detail map would be as follows:

Code:

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del,0:/.System/gmapprom.img
copy,1:/gmapprom.img,0:/.System/gmapprom.img

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The copy command above is for when the source IMG file is contained in the root of the card (along with, not in, the Garmin folder). Remember to write "reboot" as the final command or the device will hang.

Quite frankly it's better to use the card for new detail mapping and just either delete (or disable in settings) the on-board map. If you have both an internal and external map of different versions covering the same area with both maps enabled it will cause problems with route calculations and freezing/restarting, just as you described. Creating exceptionally long routes can cause that in leader-line devices with lower performance regardless of there being only one detail map anyway. The nuvi 52 is not a particularly high spec'ed device.

is there a command to copy everything to the SD so i can check every file and it's size?
Its ok for me to grab the boot.bin to rename in ldr.bin using the firmware and getting the boot.bin from there? or i have to use the update in the device?, i can see it's the 4.0 but cant extract anything from the device.
Because i checked and the map file i have in the SD is gmapsupp, and not gmapprom (dont remember which one was the base garmin map, and dont know if i can grab it from other device (i have a 200W and a 2495)