Thread: IMPORTANT! If you want HELP in case of a bricked Garmin device, please follow this

I know how to use Hex Editor, unfortunately ergn is found only once,
in a position where it makes no sense to me (at 00886a7e0e).

Originally Posted by Alfiogigio

I know how to use Hex Editor, unfortunately ergn is found only once,
in a position where it makes no sense to me (at 00886a7e0e).

That doesn't sound promising. You could also try to edit the firmware yourself if you can find map file extensions mentioned in it. Changing any instance of ".IMG" to say ".XMG" does work with Garmin proprietary-OS firmware as a 'cure' to prevent loading maps. I can't say such a thing will work with Linux based-OS firmware and it may even 'brick' the device more seriously so all at your risk. Of course if that does work in the same way as 'normal' firmware, once the edited RGN is flashed in preboot no maps will be loaded on attempted boot and Mass Storage Mode might then be available to the device. Someone with Linux software experience might read this and comment hopefully, as that's only a stab in the dark guess.

.IMG and .XMG are nowhere to be found in firmware.

But problem are solved, by keep hard reset many many times, until device finally start up properly.
Now I found, that there was a bad (locked) IMG file on the device

Nice find! Every now and then, especially with older devices, a healthy one will fail to load maps on start up and present you wilh a screen without roads and showing only the vehicle icon. It might be only one in a hundred or many more boots when it happens and of course in an otherwise healthy device the next boot, whether done as a reset or normal boot, usually succeeds fully. I have a nuvi 765 US that's particularly prone to it. Now that little curious quirk can be used to advantage with a boot-looping device which will boot to 'Loading Maps' and then restart over and over, indicating a corrupt IMG file. By leaving it charging turned on for an extended period, maybe overnight or a day or even more, eventually it will fluke a boot without loading any .img files and you find the device fully booted but the Map screen showing no roads, only a lonely-looking vehicle icon. Then provided you don't let it reboot it will have MSM access and the offending map, which is nearly always a detail map, can be removed.

BTW, I didn't mean to look for .xmg too. I meant look for any instance of .img and change it to .xmg or it could be anything, .zzz or whatever provided it's not a used extension. It's just easier to substitute 'x' for the first letter that's all. It's really not surprising that the file extensions aren't in the Linux firmware but I've also checked multiple ways and you're right of course. If they were there us common folk would have been making cure fw for Linux devices years ago. Searching either as Unicode Latin or with a wildcard "." (i.e. ".I.M.G.") works with Garmin proprietary-OS firmwares and finds multiple references of ". I M G" and other common extensions which can cause 'bricking', such as gpi, gpx, vpm etc. Nobody bothers with that tedious method since the brilliant kunix came up with his Cure3 and QuickCure apps to simplify/automate making cures. Some more info here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. I know for sure it can be done to make Linux cure fw but the guys who can do it just don't seem to post here anymore.

Originally Posted by sbihue

Pl. Help

1. Bricked Nuvi 2597 HWID 1582 S/W ver 440
2. Accidentally formated the internal memory while intending to format the SD card
3. Device now just boots into the Garmin screen, no filesyetem access to internl devide memory
4. No, PC does not see the device anymore
5. Downloaded GCD files, ver 440 through 550 from [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Ran GarminCure3 and created cure file with ver 440
Applied using updater and got message "updating successful"
The device is NOT detected by the PC. Garmin Express also doesn't see the device either
6. Yes, Garmin driver's are installed (as part of Garmin express)
7. HWID is 1582 (from original GarminDevice.xml)
8. Yes, tried that (Pl. see #5 above)
9. Yes, In preboot mode I can see System (and loading when applying the update using Updater). The screen is stuck at the GARMIN Logo
10. Sorry No, my bad, No NV backup
11. Waiting for your response

Thank you


Update
After reapplying the GarminCyre3 on the manually modified RGN (converted from 440_GCD with hexedits), the PC can now see the Garmin volume (Win 10). The drive is mounted as:
GARMIN (E)
System Volume Information

Garmin Express however can't see the device. Looks like one or more files/folders need to b erestored. Unfortunately, I have none backed up

Firstly you must understand that cure firmware cannot boot. It is designed that way so that Mass Storage Mode can be attained [you've now got that], once you have MSM it's possible to either (i) remove any corrupt files from the internal memory [you have nothing loaded], or (ii) allow a correct re-formatting to be done using [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. Formatting with Windows built-in tool or even worse in FAT32 using Mac OS/Linux often isn't successful for Garmin devices. It seems you have an old file system backup so you can load that after you format with RMPrepUSB and then restore your backup and finally load original firmware after which it should boot fully. Remove any gupdate.gcd file from your backup before you restore. If it boots correctly GarminExpress will detect it properly and you can update old files and maps as necessary.

Post again if you have furthers difficulty after following the above steps.

@sbihue,

Sorry to hear you bricked your Garmin.

But I have one question and I read this all the time about user's wanting to format their SD card and do just what you did.

Why didn't you just take the SD card out and format it on your PC or laptop.

I always remove my SD card to change maps or all POI's or replace it.
I keep 3 or 4 SD cards with different maps on them so when I am traveling I just pop in that countries map and drive around with it.

I also have one SD card with all of Europe on it.

But never format the SD card while it is still in the Garmin Unit.

But I hope you can unbrick the Garmin.

Please Help

I have US Oregon 550 which I tried to patch its firmware with Korean firmware and bricked it.

1. Bricked US Oregon 550 HWID 0896 S/W ver 660

2. I followed RGN_tools to change US to Korean. But Its instruction gave me "software missing error" and didn't work.
So I changed both boot.bin and fw_all.bin to Korean HWID 1209 sw 280.

3. Device now just boots into the software missing error then red screen, no filesyetem access to internl memory

4. No, PC does not see the device anymore

5. Downloaded GCD files from garmin download, Oregon550,Korea_GCDfile__280.gcd and Oregonx50_WebUpdater__660.gcd

Ran GarminCure and created cure file with ver 660
Applied using updater and updater gave me an error "invalid device"
The device is NOT detected by the PC. Garmin Webupdater see the device as Korean 550 and gives me errors

6. Yes, Garmin driver's are installed (as part of Garmin express)

7. HWID is 1209 (changed by boot.bin patch, original is 0896)

8. Yes, tried that (Pl. see #5 above)

9. Yes, In preboot mode I can see System (and loading when applying the update using Updater). The screen is turn off with updater saying invalid device
(my guess is cured firmware of US doens't match with current HWID 1209. Is there anyway to change HWID back to original??

10. Sorry No, my bad, No NV backup

11. Waiting for your response. If I can change HWID 1209(korean 550) back to original 0896(US 550), I guess cure and updater can work.

Is there anyway to change HWID 1209 back to original 0869??

Thank you in advance.