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

**magickal** · 9th March 2023, 04:45 AM

Hi there,

I've stumbled across this forum and thread in my search to bring life back to my nuvi 40. I last used it around 2 years ago moving from Melbourne to QLD and have not touched it since. I am now trying to bring it back to life, it is stuck in a boot loop when it is plugged in (either on my laptop or powerpoint).
I have managed to download the last nuvi40and50_GCDfile__400 and am trying to find the correct program to convert it to RGN so I can try and flash this to the GPS with updater.exe

Can anyone point me in the right direction to a tool for this? I have found a few on various sites however as it is so old, all the links are dead.

1) Bricked device MODEL, Firmware version, HWID. Not Sure

2) Why and how the device got bricked. Old?

3) Symptoms: what's wrong in your device? Boot loop, only displaying GARMIN on screen then restarts all over again (when plugged in) when not plugged in, I cannot get anything to display on the screen.

4) Does your pc sees your device ? No

5) List all the procedures you already tried to unbrick it and their results and errors messages obtained. Just what I described above, also tried resetting with finger on bottom right hand corner while turning on

6) Do you have Garmin USB Drivers installed ? Garmin: USB Drivers Updates & Downloads Yes

7) If you don't know HWID get it by Use program G7ToWin to retrieve your HWID - where can i find this program?

8) Write down if you already read and tried everything in these two threads: GarminCure3 tool - the new way to create cure firmwares for Garmin devices and How to unbrick a n�vi - step by step guide I cant find the how to unbrick nuvi guide? can someone link me please?

**Boki** · 9th March 2023, 07:56 AM

Welcome.
A bit lazy to browse the Forum?

Next time, first scroll through, read, and then ask questions. You don't have to immediately pull out the cannons to kill the flies.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]... also, use a search.

**Crviana** · 17th March 2023, 11:49 PM

Hi Guys,
I have a BMW NAV IV that wasn't connecting to the computer, and was very slow to stat-up.
I used a Cure3 with a firmware of a Zumo 660 and got the connection, but the GPS didn't me alow to backup the files, and the GarminDevice file was with 0Kb.
I used a RMPprep to format it.
Now it is not working any more.
Any body has any tip.
Anybody has the firmware of Navigator IV to try to use it ?
Thanks

**Butters** · 18th March 2023, 12:19 AM

BMW Motorrad Navigator IV and zumo 660 are identical internal hardware (they have the same HWID of 0924). Your info implies that the Nav IV has a hardware rather than a software problem - i.e. Symptoms of unable to copy files to computer in Mass Storage Mode and its GarminDevice.xml file having no content, the latter means the device is incapable of updating itself on boot cycle (that's likely why it was so slow to start-up previously).

What exactly do you mean by "Now it is not working any more"? If it appears completely dead but you are sure the battery has charge, take it into a very dark room and hold the power button to see if the screen glows slightly.

**Crviana** · 18th March 2023, 12:35 AM

Thanks Butters,
Now, It turn on and stay some seconds and turn off.
Have no files inside.
The GPS should create a Garmindevice.xml by itself, but didin't. So I can't use Garmin Express to replace the files.
The GPS is connecting to the computer.
It still flashed with the cure. I used zumo660_GCDFile__510.gcd

**Butters** · 18th March 2023, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by Crviana

Now, It turn on and stay some seconds and turn off.

There's only some very slight hope of reviving it by software means in that case as that's another indication of a hardware failure. It's proper behavior with Cure fw loaded is to stall on the Garmin logo and stay on.

Have no files inside.

Yes, understandable because you formatted it previously.
Did you use the exact settings for the reformatting as recommended [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]?

The GPS should create a Garmindevice.xml by itself, but didin't. So I can't use Garmin Express to replace the files.

It can only create the XML file when it boots. If it can't fully start, it can't write/rewrite the XML.

The GPS is connecting to the computer.

Good that you still can access MSM.
Does it allow you to write to it? Try creating a root folder named GARMIN.

It still flashed with the cure.

Completely expected that it CANNOT boot. The following is written prominently in kunix's instructions: "Please note that the CURE firmware cannot boot the device, it can only allow the device to enter Mass Storage Mode and connect to PC".
Once faulty files are removed or a reformatting done, ORIGINAL firmware must be written back using Updater.exe in preboot mode. Then it should rewrite the GarminDevice.xml in the created Garmin folder.

I used zumo660_GCDFile__510.gcd

That's the latest available version. Ensure when you create the original fw RGN file from the GCD that you name it as 092401000510.rgn only. But only flash original fw if you can create the GARMIN folder first.

**Crviana** · 18th March 2023, 04:33 AM

Butters,
No words to express my happiness, and my thank you to see the Nav IV working perfectly!
Sorry for my mistakes, it was a long time that I didn't repair a Zumo.
I have to thanks all the people that keep this site ON, helping GPS Users and doing the job that the brands should do, but they don't.
Thank you very much

**Butters** · 18th March 2023, 04:51 AM

Glad you've recovered it successfully. Having so many 'non-typical' behaviors with Cure fw loaded is often because of flaky or failed hardware, like flash damage for instance. You got lucky it seems.

BTW, GarminExpress will not supply a basemap so you'll need to place that manually in the Garmin folder, using gmapbmap.img as the only naming. You can get one from [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

Thanks you so much for acknowledging the forum's assistance. You can also help by telling us if you were able to identify the particular problem - for example, did you need to re-do the format? ... Or was it sufficient just to create the empty Garmin folder?

**Pjspliff** · 18th March 2023, 10:58 PM

Hi there,

i just wanted to thank you guys for this useful Board with very skilled People!

I bricked my Garmin N�vi 2545 LM (on Firmware 8.30) somehow after i copied some files into the gpx-folder also windows (10)-Threat-Managment blocked alot of Garmin Express processes which may be the cause.
After trying to turn it on it seemed to have corrupted files and it it got stuck in a Boot Loop > after "Loading Maps" it crashed and it turned back on over and over. Also Windows didnt recognize the Storage anymore.
I firstly thought it was my Battery so i ordered a new one and it had the same effect and so i started looking for other options like a software-reset to no avail, since it would still reboot even at the part where it says: "Erase all Data" and so i finally found this Forum and found more about GarminCure3 !

To help others with similar problem and same Garmin, this is how i fixed it:

1. I downloaded GarminCure3 from Forum and the orginal-firmware (Garmin n�vi 25x5 - V. 8.20/8.30) from:
>> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
or
>> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

1.1 I started GarminCure3 and selected that firmware: "nuvi24x5and25x5_GCDFile__830.gcd".

2. Then i choosed "Cure" and let it rebuild ("make firmware") the firmware (this process creates a copy of your orginal one with only storage-functionality) the log-window now shows the Hardware-ID inside that image, which in my case (i had a backup from my internal Garmin-Storage-GarminDevice.xml) was the same: "1371".
Now the tricky Part: put the garmin in PreBoot-Mode >> turn on Garmin and touch+hold upper-left corner till you can see: USB-Device: "n�vi 2xx5 (Unit ID .......)" and hold it!!

3. then you can start the Update/Flash-Process("updater.exe"-Button) and release your finger and wait till its done!

4. After that your Garmin only works as a Storage-Drive but stopped boot-looping in that mode, now and you can delete whats causing the Problem, in my case i didnt know so i cleared it completly and created a new empty "Garmin" - Folder.

5. Finally i repeated step 2. with the "orginal" - option in GarminCure3 and waited till its flashed again.

6. Luckily had a backup of my internal-Storage i could copy the language and voice files for my Language back in. I also installed now latest Map using Garmin Express.

Btw you may want to start GarminCure3 / updater.exe with admin privileg once, before starting flash-process's.
The USB-Device for the Update.exe-Program did only show up as long as i pressed the upper-left corner on the Garmin-LCD (aka Service/PreBoot -Mode)

Thank you guys!

**imelk** · 21st March 2023, 01:28 PM

Hello,
my Garmin 3598LM is completely dead.

Here the first needed information:

1) Bricked Device MODEL, Firmware Version, HWID. 1258

2) Why and how the device was bricked. Update to Camper 760.

3) Symptoms: What is wrong with your device? It doesn't work anymore. No picture, no sound, no more sign of life

4) Does your PC see your device? No. Neither Garmin WebUpdater, updater.exe nor the PC itself in Explorer.

5) List all procedures you have already tried to remove them and their results and error messages received. On/Off switch pressed briefly, long (20s), even longer (>1 min.). Connected to PC. Connected to 12V in the car. Connected to different adapter.

6) Have you installed Garmin USB drivers? Garmin: USB driver updates and downloads Yes, current driver is 2312

9) Can you get into preboot mode? If no, did you follow this? I reached the preboot mode of Garmin devices when updating to the Camper 760. The update then went through to the end. After that, the 3598 will no longer start and the preboot mode will no longer be reached.

10) Probably no, but do you have an NV backup? no

Many thanks