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

1) Model 260W, fw 7.8 (supposedly), HWID 1091

2) Ran Garmin Express. Accepted fw update. Ran map updates and Express said the entire map wouldn't fit so I selected just the US Northeast. Express ran, it looked like it finished, but ended with an error (don't recall details, it's been a while)

3) It won't boot.

4) The PC does not see the GPS as a storage device, even in pre-boot mode. Doesn't matter whether there's an SD card in it or not.

5) After the failed map load via Garmin Express the PC was able to see the device. I tried to copy the Garmin directory to the PC HDD - no joy. I discovered that several files were corrupted, including GarminDevice.xml and GUPDATE.GCD. Part of the directory structure was also corrupted. I have several other Garmin GPS units (GPSMAP 295, GPSMAP76S, Nuvi 680) that I maintain with WebUpdater and Garmin Express, and this is the first time I've had a problem. This is the point where I started searching forums. I saw comments about people reformatting their Nuvi and I was concerned until I read somewhere that a reboot would replace GarminDevice.xml and GUPDATE.GCD if they were missing. So, you guessed it, I reformatted the unit as Fat32 using Windoze 7 in an attempt to recover from a corrupt file directory. The format ended with an unknown error, but I was able to create a Garmin folder and the device booted up. Is seemed to follow the normal boot sequence, but hung up at "no detailed maps found". At this point I should probably have run WebUpdater and maybe we wouldn't be here today. I wasn't thinking clearly and just copied a gmapprom.img file from my Nuvi 680. Also, stupid me failed to copy out the new GarminDevice.xml and GUPDATE.GCD files. At this point every time I tried to boot it hung up on loading maps. I decided to try the update again and found that the PC was no longer recognizing the GPS. Back to forums and more research. I learned about preboot mode and GarminCure3 and g7towin and RMPrepUSB. I can get into preboot mode. When in preboot mode, even though the PC doesn't recognize the GPS as a storage device, WebUpdater does find the device and tries to run, but fails with the error “The update file is corrupted”. Garmin Express doesn’t recognize the unit. RMPrepUSB doesn’t see the unit.

6) Yes, drivers are installed and work with all of my other Garmin GPS units

7) Yes, I ran g7towin and it reports HWID 1091

8) Yes, I have tried Cure3. I get 2 really quick messages that I think say “Loader Loading” and “Software Loading”, followed by the GARMIN screen with “Loader” in the upper center of the screen. I have tried both Cure and Original. EVERY time I run Updater I get the same series of 3 messages on the GPS, and the GPS drops out of preboot mode seemingly as soon as the software finishes loading. Forum post [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] contains 4 screen shots of the progress I should see. I only get the first screen, pretty much at the same time as I hear the ding-dong of the GPS dropping out of preboot mode.

9) Yes, I can get into preboot mode and the GPS connects to the PC (dong ding), but the GPS does not show up as a connected drive/device. It will stay in preboot mode for about 40 seconds before disconnecting (ding dong) if I don't run Cure3.

10) No NV backup. How do I do that?

Thanks for reading all of that. I'd really like to get this unit working since it belongs to my mother-in-law and has a Lifetime maps license. I realize I made the mistakes of 1) not creating a complete backup before running the initial update; 2) formatting with Windoze instead of RMPrepUSB; 3) trying to use a map from another unit; 4) being the IT guy for the in-laws. My bad, I know it's my fault, please don't abuse me too much. Any suggestions (on fixing the GPS)?

Originally Posted by insearchof

If this is often questioned I'm sorry. Here's the problem with Garmin Nuvi 250W not going past "GARMIN" without anything else start up status and will not go into preboot mode even tried all the software including garmincure3 (updater error pops up when attempting to start updater and will not do anything else). The reset button does not help either.
Is there a way to get HWID (I can open the garmin up if know where to look or serial number decoded?) even cannot use G7ToWin utility due to failing to enter into preboot mode?

If you have a backup of the file system look at your GarminDevice.xml for this: "<PartNumber>006-Bxxxx-00</PartNumber>". "xxxx" is the HWID.

An otherwise healthy device which has been 'bricked' can still access preboot mode. Try this method: First make and load Cure3 fw into Updater.exe then select the radio button beside 'USB Device'. Ensure the nuvi is completely OFF, you may need to force it off by holding the power slide to the left for ~10 seconds. Connect using a 'known-good' miniUSB cable to a REAR port only of PC [not thru a hub]. Hold the top LH corner of the screen before connecting the miniUSB plug to the socket and keep holding it firmly. If the device details appear in the windpw next to 'USB Device' immediately hit enter on PC keyboard or 'OK' with mouse cursor on Updater's GUI. Keep holding the screen firmly until the flash successfully finishes or at least until 'Loader' or similar shows on the screen.

If it really cannot access preboot then there may be damage to the flash chip, but it's not a common problem so unlikely.

The official garmin express, win updater will not find the 250W either. Even tried garmin usb driver. Did not activate when connected.

You must have Garmin USB drivers installed on the PC to use preboot mode for flashing. GE doesn't detect your device in preboot, only in mass storage mode.

@hancock
If you can't see it listed under Garmin Devices in Device Manager when it's in preboot then it's not reliably connected to PC or Garmin USB drivers aren't loaded. Reload the usb drivers and try different miniUSB cables and use Rear PC ports only [no hubs].