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

Originally Posted by acarper

...........
Tried to force a reset by pressing power button + screen right lower corner. It appears the word System scrolling downwars above the logo and after a few seconds it gets "frozen". Sometimes the word Loading appears, but then the unit turns off.
...............

That's indicating it's attained preboot mode. Updater.exe should detect it but you must be very quick to load Cure fw because these modern devices retain preboot only for a matter of seconds. Once it exits preboot mode it becomes 'bricked' again. Try this:
1. Load Cure fw (either full GarminCure3 or QuickCure3) to Updater.exe, select the radio button next to "USB Device" and leave the GUI visible on your desktop.
2. Plug a USB cable into a rear port of the PC. With the device fully OFF, hold the screen and power it on by plugging the miniUSB plug into the device.
3. Immediately you see the device detail populate the window to the right of "USB Device" click "OK" on Updater or hit the Enter key on your keyboard. Don't hesitate or it will drop preboot. Don't release the screen until Updater finishes.
4. If Updater completes and reports success then don't disconnect from PC, the device should become visible as a Mass Storage device allowing you to properly format it. Try to get a backup of existing files first however.

Let's know how you go.

Thank you very much for your prompt reply.

I was able to load a Cure fw with GarminCure3 following your instructions. It was not easy as I had to try many times until Updater discovered the USB Device and loaded the firmware.

Then I could see the device as a disc unit in the PC. As I could access to all directories and there was not any sympton of corruption, I preferred not to modify anything.

Also, when the device booted with the Cure firmware, Garmin Express detected the device and asked if I wanted to update maps. I went through this process with no problem.

Finally, I created an original firmware with GarminCure3 and uploaded with Updater. It took again a lot of attemps until it was able to get the device detected but finally I could load the original firmare and .... IT WORKED!!!!

So, thank you very much for your valuable help and hope this post can help anybody with a similar problem.

Then for sure the previous detail map file was corrupt and therefore causing the device to shut down when it got to "Loading Maps" in the boot cycle. By enabling MSM which GarminExpress uses exclusively (many earlier softwares such as WebUpdater and MapInstall use Garmin Mode) you've been able to overwrite the faulty map. Sometimes there may be a small corruption in the data inside a map IMG file which doesn't cause a problem immediately but the device will be 'soft-bricked' by that at some later time.

And yes, perseverance is key to getting a modern device to flash using Updater. You need to be very fast but once the flash is initiated the device will hold preboot. Miss the window of opportunity by a fraction of a second and you have to start again. I had one stubborn bricked device which took dozens of tries to flash.

Originally Posted by nickus

.......
please guide me to put the maps, if I have just started .....

If you connect it to GarminExpress it should offer to re-install the latest version of the detail map (main navigation map) to which the device is entitled. Also accept all other files offered by GE which you want to use (Voices, Vehicles etc.). Look again at my post above for how to get the necessary basemap (you'll have problems navigating without one installed and GE won't offer it to you so it must be done manually).

My question is: at the moment when I brought a device can I upload any map?

I'm unsure what you're asking there. If you mean can it use mapping for other areas outside it's OEM entitlement the answer is yes provided they are either legally purchased from Garmin or are unlocked. Your device doesn't have MSV/GSV protection in its firmware. If you're asking something else post again clarifying.

Originally Posted by nickus

Can you tell me how can I delete the files from System volume information? (I mistakenly copied them here and it takes up a lot of space, more precisely I downloaded maps and it occupies about 4 GB).

If you can see .System (see previous Post #149, last point) you can easily delete any unwanted .img files.

Another question: where can I download another language for the device?
Question: I can change the language at the menu interface (in settings I only have English)

That's because you haven't accepted the required Voices offered by GarminExpress. Without the relevant .vpm files you will only have the default EN voice. Connect to GE again after re-reading my post #151. i.e., this: "Also accept all other files offered by GE which you want to use (Voices, Vehicles etc.)". Once you have the required Voice file you can select it in settings.

I guess you're missing Text and/or Keyboard files. I've bundled up Help, Keyboards, Text, Voice and Vehicle folders into a RAR file (Extra_Folders.rar) and uploaded it for you:

Spoiler:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Extract it and you can take what you need to complete your restoration of the device. All those folders go in the root, i.e. with the .System and Garmin folders, not in them. That should then complete the restoration of your nuvi 44 provided you've followed all my other suggestions, however if there's anything else just post again.

1) Nuvi 50, ???, HWID.

2) I turned off the device, and when I turn on, it’s already a brick

3) The device weighs on the logo

4) The PC does not see the device (does not have time to install the driver)

5) I tried to flash through updater but the device does not connect to the PC.

6) Garmin USB Drivers installed, last version

7) I can not use G7ToWin for HWID because device does not connect to PC

8) no backup

really hope for help