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

Originally Posted by Nerox

..............[*]Are you using only a REAR USB2 port directly (not front port or USB3 port or via a hub)?
..Is usb 2.0 still a thing ? I've only usb 3.0 - But i did "RTFM-Cure3" and used a port on the motherboard itself as precognized.

USB3 is designed to be backwardly compatible with 2 and even 1 but it's not perfect in that regard. I've had Garmins and other devices which are not variously seen via any USB3 port or a front desktop USB2 or thru' a hub, but recognized fine with a rear USB2 on a desktop. There are plenty of old PCs around, even an old slow under-powered Win XP desktop gathering dust is worth a try provided it has Garmin USB drivers loaded. Modern laptops/desktops are just less likely to 'play nice' with bricked Garmins using USB3 ports. Sometimes having Garmin Express or other 'helper' software running silently in the background can interfere too so make sure there's nothing of Garmin's running and kill it if there is.

[*]Does Windows play a 'ding/dong' sound when you connect or disconnect either of the Nav devices?
For the defective one, only during pre-boot. As soon as it leave pre-boot and tries to boot "normally" it does'nt get detected .
And it only gets detected in the Device manager under "Garmin Devices"
For the Working one - Yes, and it's getting detected by garmin express and is able to be put in MTP via the menus of the unit.

As i said, bricked devices can be tricky with connection but the fact that it's seen in device manager when in preboot but not in MSM with cure fw loaded is a little troubling. Flash damage is indicated especially if you get the same behavior using a desktop with rear USB2 which is why i'd like you to try that if possible. Keep in mind that 'bricked' devices are sometimes VERY flaky.

[*]Have you tried a different rear USB2 port, various USB cables and/or different PC? (even tho' a certain cable, port or PC might work for the healthy Nav V)[/LIST]
I've tried two USB ports, but only one computer. I'll try with one friend's laptop. But it's still usb 3 ,and windows 10.
and... the annoying thing here, is that i get the "successfull patch" every f*** time . So it doesn't seem's like a transfer issue. And if eMMC (internal memory) was defective, i wouldn't be able to flash... it's still a 70mb file to send, i doubt that the rom is that big

That statement about not being able to flash if the internal memory was defective isn't absolute. Minor flash damage can indeed allow some functionality and not others. I have a Samsung 16GB microSD right here which still has MSM but i've tried to re-format with Windows and every 3rd party soft i've got, even LLFTOOL.EXE reports the format as successful but all files are still there. I can 'add' or 'remove' individual files but they simply disappear or reappear. Flash damage manifests in different ways. Let's hope that's not what your Nav V has and keep trying because software brickings and region corruptions aren't all the same in their symptoms either. Just as there's degrees and types of hardware damage, software problems vary too and in that card's case the flash controller is shot.

No sure what you're asking there .... other than you might mean can the chip be reprogramed perhaps? If so, yes but you need special kit and skills to do so and regardless it's beyond what's needed here. It was indeed my question. But i've googled it..and, well, the device itself cost like 150 euros to read the Emmc.. + the fact that i sould know how to desolder , reballing etc... soo , yes. A bit too high level repair for me

If you're asking if the flash memory can be dumped, the answer is "maybe" but it depends on whether it's getting far enough into the boot process before sticking on the splash screen. To be able to read from and write to a microSD it needs to progress at least as far as 'Loading Maps', It's after that that fw_all.bin in region 14 [hex 0E] executes Ldr.bin on a media card to enable initiation of TXT commands and thereby access the internal flash memory/regions to write to them or copy [dump] them back to the card.
...It never went that far, sadly

Ok, we'll try another way below.

...So, my issue is that it's turning itself on as soon as battery is connected.
I've tried to connect the usb cable then the battery,
i've also tried to 1) Disconnect battery 2) put back cover so i don't get the warnin msg, 3) put usb charging cable

Holding the power button for between 10 and 30 seconds should force it off with the battery in it anyway. It should also work without the battery in provided there's enough power from the USB source, because in most Garmin devices the battery isn't an essential part of the power circuitry. Anyway, it doesn't seem that your problem is it's not fully off for your attempts (it can't enter preboot unless it's fully off and you've got preboot).

What about doing a backup of my other nav via micro sd and then try to use it in the defective one - aka "clone" it..?
Thanks for your help !

Forget that. Rare devices such as some dog-trackers can indeed be 'cloned' but most cannot and certainly not this one. Every time it boots it will update region 41 (non-vol memory) and re-write the GarminDevice.xml. Regardless, to even unsuccessfully try that we'd need to have it read/write from and to the card. But that's our next move, to try another way of using the microSD. Please follow this:

• REMOVE the file named "Ldr.bin" from the 1541 folder on your microSD card. There should only be one file named "update.txt" remaining in 1541 folder.
• Place the card into the device and ensure it's fully OFF.
• Open this extracted RGN file [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] in Updater.exe and leave it's GUI open and visible for quick initiation.
• Have the PC with USB cable connected, hold Nav screen, plug in USB cable to it then quickly start Updater.exe to flash.

In explanation, the only content in this RGN file is boot.bin (Ldr.bin) which has been modified to bypass the requirement of the firmware initiation's for using the TXT commands in update.txt. This is definitive, if this doesn't work to dump region 41 and the internal folders and files then it's flash damage and irrecoverable using software means. If it works, then we'll keep going. Good luck this time.

EDIT: IMPORTANT! I've just realized i've made a typo in the HWID folder name on the SD card kit. It's "1451" when it should be "1541" so please change that before proceeding.