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

**Cnfhbr** · 20th May 2021, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Andy Waltson

So manufacturer can deliver non-properly tested firmware and brick devices, but does not provide tools for recovery...

Usually Garmin delivers 'non-properly tested firmware' with the possibility of a revert to the last public release software, for example:

Code:

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In your case, you should contact Garmin's technical support, I guess.

**Andy Waltson** · 20th May 2021, 07:54 PM

Spoiler: pic 1

Those "instructions" does not make sense. If GARMIN folder would be available after deadly 16.60 firmware update I wouldn't bother people at forums and immediately reverted it back.
Also I've tried drag-and-drop of GUPDATE.GCD into WebUpdater from System_1630 folder. The same error:

Spoiler: pic 2

So GARMIN's tools cannot flash their own devices even if they are detected by OS ("GARMIN USB GPS"). But obviously there is a way to flash memory in that state (RGN Tool as example). Poor design decision from software engineering point of view.

In your case, you should contact Garmin's technical support, I guess.

I've already done that, no response at the moment...

Can only thank you to people responding here.

**hiban** · 22nd May 2021, 02:09 PM

@Butters

Thanks again. I read and tried to follow the instructions but I fail at the very first part. I can't get my HWID number on the watch via the G7towin tool.

Spoiler: images

Also, while trying to make a cure fw, I cannot even start because it asks for a gcd file and all the firmwares I was able to download from garmin and perry's web are already rgn files

When using the G7towin tool it somhows recognizes the watch connected because, if I do the proccess without the watch, it inmediatly pop ups the message. If I do it with the watch connected and in pre-boot mode, it takes a few seconds thinking but then fails.

I'm starting to think the watch is more than dead.

Thanks for all your help.

**ThatRinoGuy** · 6th February 2023, 05:05 AM

Hello--

I have a Rino 650 and 655t that I acquired second hand. They would freeze as they powered up displaying "updating waypoints and trackways". I used GarminCure3 to get access to USB mass storage. I installed FW 1247 and SW 5.10. Garmin Express crashes on my PC when I try to start it, but Garmin's other applications (BaseCamp, MapInstaller, etc) work to update software, and I can navigate the devices' memories via USB.

Now I can't get the devices out of USB. When I disconnect them and power them up, I get the Garmin logo and the USB symbol. The devices shut off shortly thereafter. I have deleted GUPDATE.GDC, but it looks like there's something else interfering with startup. I have other, functional devices to serve as templates, and don't see anything obviously interfering.

Thanks much for your thoughts.

Joe

**lixivia** · 17th August 2025, 12:10 PM

Hello, I have the same problem, my Garmin 6 stayed the same to make firmware changes... did you get to solve it? Thank you

**Butters** · 24th May 2021, 11:39 AM

@Andy Waltson
Garmin seems to have posted those instructions to help users with V16.10 overcome the possible errors as listed in the Change History from 16.10 to 16.30. The instructions certainly are not intended to help a user 'unbrick' a device because clearly such a device doesn't have MSM access to drop a GCD file into the internal memory. In your case with V16.60 onboard it's not possible to unbrick it with conventional methods because as confirmed by Cnfhbr the firmware is encrypted and therefore defies any attempt to manipulate it in the usual fashions. I would think his (tentative/hesitant) advice to "contact Garmin's technical support, I guess" is the best we can do here unfortunately and he only gave those links as an example of Garmin's attempts to help users revert from a flaky, albeit working, fw rather than as serious help for bricked devices.

@hiban
RGN_Tool reports that Forerunner920XT_990.rgn is "an RGN within an RGN" and upon following this message's direction, i.e.:

Spoiler: small image

we find the HWID is 1765 after opening that saved fw_all.rgn in RGN_Tool:

Spoiler: image

This isn't a "usual" Garmin firmware in that there is no boot.bin and the entire fw consists of solely one section, the main (system) software, fw_all.bin, which is flashed to region 14 (hex 0E). The expected boot.bin which is normally contained in that first section, and is actually the ramloader, is missing so the fw flash must be initiated by some other means. I'm so sorry but i personally cannot think of anything further to try and i hope someone else has the knowledge to help you.

**carrywhite** · 24th May 2021, 03:35 PM

Hi there,

last weekend I bricked my beloved etrex 10. So I come here in search of advice and support on how to unbrick it.

1) Bricked device MODEL: etrex 10
Firmware version: 2.80
HWID: G7ToWin Error was "USB Error. open_GArmin_USB: Failed getting USB Handle"

2) Why and how the device got bricked: I tried to upload a new GPX Track to the etrex using my android-phone. When I connected the etrex to phone via usb otg, I was asked, if the device should be formatted to make it readably. I was a desperate idiot and I did give it a try. Since then the device can't read any gpx-track from the internal memory anymore. Also, all the data from the internal memory is gone. I don't have a backup of it ...

3) Symptoms: what's wrong in your device? Can't read gpx-files in folder Garmin/GPX anymore.

4) Does your pc sees your device ? Yes, my PC sees it and declares it as a normal drive.

5) List all the procedures you already tried to unbrick it and their results and errors messages obtained.
I tried to connect it with garmin express. But it is not recognized.
In preboot mode I tried the HW test, RAM and ROM get a "Pass", when BMap Chk gets a "Wait".
I tried to format it using RMPrepUSB. When I use the GUI-Part, the Garmin Device is shown. But when I try to format the device the Error "Cannot find drive 3". I tried to use the CLI Version on an admin shell but RMPARTUSB.exe list does not list any devices.

6) Do you have Garmin USB Drivers installed ? Garmin: USB Drivers Updates & Downloads
No, I always used the device like a regular usb drive and I just copied gpx-files to the device.

7) If you don't know HWID get it by Use program G7ToWin to retrieve your HWID
G7ToWin Error was "USB Error. open_GArmin_USB: Failed getting USB Handle" If it is really needed, I will try again to find it.

8) Write down if you already read or tried GarminCure3 tool - the new way to create cure firmwares for Garmin devices
How to unbrick a nüvi - step by step guide
No I did not try to use the GarminCure3 tool. I don't think the firmware is the problem. The problem should be the malformated storage. So I don't want to mess with the firmware.

9) Can you reach preboot mode? If no ,have you followed this? Garmin devices preboot mode
Yes I can reach the preboot mode. In preboot mode I tried the HW test, RAM and ROM get a "Pass", when BMap Chk gets a "Wait".

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

Thanks for your attention

**Butters** · 25th May 2021, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by carrywhite

.................
1) Bricked device MODEL: etrex 10
Firmware version: 2.80
HWID: G7ToWin Error was "USB Error. open_GArmin_USB: Failed getting USB Handle"

I think that means the device has already exited preboot. Many devices give very little time in preboot however once a query has been received by the device in the form of a data packet it will then hold preboot, awaiting further communication. Read the detailed information in [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] of the G7ToWin thread. You may not even need the HWID in any case, read more below(*).

2) Why and how the device got bricked: I tried to upload a new GPX Track to the etrex using my android-phone. When I connected the etrex to phone via usb otg, I was asked, if the device should be formatted to make it readably. I was a desperate idiot and I did give it a try. Since then the device can't read any gpx-track from the internal memory anymore. Also, all the data from the internal memory is gone. I don't have a backup of it ...

So the format was maybe done in a way that's not completely acceptable to the eTrex's OS. Garmin devices are often very particular how their internal memory must be formatted as you're probably aware. A correct format may be all that's needed.

3) Symptoms: what's wrong in your device? Can't read gpx-files in folder Garmin/GPX anymore.

Do you mean the files that were there previously or some files you've added since? Of course all your previous on-board files are gone due to the re-format. Or do you mean files in a media card's Garmin folder?

4) Does your pc sees your device ? Yes, my PC sees it and declares it as a normal drive.

Cure firmware is only used to fully re-enable Mass Storage Mode (MSM) so that faulty files may be removed or a correct format done.

5) List all the procedures you already tried to unbrick it and their results and errors messages obtained.
I tried to connect it with garmin express. But it is not recognized.

Maybe because the format isn't quite right. GarminExpress uses MSM to access devices and an unacceptable format may not allow complete recognition.

In preboot mode I tried the HW test, RAM and ROM get a "Pass", when BMap Chk gets a "Wait".

Is there still a basemap present though? It won't be unless you've since added one because the original gmapbmap.img would have been removed by the format along with all other internal files.

I tried to format it using RMPrepUSB. When I use the GUI-Part, the Garmin Device is shown. But when I try to format the device the Error "Cannot find drive 3". I tried to use the CLI Version on an admin shell but RMPARTUSB.exe list does not list any devices.

This again may be due to the format previously done via the phone. Try to format it using the built-in tool in Windows Disk Management and then if that format doesn't allow normal working of the device try again using RMPrepUSB(#).

6) Do you have Garmin USB Drivers installed ? Garmin: USB Drivers Updates & Downloads
No, I always used the device like a regular usb drive and I just copied gpx-files to the device.

Garmin USB Drivers are only needed to access the device in preboot mode. Load them to the PC again anyway to ensure they're up to date: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

7) If you don't know HWID get it by Use program G7ToWin to retrieve your HWID
G7ToWin Error was "USB Error. open_GArmin_USB: Failed getting USB Handle" If it is really needed, I will try again to find it.

(*)The HWID is only crucial if we need to load cure fw. As the device is partially working you may be able to confirm it's HWID other ways: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. As you're in EU it's likely an EU localized device and if so will have US/EU etrex 10 HWID of 1304.

8) Write down if you already read or tried GarminCure3 tool - the new way to create cure firmwares for Garmin devices
How to unbrick a nüvi - step by step guide
No I did not try to use the GarminCure3 tool. I don't think the firmware is the problem. The problem should be the malformated storage. So I don't want to mess with the firmware.

You may be correct about firmware, however Cure fw can also help to reliably re-enable MSM in the case of an incorrect format ... that's always needed if the format is the wrong type, e.g. NTFS instead of FAT32. Strange things can happen with only partial functionality if the format type is 'technically' correct but done to Garmin devices with the wrong tool.

9) Can you reach preboot mode? If no ,have you followed this? Garmin devices preboot mode
Yes I can reach the preboot mode. In preboot mode I tried the HW test, RAM and ROM get a "Pass", when BMap Chk gets a "Wait".

We'll only need preboot as a last resort to load cure fw if further efforts to re-format don't work as suggested above(#).

**Andy Waltson** · 25th May 2021, 11:16 PM

@Butters, Cnfhbr
Thank you for the help. While waiting any response from Garmin I'm looking other ways of troubleshooting.

Fenix 3 HR firmware is distributed in .rgn files - [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
It can be opened easily using RGN tool, and contains single firmware section:

Spoiler: pic 1

Opposite to new gcd firmwares which are split into 2 sections (and are encrypted according to Cnfhbr):

Spoiler: pic 2

I might override 2413/500 (hwid/sw_version) into 3288/1660 and flush it into Fenix 6S Pro using Updater.

What do you think about this way? Goal is to make it visible as storage device, replace corrupted .gcd and reboot.
Does firmware strictly depends on hardware for pre-boot phase?

**Cnfhbr** · 24th May 2021, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by Butters

I would think his (tentative/hesitant) advice to "contact Garmin's technical support, I guess" is the best we can do here unfortunately and he only gave those links as an example of Garmin's attempts to help users revert from a flaky, albeit working, fw rather than as serious help for bricked devices.

Butters, you've hit the nail as always. Yes, that's exactly it!