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

@MichelDumont
Please confirm that by "50 LMT" you mean that it's a Drive or DriveSmart 50, because there is also a nuvi 50 (LMT only means Lifetime Maps & Traffic). Additionally please confirm that you've removed the microSD card from the device before your attempts to attain preboot.

"System" and "Software Loading"/"Loader" on screen means the device is in preboot mode required to flash firmware as an RGN file. Modern devices are much more difficult to put into preboot and they also hold that state for much shorter time than older models, but once a flash is properly initiated and data transmission commenced they do hold that state until Updater.exe finishes.

G7ToWin only works in preboot/Garmin binary protocol mode. Seeing you have a backup of the file system, look in that for Garmin folder containing "GarminDevice.xml". Open the XML in a web browser or text reader and look for "<PartNumber>006-Bxxxx-00</PartNumber>" near the start of file info. "xxxx" is the four numerals of your device's HWID. Certainly it's 2267 for your device if it's a Drive series "50" however.

I don't have a Drive series device to hand, however if my memory is correct the spot for preboot is over the G or thereabouts. Use your left thumb rather than a finger on the screen with your fingers behind the device as you'll be more likely to find the correct spot for pressure that way and also be able to handle the device more effectively to plug the USB cable into it. Follow this:

• Plug a 'known-good' USB cable directly into a REAR USB2 port of a Windows desktop PC (don't use a Mac or Linux computer and avoid a laptop/all-in-one if possible), don't use a USB3 port, front port or a hub to connect. Don't connect the device just yet.
• Have the Cure firmware loaded into Updater.exe with the radio button (dot) next to "USB Device" selected, leave Updater's GUI clearly visible on the desktop screen with the mouse curser positioned over the GUI's "OK" button.
• Ensure the device is fully OFF, not just in standby. Hold the power button down to force it off if necessary.
• Hold the device in your left hand applying pressure with your thumb and with your right hand plug in the USB cable to the device's microUSB socket.
• At that same time watch the window next to "USB Device" and move your right hand quickly to the mouse. When you see the device details appear instantly left-click the mouse (alternatively you can hit the Enter key on the PC's keyboard).
• Keep firm steady pressure on the device screen until the flash completes indicated by Updater message that it was successful. Usually it's sufficient to hold the screen until after "Loading" or similar message appears on the device screen but continuing to hold is safer.
• Once you've successfully loaded the Cure fw and restored Mass Storage Mode you can remove any offended files if you know what they are or just clean everything off and load your backup if it's complete and you're sure it's not also corrupted.
• Finally, load original firmware as an RGN file in Updater.exe following the same procedure as above then connect to GarminExpress to update the device. Don't insert a media card until it prompts you to do so.

Originally Posted by MichelDumont

I have made some progress: I have been able to load the update in the unit but there is no change in the behavior of the unit, still just showing splash screen. It showed "software loading" while update.exe was working and it said "the update was successful" at the end but the gps still won't connect to windows or to Garmin Express on a different computer. One thing I noticed is that when the update executes, the first progress bar that appears shows the procedure t be completed, it then starts again showing a progress that takes maybe 30 seconds to complete after which it says "The update was successful". Am I looking at a hardware issue with that gps or is there something else I can try? The software (5.90) is the correct one as this is what Garmin Express has in memory when I did the last successful update on it.

Thanks again for your help.

I was able to upload the software to the unit and there is some improvement but still won't connect to windows unless put in preboot mode where I can reflash it. If I choose "cure" when updating the unit with Garmincure3, it ends up cycling to computer connection to black screen to computer connected again. I can see the drive on windows but not the files. The drive is 4.47 GB of data with 2.54 Gb free. The preogress bar when updating through updater.exe restarts a few times and takes approx 30 seconds to complete, seems short... I have confirm that the software I am attempting to load is the right one (5.90). Many thanks for your help.

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@MichelDumont
That post you made quoted above wasn't visible to me when i answered last.

I suspect there's a software update file on the device which tries to update it over and over causing the problem. Probably it's the main firmware file, gupdate.gcd in hidden .System folder, but it could be another minor update file.

I'm having a little difficulty following your steps, maybe you're doing it right but i suspect you don't fully understand the process and implications. To be clear, what you should be doing here is loading Cure fw in preboot via Updater.exe to re-enable Mass Storage Mode so you can remove any likely corrupt file from the device (maybe gupdate.gcd in this case), and finally re-loading original firmware with Updater. If the culprit file was removed the device will then boot fully and operate normally. If it still plays up after removing the GCD file from .System, repeat the cure process but this time take a full backup of the file system, reformat it with RMPrepUSB only, load original fw and then connect to GarminExpress to replace what you can. Read the first post of Kunix's Cure3 thread again carefully and ask if you still don't understand everything before proceeding.