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

**Butters** · 18th February 2022, 01:07 AM

A blank screen is not a sure indication of the device being fully off, because for a healthy device it can also mean it's in standby. A bricked device may or may not be capable of standby but to be sure press the power button as you would to start it normally and when the 'snowy TV' screen shows leave it for about a minute then hold down the power button steadily for a while (might take up to 30 seconds) and when the screen goes black release the power button immediately. That way you can be sure it's completely off. Opening it to disconnect the battery is certain to turn it off of course and you may have to do that if the device just turns itself back on after releasing the button.

Garmin devices can be fussy reading some cards directly, even if the card's seen by computer when inserted in the device although it does rarely happen that way. Try another card to be sure, preferably one which was known to perform normally in the device before it was bricked.

If it won't read a card that only leaves flashing with Updater.exe which, as you know, means using preboot mode. So are you absolutely certain that it can't attain preboot? Because if it definitely doesn't recognize a media card and nor can it attain preboot it's simply not recoverable. Modern auto devices like Drive series are all notoriously hard to put into preboot and a bricked and boot-looping device adds even greater difficulty attaining and maintaining preboot. I think for Drive devices you must hold the screen in the middle, around on or over where the G or the G A in "GARMIN" would appear on the logo screen (by my uncertain recollection). If you or any reader knows for sure please post to comment as i don't have any Drive series device to hand. If it's around there and not in the top LH corner like most others it becomes a wild guessing game when you don't know for sure where those letters would be and the device is boot-looping too. In such a situation it might take dozens or even hundreds of tries to fluke it and then you only have mere seconds to react to start the flash anyway.

If you want to experiment getting it into preboot without actually initiating a flash with Updater.exe, keep Device Manager open when trying to connect to PC in preboot. If it does connect, a new entry named "GARMIN Devices" will suddenly show in the alphabetical list. If may only be there for a very short time if the device is boot-looping. It won't of course show in Windows File Explorer or Disk Management like it does in MSM. Temporarily mark the spot on the screen with a dab of Tippex or similar then do the actual flash of the original fw as an RGN with Updater.

EDIT: I forgot to mention about the GarminDevice.xml. It's written to by the device at the very end of a successful boot-cycle. Usually a device that can attain MTP/MSM would also be able to FULLY boot and therefore write to or re-write the XML and certainly that's so with any healthy devices, but when dealing with bricked/bootlooping devices it's impossible to know how far for sure they are actually getting into the boot-cycle before they restart. It may be simply that your Drive is booting far enough to show in MTP but not far enough for it to write anything to the XML. It may even be attempting to write to it that causes the bootloop.

**derlangehans** · 19th February 2022, 03:08 PM

Hello,

when I hold down the power button until the screen goes black, it comes back on immediately after. I can also press the button for 2 minutes, that did nothing at all. So I guess I have to open up the device.

To get into Pre Boot I had to hold down the top left corner.
If I edit the GarminDevice.xml manually it is after a restart again as in the "original state", so it is definitely overwritten.

**Butters** · 20th February 2022, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by derlangehans

.......... So I guess I have to open up the device.

Yes although it's a pain to open it up to get to the battery's PCB connection if you haven't done it before that's the most practical way to power it off now. The only alternative to battery disconnection would be to wait for it to go flat each time before attempting either enter preboot or trying to flash from the card.

To get into Pre Boot I had to hold down the top left corner.

That's much easier than finding the right spot around the middle of the screen when no logo shows of cause. A bonus seeing it won't power off normally.

If I edit the GarminDevice.xml manually it is after a restart again as in the "original state", so it is definitely overwritten.

I'd say 'probably' rather than 'definitely' unless you can be bothered to prove that by making a further test by try writing something else to it that's harmless, e.g. an empty *.txt file. If that TXT test file doesn't remain after the device is disconnected and reconnected to PC then for sure the XML isn't being overwritten permanently. Maybe nor is it really updated on the next boot either. Some devices as messed up as your DS can act like a damaged media card or USB drive which appear to be properly written to while still connected, but don't actually save the changes at all. Like i said before, it may even be the act of trying to update the XML causing the bootloop.

Anyway, i'd try again with the card flash after you get the device powered off then move to preboot if that's unsuccessful.

**derlangehans** · 22nd February 2022, 06:05 PM

Unfortunately, I can't manage to turn off the device completely. I don't have the right tool to open it and disconnect the battery. I will now try to completely drain the battery by constantly turning it on. Let's see if I can get it to flash via the SD card.
I also tried another SD card, it didn't work either.

**Butters** · 21st February 2022, 03:30 AM

@Constantinnn
Welcome to GPS Power.

It's 'bricked' and from the circumstance you described it's either hard or soft bricked. it's probably only 'soft-bricked' however it may be a hardware failure such as the flash chip has malfunctioned.

If it's soft-bricked, in all likelihood it's only a corrupt file causing the problem that prevents it from booting up, probably a map IMG or a GPI (POI) file. Read the initial post of this thread again, you'll see links to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] and [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] and other threads you might need. Post again if you have further queries.

**Butters** · 23rd February 2022, 12:51 AM

@isg
It might be worth trying one more thing before giving up. I suggest to try using the patched 0971's boot.bin as RGN using the same 14.bin and 127.bin executed from Update.txt in the 0972 folder. It that doesn't work then console your friend by telling him that there is some value in the secondhand parts, i.e. working screen, battery, case, bezel etc..

@derlangehans
Should you decide to open it you'll need a T5 torx screwdriver and a spudger/pry tool. There are videos on the internet. Of course you only need one successful power-on to get it to read the card before it starts bootlooping so running the battery flat first is easier. Same with using preboot, tricky with a bootlooping device but still achievable with good timing and luck.

**derlangehans** · 23rd February 2022, 10:38 AM

I will keep trying, if I get it right I will let you know, thanks for your help.

In the meantime, I got myself a new Garmin DriveSmart 61. Just to be sure:
- I downloaded the FW from the Garmin website

Code:

Please Login or Register to see the links

- This one I patch now with the "Garmin Firmware Patcher V1.30".
- The patched DriveSmart61_630.gcd I open now with the RGN_Tool_078.exe and save the .RGN under the filename "258801000630.rgn".
- This I flash then with "Updater.exe".

Is this correct?
Then I hopefully have a working device and no brick.
Thank you very much, regards Hans.

Edit:

The battery now appears to be completely drained. When I press the power button, the screen only gets slightly bright for a second.
I have now inserted the memory card and connected the device to the charger. But absolutely nothing happens, the screen does not become bright. Is this normal, or do I also have to press the power button so that the flash process starts?

**Butters** · 23rd February 2022, 11:27 PM

V2.20 is the latest version of patcher. V1.30 is from about 4 years back but should still work to patch fw_all_bin of V6.30 as i think the global rules in defs.txt apply to it. If you want to be sure it's properly patched, google for "Garmin Universal Firmware Patcher V2.20" as this forum's rules forbid posting it here.

Check the charger you're using has sufficient amperage to both power the DriveSmart and charge its battery simultaneously. If you're using the original 12V vehicle charging cable that'll work because it has 5V 2A output. If it's only a 1A PSU it may not both change and it power on. Regardless, certainly if the battery has been totally drained there may be a delay even with a 2A charger as there needs to be a safe level of charge before the device can be powered up. Depending on device, from dead-flat it may or may not power itself on without you using the power button once there's sufficient change in the battery.

**derlangehans** · 24th February 2022, 08:18 AM

Ok thanks for your explanation, I will give it another try when the battery is dead again.

My new device is now ready, I made a backup and patched the right FW. Now the RGN tool misses the HW ID, do I need to overwrite them with the right one? Or is it enough to name the file with the HW ID and SW Version?
258801000630.rgn
See the added Screenshot. Thank you.

Spoiler: screenshot