Thread: Garmin Drive 51 Bricked and Bootlooping Help Please

Later model Garmin PNDs like the Drive series don't hold preboot for very long, no more that 10 seconds usually. Bootlooping devices can be even more difficult to put into preboot and flash but once a flash is properly initiated and there's been an exchange of data packets between Updater.exe and the device, preboot mode should be maintained properly.

In your case it may simply be a matter of timing and then quick action, made especially more difficult now that you're wanting to flash the same version fw as that's already onboard. I'd suggest to increase the cure version from 6.70 to 6.71. Use the SW Version override function in RGN_Tool.exe (extract this: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]) to do that and name the cure RGN as 258601000671.rgn. That will stop the message about 'same version' popping up when you run Updater.exe.

Spoiler: Click for Image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Bootlooping bricked devices can also be quite tricky to get into preboot, however as said once a flash is started they will usually hold preboot no problem. Best to have Updater.exe already open with the RGN file pre-loaded to it with Updarer's GUI visible on your desktop so that you can quickly initiate the process. Ensure you have [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] loaded to the PC as well.

Then follow this:

• Ensure the device is completely OFF, you may need to hold down a bootlooping device's power button for 10 to 30 seconds to force it completely off.
• Plug a 'known-good' USB cable directly into a REAR port of a desktop PC (USB2 only not USB3, don't use a hub or front port and try to use a desktop PC, even an old one running WinXP, rather than a laptop and never a tablet).
• Hold device's screen in the correct place, use your left thumb with fingers behind to hold it firmly, while plugging the cable into it and watch updater's GUI closely as you do that.
• IMMEDIATELY the device is recognized, either click OK on the GUI or hit the Enter key on your PC's keyboard to start the process and keep holding the screen firmly until finished or at least until 'Software Loading' or similar message shows on the device's screen.

If you miss it start over, again ensuring the device is OFF. Normally a healthy Drive device will hold preboot for several seconds (i think it's 5 to 10 secs) but a bootlooping device may drop it in after just a couple of seconds so you'll therefore need to be very fast and also persistent. Please report back results.