Garmin Drive 51 Bricked and Bootlooping Help Please

**SKdrive** · 1st February 2024, 01:10 PM

Garmin drive 51 LMT-S Europe, Firmware: not known, HWID: 2586
Battery empty, charging over night, white screen then only Garmin logo.
Show only Garmin logo.
PC not see device. Garmin Express also not.
Preboot mode "system" on the screen some seconds, device manager show: unknown device.

Where i can download firmware for this device?

**Garman_Nuvi** · 1st February 2024, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by SKdrive

Where i can download firmware for this device?

The source :

Code:

Please Login or Register to see the links

**SKdrive** · 2nd February 2024, 09:51 AM

Thanks for the file!

i tried flash firmware with Thinkpad T470 Win10. Show 100% succesful, then this error message:

Spoiler: pic1

Tried again, then this message from updater.exe

Spoiler: pic2

Not identified as mass storage.

Read the rules:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

**Butters** · 2nd February 2024, 12:57 PM

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

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.

**SKdrive** · 2nd February 2024, 02:15 PM

Now after few flash show on the screen: System Software Missing
Updater.exe show: USB Device: Drive Unit ID 396xxxxxxx

Can i use updater.exe now to flash original software?

EDIT: I do another try with updater.exe, it now show: update succesful, no errors.
Garmin Express updated with no errors, but device not install update.
Battery is bad, only red battery icon, i assume that when i change new battery it then works ok.

Merged 2 consecutive posts with 2nd shown as "EDIT". Please use Edit Function rather then make consecutive posts.

**Butters** · 2nd February 2024, 11:29 PM

Trying to flash with a bad battery is like playing with fire because if the device suddenly loses power during flashing it can cause some essential region(s) of the flash memory to be badly corrupted. It's best to have at least 75% charge in the battery and with it reliably holding charge before flashing via USB.

It may be that the battery isn't completely dead but is inhibited from charging properly because of previously being left in a prolonged discharged state. Before removing and replacing it, unless you already have a new battery available, i suggest to test it by connecting it to a suitable 5V power source with min. current output of 2A and leave it to charge for several hours such as overnight.

PS: Note that a "System Software Missing" message can have two distinctly different meanings, one fairly benign and the other serious and perhaps even fatal because it involves physical damage to the flash memory where region 14 is located. The benign one means that region 14, which contains what Garmin rightly refers to as the "Main System Software", aka the main firmware, is either empty or has corrupt unreadable data. That's likely what happened in your case and re-flashing via Updater.exe has successfully restored it.

**SKdrive** · 4th February 2024, 07:37 AM

I have fully charged battery now.
Garmin Express software update somehow it skip step 2 and device not install firmware.

Can i use cure3 to make original version instead cure ver. and update it with updater.exe?

Filesystem in Drive51 is read/write state and about 700 mb free space available.

**Butters** · 4th February 2024, 08:27 AM

If you have access to GarminExpress then the device isn't 'soft-bricked' in the usual sense because GE uses Mass Storage Mode for communicating with devices. So you should also be able to browse the internal file system using Windows File Explorer. Firstly, in Windows Device Manager go to File Explorer Options (or Folder Options in earlier Win OSs) > View and set it up like this:

Spoiler: Click for Image

That way you'll have access to the normally hidden .System folder. Now make a full backup copy of all the folders and files in the internal memory.

Before you go further and maybe waste time deleting recent files unnecessarily, please state what's now happening on attempted start up, e.g.: is it sticking on the logo splash screen, showing a white screen, bootlooping, stuck on 'software loading' message ... or what?

**SKdrive** · 4th February 2024, 08:52 AM

Device screen: Garmin text and computer logo only.
If i try update with Garmin Express, device stay showing only Garmin and computer logo, not any other messages in the screen.