Thread: nuvi 2559 LMT BRICKED!

I have a nuvi 2559LMT which had lifetime map updates for Europe and USA. Has had very little use over the years as I only use it when travelling. I tried to update the maps the other day and it failed and has bricked the unit (the previous update was not that long ago maybe a couple of months, so the system software should be current).

It mainly just reboots continuously and the SD card is not readable when I put it in a PC card reader. I'm currently working on the GPS with the card out of the GPS though it makes no difference that I can see.

After reading lots of info online I can consistently get it into pre-boot mode by pressing the screen at boot up but Garmin Webupdater will not work - it recognises the GPS briefly but then the SYSTEM message changes to LOADING and the GPS drops its USB connection and the Webupdater then fails - at this point the GPS usually goes to the Garmin Express screen but it neither appears as a USB drive (which it used to do) nor does it accept any data either from Webupdater or Express.

I think this should be possible to solve but despite trying hundreds of times I cannot get it to stay connected long enough. I've looked at other solutions like GarminCure but I can't figure out which of the hundreds of firmware files I need to get for a 2559LMT and none of the attempts with the updater supplied with Cure have worked - but I am not really sure I'm using it correctly.

I could just put it in the bin and use Google Maps on my phone but I'd like to get this working as I am looking at it as a challenge, and I like the Garmin interface and clarity, and I don't like throwing away things that work (or should work) perfectly well - it worked perfectly before the update failed and is responsive enough that it's not completely dead. Any guidance would be much appreciated!

@BogMaster
Go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] and post back here the answers to all the 11 questions in the initial post there. Then we can process with a plan. The microSD may well have been corrupted at the same time but it may just not be allocated a drive letter properly in Windows.

(TLDR: The nuvi's not irrecoverable, don't bin it!). Read behind the spoiler below if you want to know a bit about how it's done:

Spoiler:

If the device can properly access preboot like you've reported, then it likely can be fixed. Modern Garmin devices hold preboot only for a very short time waiting for a flash to start. If one is initiated, then it'll stay in preboot - but if not it quickly exits as you noted. GarminExpress cannot see devices in preboot, only those which are in Mass Storage Mode/Media Transport Protocol - i.e. MSM/MTP = device visible in Windows File Explorer and Disk Management therefore not "bricked". WebUpdater.exe can use both types of communication and Updater.exe is limited only to preboot. Curing involves flashing a modified fw (cure3) as an RGN file via Updater.exe using preboot. That will enable MSM again so allowing simple removal of any faulty file/s (in your case, likely it's the most recent detail map IMG file). Then original fw is re-flashed to restore it back to normal operation so it can be again updated successfully.

Thanks! The 11 q:

1) Bricked device MODEL, Firmware version, HWID.

nuvi 2559LMT, don't know firmware version but assuming latest available as it was updated not that long ago and it's an out of production model, off the label it has m/nA4BVGB03 s/n 3WR025828 IC 1792A-A4BVGB03 and that's all I have

2) Why and how the device got bricked.

Running a Europe map update via Garmin Express, not really sure what happened, went away and left it running due to slow internet, came back and nothing worked

3) Symptoms: what's wrong in your device?

Continually reboots. Will enter failsafe/preboot mode with the screen touch. Does not appear as a drive on the laptop as it usually would. SD card appears corrupted.

4) Does your pc sees your device ?

Only briefly in preboot mode then it appears under "Garmin" but never appears as a drive (neither the unit internal storage nor the SD) at any stage.

5) List all the procedures you already tried to unbrick it and their results and errors messages obtained.

Multiple attempts with Express and Webupdater but neither would communicate with it.

Getting it into pre-boot mode now and doing it quickly enough I can occasionally get Webupdater to complete but it says no updates are available even if you tell it to reinstall the existing software.

6) Do you have Garmin USB Drivers installed ? Garmin: USB Drivers Updates & Downloads

Yes - it was working fine on this laptop up to when it faulted, and Garmin appears briefly in Win11 device manager when in preboot

7) If you don't know HWID get it by Use program G7ToWin to retrieve your HWID

Have done this and I get Unit ID 3914635044 ID 1947 software version 8.80, it will also only communicate briefly while in preboot mode then goes offline

8) Write down if you already read and tried everything in these two threads: GarminCure3 tool - the new way to create cure firmwares for Garmin devices and How to unbrick a nüvi - step by step guide

I've tried that but I cannot work out which is the correct file to use, evidently not the one I am using which is called nuvi25x9_880.gcd

9) Can you reach preboot mode? If no ,have you followed this? Garmin devices preboot mode

Yes can get into preboot mode now but it only stays online to the PC for a few seconds and then drops off and reboots, then it just either continually reboots or goes to the Express screen on the GPS but doesn't show as connected to the PC. Sometimes it says Loading Maps for a while, and then reboots.

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

Unfortunately no backups

11) Once you get a reply and a procedure to follow from our experts, please give an accurate reply about what you did and obtained results.

Will do. The next step to me seems to be to determine the right firmware file and try and push that to the device but I think maybe I have the wrong flie as I cannot get it to work - but may be doing something wrong?

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Sorry, one more bit of info, using the firmware I downloaded, when I try and run Updater using the "cure" file created from GarminCure in preboot mode, I'm getting this error - nothing seems to change on the nuvi and it then drops out of preboot mode.

Spoiler: Large Image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Please use a spoiler for larger images and avoid making consecutive posts - use Edit function instead if there hasn't been a later post made by another member. You also need to go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] section and introduce yourself as required by the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

What you're doing is trying to use WebUpdater to load fw. That might only maybe partially work for a soft-bricked device. Because WU can see devices in preboot it's (perhaps) only letting you "load" (copy) the fw GCD file to the nuvi however the fw file could merely only be maybe getting placed into the nuvi's .System folder. Then on the next successful boot cycle of a healthy working device it will self-load the components of what it perceives as a correct GCD (i.e. right HWID and later version of fw) to the correspondingly appropriate regions of the internal memory. Clearly that can't happen for you because in its present state your device cannot boot fully. If the fw has the same or lower version as/than the existing version or is wrong HWID then even if the device could boot the file is ignored regardless (because wrong HWID, or same version is already loaded to fw regions).

Updater.exe works quite differently to WebUpdater.exe despite the similar naming. The former does not just "copy over" a fw file like the latter, instead it directly flashes the appropriate regions from the components of an RGN file. So, for a bricked device that can access preboot we use it to flash a Cure fw RGN file. You should now make the correct RGN file and flash it following the method in initial post of the Cure3 thread, here: [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

Have done this and I get Unit ID 3914635044 ID 1947 software version 8.80, it will also only communicate briefly while in preboot mode then goes offline

G7ToWin can hold preboot only as long as the device is programmed to do so, if it then drops out after giving the info on-screen there's no problem anyway. You have indeed got the wrong file and can thank your lucky stars that you couldn't flash it as it might have then become HARD-bricked. US/EU 25x9 can have two HWIDs and you've downloaded the file for HWID 1759 when your device is HWID 1947, the C4 version board. Read this [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] by Butters for more details and a link to the C4 GCD.

So now download the correct file "nuvi25x9C4_880.gcd", remake the cure RGN with GarminCure3.exe and flash as explained in kunix's thread to re-enable MSM so you can remove the faulty map IMG file you downloaded. Don't forget the important final step of re-flashing the original fw in preboot.

As for the microSD, if it can be seen in Disk Management but not Windows File Explorer it likely only needs to be re-allocated a drive letter then re-formatted. If it's not even detected in Disk Management using a known-good card reader, then it's likely seriously corrupted and maybe irrecoverable. Google for "HDDGURU HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool" and use it if Disk Management can't successfully reformat your card.

Post again if you need more help.

Yes, certainly the IMG file dated 30 May 2025 on the card is corrupt. You'll have to re-format the card if that file also won't delete (sometimes a bad file won't copy but can be deleted). Note that it's likely to be a partial map of EU on the card with the rest of it on the device so it's possible you only have two bad detail IMG files.

Of course, there has to be something on the nuvi itself which caused it to not boot correctly even when the card was not in it. Look also for any other files of recent date and if in doubt don't add them back with all the older 'presumed-good' files. Ensure you have File Explorer options set like [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] because the .System folder may be currently hidden from you. A recent detail map in the .System folder may be the culprit. Ignore gmapbmap.img as a suspect because it never gets updated by GarminExpress. However gmaptz.img, gmapdem.img and others are possibilities and anything named gmapsupp.img or gmapprom.img are prime suspects being as if they are present they're large detail maps and more likely than smaller files to get corrupted during download. Look also closely at all other files in that folder, and in its subfolders (JCV, ASR etc.) for any recently dated files and leave them out of your restore initially. There may be a folder named "Map" onboard too containing a detail map. Add things back progressively after you've loaded the original fw back leaving the most suspect ones out entirely because they can be replaced by GarminExpress (WU doesn't update your entitled maps, it only does software like fw, voices, etc.). The nuvi may indeed complain about "No detail maps found" on boot but it will still functionally boot up.

As you add each limited group of files and folders back, disconnect from PC and reboot the device. If it bricks you know you've added back a bad file and will have to start again with the Cure fw to get MSM back. If you follow the advice above leaving the most suspect files out entirely you'll likely be fine. You can also check individual IMG files with [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] under its Info tab or Details tab. It'll show an error there if you load a faulty or incomplete IMG file into it.

Yep, that's the same result via a slightly different path. The point is of course this: when a device bricks immediately after updating maps it's nearly always the latest detail map that's caused it so deleting it first and replacing it (or just overwriting it) usually works. I'll mark the thread as 'solved' now.

Probably just needs resetting. Hold the lower RH corner of the screen with it completely OFF (not just in Standby), then power it on. You'll see a pop-up asking "Do you really want to clear all user data?" or similar. Be aware that'll delete "favourites" such as Home location and saved routes etc., so make backups if you want to restore later.

If that doesn't help, or you want to do an even more thorough hard-reset straight away, then clear its erasable non-volatile memory: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].