Thread: GPSMAP 78s

Welcome to GPSPower Dave. As the above is your first post here, please now go to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] to make a formal intro as required by the forum's rules.

Now as to your problem. The device showing the "System Software Missing" message on start-up can indeed indicate a hardware issue in that it might have some physical damage to the flash chip. That's more likely to not be the case however, the overwhelming majority of instances involving that message only indicate a simple "soft-bricking" due to corrupt or missing firmware in the device's region 14 (0x0E). That part of the flash memory contains the fw_all.bin component of the firmware, which Garmin quite correctly calls the main system software.

I can help with V7.30 which is the latest fw version and soft-bricking is easily corrected by flashing a good version of the fw as you've surmised. However, that cannot be done using an SD card because the device isn't moving far enough into the boot-cycle to search for and recognise a media card. Unless it actually has flash damage, we can however use another method to re-flash it but first we need to rule out a hardware problem. If it's physically ok, it should have spontaneously defaulted to pre-boot mode due to the stalled boot cycle. Please follow this guide and report back:

• Open Device Manager on a Window PC and leave it visible to observe the alphabetic list of devices.
• Connect the device via a USB2 port using a 'known-good' data cable. Avoid using any front port of a desktop, a hub or a USB3 port. If possible use only a USB2 port connected directly to the motherboard as a preference.
• If you have system sounds enabled, you should hear the Windows Device Connection tone. Immediately "GARMIN Devices" should appear in the list.

Provided it really has defaulted to pre-boot mode indicated by it being visible in Device Manager, we should be able to fix it. If pre-boot's not attainable then it's not recoverable by software methods. Good luck. don't forget to do your intro before replying back to this post.

You've got a chance to restore it with a firmware re-flash seeing it's defaulted to pre-boot. However ..... the symptoms you've described point to a failing flash chip rather than a corrupt fw region. Only one way to find out, re-flash it with an RGN file and it'll either then boot up and work if it's just corruption, or nothing will change if it's a failing chip. If it won't even accept a flash then it's definitely toast.

I've updated the links in [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. Download the RGN file (behind the Spoiler - MegaNZ, second link). Drag 111301000730.rgn onto Updater.exe (get it here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]) and then follow this:

• Select the radio button next to "USB Device"
• Connect the GPSMAP to PC
• Wait until it's recognised by Updater
• Immediately press "OK" .... and cross your fingers that Updater finishes with a 'success' message.

Spoiler: Image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Unfortunately, as you'd realise it's not real progress because you've not been able to flash region 14. That failure is indicating almost certainly there's a physical failure of the flash chip, the damage includes at least the target region which is vital for booting the device.

Just academic interest: Following "Loader" did any other message appear, like "Erasing" and "Software Loading" also appear on the device screen before Updater failed?

In case of starting but not being able to complete a flash, updater.exe sometimes will give just a non-specific generic failure message, other times it might report "unable to flash required region" or similar. You can keep trying to do the RGN flash, but as i said in Post #4, "If it won't even accept a flash then it's definitely toast", so repeated attempts resulting in an error will likely just confirm there's a hardware issue.

The only other way for you to try a flash of region 14 is via txt commands using SD, see: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ], but i doubt it's booting far enough to even check for the presence of a media card because that only happens after "Loading Maps" message appears on the device's screen -which is quite late into the boot cycle. However, you have nothing to lose so try this:

Spoiler: Click

• Extract this directly to an empty small card, freshly formatted only FAT32: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
• Force the device fully OFF
• Insert the SD, power it on and wait.

After several seconds the flash should start, indicated by "Loader" etc. messages appearing on screen and then it will re-boot spontaneously but only if it finishes successfully.

If nothing happens the card isn't even being recognised.

Be careful using files of unknown origin. If you flash an incorrect ramloader (Boot.bin/Ldr.bin) you might kill it completely. The ramloader is flashed to rgn12, a virtual region, that in turn at the next startup will write internally to rgn5 (the bootloader) and rgn43 (the x-loader). The bootloader is like the BIOS/UEFI of a PC, if it's the wrong one or missing the device might not start. Depending on the circumstances it might not be possible to correct that because in most Garmin devices rgn5 is protected from direct (external) flashing, even if the device still turns on. However, if it's not possible to re-write rgn12 either because the device won't power on at all, it's finished. Garmin's boot method is quite similar to most ARM-equiped devices, but with a proprietary twist. If you want deeper understanding on that let me know, one of our guru members wrote a great explanation on it which i'll try to find.

RGN files have a safety feature if correctly named, the first 4 numerals are the HWID. In your US/EU fw 78 that's 1113. The last 3 are the software version without the decimal point, in our case it's 730. The filler 5 in between "01000" tells Updater.exe not to flash if on querying the device it receives a data packet identifying as it as having a different HWID. So, 111301000730.rgn is acceptable to flash only to a US/EU GPSMAP 62 or 78, but an RGN named anything else, even with just one digit missing in the middle, will be force-flashed to any device regardless of its HWID. Usually, we use OUT.rgn as naming for such a flash to make it obvious it's intentional.

Please post a link to the Indonesian RGN you tried, i'd like to examine it.

How did you go with the SD card method, did you attempt that yet?

As to the symptoms you're seeing, they're not indicative of any other hardware failure than a failing flash chip. It's possible to replace it, it's a BGA connection so not too hard for an experienced tech to source one and re-ball it. The problem is then reprogramming it, that takes special skills and particular equipment not easily found outside Garmin's factories. Garmin doesn't even do it themselves, they're a 'fabless' manufacturer like Apple and many others, so they send such devices if new or still under warranty back to their appropriate contracted factory in Taiwan or China for refurbishment. They simply do 'like for like' exchanges rather than complicated repairs in local markets.

Agree, Australia is a beautiful country but indeed so is Canada. I've been there - you Canucks are just Aussies that talk funny i reckon ....