New User Loading POI Files

Look at the Getting Started link. Should answer all your questions.

Welcome to the site Alsland.When you download the custom pois from the site they are csv or gpx files.You can open the csv files up in excel to view the info or right click the folder and open with notepad.Several ways to set up your custom pois but here is the lay out for the easiest.Later on you may want to use subfolders for categories.

Making poifiles the easy way.

1.Make a folder on your computer and give it a name. Example My poi's.
2.Download the csv or gpx file and put them in that folder.
3.If you want to add a bmp . Download from site and also add to the same folder but make sure you name them the same as the file you want them to go with except the extensions.

>My pois=Main Folder
>>Dunkin Donuts.csv
>>Dunkin Donuts.bmp
>>Walmart.csv
>>Walmart.bmp

4.Hook the gps up to computer using usb cable and then run poiloader. Select My pois folder.
5.If you want alerts use manual mode instead of express.
6.You should get message so many pois are loaded at the end of the download.
7.On GPS go to where to then extras and touch custom pois and you should see them.
8.Every time you run poiloader it will overwrite the existing files.

unless you change even one character on any line, then it will add each of those as a different entry and show a duplicate... in this case, run the POI loader to remove all Custom POIs, then run it again to add the custom POIs

You must be confusing favorites with custom-POIs. POIs are definitely NOT duplicated when POI Loader runs. Unless you rename the original POI.gpi file, the new POI.gpi will overwrite the original. It has nothing to do with whether you change anything in the csv/gpx files.

Then it must not do it with the Nuvis, must be the StreetPilot series... if I change one letter, dot or space in any of the entries in the CSV then re-upload it to the unit, it adds a duplicate entry with the new letter, dot or space, it does not overwrite the old one.

If you follow the instructions from above you should be good to go. Charles has been instrumental in getting lots of newbies up and running.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1631 this thread can always be found at the top of each page under getting started. The search function is also a very powerful tool that the seasoned veterans of the POI-factory use all the time.

Once you get comfortable with the operation of your GPSr and POI's, I look forward to your input.

Thank you for the great information and simplification of the process.