Cannot Authenticate Maps on 3790T

Not clear why you are confusing software with firmware? They represent the same thing. So if you have upgraded the firmware, how come you are on 2.6?

I know what you're saying. But that's a direct quote off the Garmin website.
Jim

Just asking whether your firmware had indeed been upgraded to 3.6, as your post implies that it had not.

Hi Elig99
No, the firmware has not been upgraded.
Updated all the software through "My Dasboard" on the Garmin site. Then tried the Garmin WebUpdater.
Still the same message when I start up.
Jim

Have you tried re-running the map update as it suggests?

Personally I am not the owner of a 3790 but of "an inferior" model. I am just interpreting Garmin's problem description. i.e. as long as you are below the 3.6 version you will not get rid of the problem My gut feeling is that once you end up with 3.6 your problem will go away.
Normally, WebUpdater should have detected a downlevel firmware on your device and should have downloaded a current level firmware (probably 3.6) to your device.
Please provide some more information:
- connect the 3790 to your PC and double-click on the file x\Garmin\GarminDevice.xml
- post here the value of this line:
'SoftwareVersion>xxx'
(should be the 6th line, give or take...) By the way 'xxx' will show your actual firmware version.

Hi Kids,
Well here's a copy of a "few" lines of the .xml file and you'll notice that the firmware version does not show up.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
-
-
006-B1101-00
360
nüvi 3790

3803537675
M8C3IHS
-
PACWC2SXQKN7L87Y8MWGJZ4EY

-
XWSQWTPESQBDHD26G7AUK9TQT

-
-
GPSData
-
-
http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1
http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd

-
GPX
gpx

InputToUnit

-
-
http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1
http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd

-
GPX
BTW, I did re-load the maps after running the Garmin software updates.
If I have to live with the nag screen for now I guess it will have to be.
My main concern is the units accuracy affected on the road where I need it the most, especially when I am driving from the COLD North to the Sunny South??
Jim

Well the f.w. version does show up, and it's 3.60 (look at the line below 006-B1101-00). So yours does not look like a firmware version problem. Another thing that rings a bell is the use of the term 'authentication' in the error message. In the newer Nuvi line of products, there are *.gma files which handle authentication... so can you please supply some more information yet

- connect your 3790 to the PC, but make sure first that an SD card with a the full mis-behaving US map is inserted.
- post here a list of the directories on both Nuvi's "disk drives"
- dounle click on the SD card's directory/ies and post here its/their file names
- double click on .system (in the Nuvi's native drive) and post here its file names
- keep your fingers crossed
Eli

Hi Eli,
here's the info:On the SD Card the only file is:
gmapsupp.img
On the Garmin “drive” itself are the following:
Demo
Garmin
GPX
Help
Keyboards
Map
Pictures
Text
POI
Themes
Tutorials
Themes
Voice
.sum
.VolumeIcon.icns
autorun.inf
nuvi_drive.ico
BTW, when I open up the .xml file the number under the line 006-B1101-00 shows it as “software version” 360.
I copied the opened .xml document but when I pasted it into my message it didn’t come out right and the words “software version” did not show up. I looked all through the .xml file and nowhere does the firmware version show up.
BTW2, I loaded the updated map through MapSource and it said it went in successfully. But when I checked my maps is wasn’t there.
I bought the unit when it first came out and, believe me,it had a lot of bugs. I should have waited until they were all worked out.

Jim

Your problem is the SD card - not that anything is wrong with the card itself, it's lacking the proper file structure.

Create a folder \Garmin and put the map in that folder. SD cards have to mimic the folder structure of the base unit.

Jimmy, first thing first - do as BoxCar suggests (unless there is a \Garmin directory on the SD card and you failed to mention it). By the way have you actually transfered the map to the SD "drive" using MapSource itself? Mapsource should have created first a \Garmin directory on the SD, if my memory does not fail me.
Assuming the above is not the cause to your problem: I don't see a .system directory in your supplied list. Shouldn't there be one on a 3790? If you missed it, please post here a list of file names under .system. If you cannot see a .system directory, you should enable 'view hidden files' on your Windows operating system (enabling hidden files views is specific to each Windows type. Run help on 'view hiddden files' to find out how).
Before listing here the .system directory do one more thing: assuming there are gmapprom.unl and gmapprom.gma files there, copy them and rename the new files gmapsupp.unl and gmapsupp.gma . Take care that you do not delete the original files in the process. Now check if this last step helped. If it did not, copy these 2 new files into the \Garmin directory on the Nuvi "drive" and check again.
Re your by-the-way's: software version = firmware version. Do not worry about the xml contents not being displayed properly in the post; some characters in the xml file look like HTML tags and they drive the text editor ga-ga

Hi Guys,
Cleared the SD card and put the new maps back on through MapSource, in the proper directory. Took 10 hours!!! Only file on the SD card is “gmapsupp.img” Now the unit doesn’t show the updated maps!
‘View Hidden Files’ is always enabled and what I sent you is what I see. NO .system directory.
Guess what else? I went through all the folders and cannot find gmapprom.unl nor gmapprom.gma
I did a search on the unit for all of the above: system directory, gmapprom.unl and gmapprom.gma
and nothing shows up.
Under the ‘Map’ directory the new map does show up but in not displayed under ‘My Maps’
Will put the ‘old’ gmapsupp.img back on the SD card and see if it at least shows up.
Regards
Jim

The first one is an apology for a probable mis-information. I am an ‘old guard’ who’s still using the older 7xx line and I tend to draw from my experience with that line. Contrary to what I assumed, the root directory on the 3790 SD card, under which maps are stored on SD, should be \map (and not \Garmin). To corroborate this I double checked with various other GPS forums (which BTW contain loads of useful information; not sure whether poi-factory rules allow me to post their url’s here). So: the SD card requires a \map root directory, with a single or several maps inside. Each map may have any unique file name, and must have an img suffix (e.g. gmapsupp.img is acceptable, as are alabama.img, ontario.img, or even jimmys_map.img).
The second one: a 3790 definitely, absolutely, and categorically has, and must have, a .system directory on the Nuvi root drive. Likewise it should have a \Garmin directory on the Nuvi root drive. I am lost as to why you fail to see a .system directory on the Nuvi drive (unless you only believe that ‘view hidden files’ is enabled, but in fact it is not). But failing to see .system, perhaps you miss other important information as well; information which might give you a clue to the cause of your original problem.
Eli
PS
a tip which may save you time: now that you have a gmapsupp.img which represents the full US map and which you laboured 10 hours to create, save it on your hard disk. You can use this same file for your experiments; no need to do a re-transfer from MapSource

Put my old gmapsupp.img back on my SD card and now it shows up on the unit.
I know for a fact that "View Hidden Files" is enabled as I checked it again, and again, and again.
I'll try \map tomorrow as Poopsie is making me help her decorate the house now. Will let you know.
Later
Jim

...you might try this neat play: insert a disk-on-key USB drive into the PC and create a \Garmin root directory on it. Now, copy the file from your Nuvi's native drive x:\Garmin\GarminDevice.xml into the \Garmin directory of the USB drive. Having copied the file detach the 3790 since you need be working with the USB drive only. Now run Webupdater - the Updater will treat any USB device which contains a x\Garmin\GarminDevice.xml file as a Nuvi GPS and will perform an update process on it as if it were indeed a Nuvi.

Let WebUpdater download all updates it desires, by checking every option which may be selected for download. The updater may ask you whether you'd still like to download a firmware update as well even though your "Nuvi" is up to date; say yes to that too.

After having reached the 'finish' stage of WebUpdater, your USB stick will contain two root folders: .system and Garmin. These folders and the files within are a subset of the data which your real Nuvi 3790 should have!!

Most probably you can even re-download your rightfully acquired maps into the USB stick from your MyGarmin account (select My Maps, and then select Map Downloads). The newly downloaded map will go into the .system directory of the USB stick, will be named gmapprom.img, and will be accompanied by 2 more files: gmapprom.unl and gmapprom.gma

Have fun, Eli

Did all of the above and it doesen't fly.
Am going back to where I started, at least that way the map shows up.
This is a known problem to Garmin. (See their FAQ's).
Thanks
Jim

Just put the maps back on & NOW IT WORKS!!!!!!!
Jim