Will POI Files Be Deleted

All files will be over-written when you use the POI Loader, or deleted if some are missing.

The updated files need to be placed in your Garmin/ POI folder to have them all updated with current versions. Then, update the GPS from the POI Loader.

POI Loader deletes all previously loaded POI files from the nuvi every time it is run. That is why you keep all your POI files, old ones you want reloaded and the new ones, in the same folder on the PC or laptop.

I call that folder Custom POIs. Inside I have made a folder for every POI file: the folders are called Red Light Cameras, Rest Stops, Walmarts, or whatever you want. These folders become categories inside the nuvi menu "Where To?/Extras/Custom POIs."

If I want to add Bank of America locations, I make another folder with that name in the Custom POIs folder and place the downloaded file in its folder on the laptop. Then I run POI Loader again. Browse to the location of the Custom POIs folder. All previous POIs are deleted, and POI Loader loads every POI file inside Custom POIs including every subfolder, so all your old POIs are reloaded to the nuvi!

See my FAQ -

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30728

dobs108

As you seem to have your source files spread between a couple of different computers, try this - rename the current poi.GPI file to anything else as long as the extension is .GPI. You can then load updates and have them on the unit as poi.gpi.

The biggest problem you will have is duplicates, you won't necessarily know which is the original list and which is the update.

I imagine a number of people on this site have both laptops and GPS units. So, maybe it would be appropriate to use this thread to bring out some of the "best practices" to use while on the road.

Perhaps the starting point would be the organization of POI files on the home computer. Charlesd45 has an excellent FAQ on how to do this - see
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25721

Next would be synchronizing POI files between the home computer and the laptop. There are several excellent and free programs for doing this. The one I prefer is called Toucan, but there are many others. If you would like to try Toucan, find it at
http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/toucan

Having synchronization software on both computers will let one make sure their "My pois" folder (to employ the name suggested by charlesd45) gets updated both before and after road trips.

Next, both the home PC and the laptop should have POILoader installed. Get POILoader from
http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99...

It would also be wise to install Extra POI Editor ("EPE") by TurboCC on both computers. Get it at
http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/Extra_POI_Editor

EPE lets one create .gpx files from the .csv files on typically downloads. In the process, one can set alerts within the .gpx files (both speed and proximity is desired). Having alerts within .gpx files means that POILoader can be run in Express mode - which helps considerably if you have lots of POI files.

Of course, you must take your USB cord with you on your trip if you are to access your GPS.

REMEMBER that it is still a good idea - before you do any POI loading on the road - to make a backup of your GPS. Then, if something goes wrong, you can quickly get back to where you started.

Finally - just to repeat what has been mentioned by dobs108 above - each time you run POILoader, it will overwrite the poi.gpi file it created the previous time it was run. If you went into your GPS directory after a run of POILoader and renamed poi.gpi to some other name, then that renamed file will still be there.

This quote is true, but to be more specific, POI Loader deletes and overwrites only the custom POI files that were loaded into the GPS previously by the user. It has no effect on the built-in POI locations that came with the GPS that are part of the map file.

dobs108

A normal POI Loader runs only impacts the poi.gpi file. If there are other .gpi files they are not affected by a normal run.

My best practice: I have an external hard drive for traveling, which has a copy of all my poi files, as well as the restore image for my netbook, my copy of the current map, and other things to make life less boring on a trip.

My various "external" drives are not as small as I would like for traveling - I take a bunch of hand tools and a cordless drill instead as most of my friends in other places know me as a handyman.

I do take a 16 gig USB flash drive with my GPS backup and have a recovery DVD to the laptop in the laptop softside briefcase.