my garmin 255w lost all maps

If "everything" was deleted on your 255W, you can retrieve almost everything except for the maps using WebUpdater. The base map you have to download direct from Garmin as, if I recall correctly, it does not appear in WebUpdater.

However, even downloading all that will not help you with the most important map: the detail map. Garmin generally doesn't keep old maps on its servers thus you're basically screwed unless wishing to purchase a lifetime map update. It is possible to download freeware maps of North America but those maps have limitations compared to the Garmin maps.

After reading your post I thought maybe I'd better back up my nuvi also. question is: to SD card or to my computer and how to back it up to the computer?

Back it up to your computer and then burn it to a DVD or copy it to a USB memory stick. Make sure your system files are not hidden and that your extensions are visible in Windows using the Folder Options menu in Windows Explorer. Then simply copy all the contents of the nüvi to a folder on your computer.

I did a f/w upgrade from the Garmin site and got an error. Afterwards, all I would see is "NO SOFTWARE FOUND" I E-mailed Garmin and they sent me a file to run and it then booted up. Surprised to hear you say there is no SD card installed.

Why is that so surprising?

Mine came with a 128 meg card years ago. I have a 2 gig in mine.

The nüvis, of which the OP's 255W is one, don't include SD cards. I can verify that since I opened the plastic pack my roommate's 255W came in. nüvi internal memory space varies from less than 1GB to as much as 8GB, allowing them to carry (at the time of their manufacture) the continental US, the US and Canada, North America, or North America and Europe without requiring a SD/MicroSD card. This is totally unlike your C320 and its predecessors, which had little to no internal memory to speak of and required SD cards to even function.

According to the spec's listed at Garmin (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=164&pID=13431), the 255W does accept SD cards:

Accepts data cards: SD™ card (not included)

Stephron may be correct and maybe the Garmin site is in error. I do not have first hand experience with this model, so I am just reporting what Garmin says.

Since I own two of these units, I can confirm that the 255W / 255WT is sold without an sd card and usb cable.

I've bought several Garmin units brand new and never received an SD card with it. I believe all units indicate "not included".

Perhaps you bought it from a seller that included it as a promotion to increase sales, that's the only thing I can think of.

I believe you misread my post. The units don't include a SD card, but I never said they didn't have a slot for one.

I did misread your post.

While on the subject, for new Applebies, this worx the same on the Mac. Just option/click on the desktop's "Garmin" icon and drag to either a newly-created folder, the Document or Download dock icon. Then burn a copy to a blank cd or dvd or pen drive.

You are correct about the 255w not having a SD card included. I just can't believe how the op of this subject reached out to us for help and you've managed to side track the topic into a memory discussion. I was willing to send him my backup files but he's never come back.

You were the one who found it surprising that the OP's 255W did not have a SD card, and yet you're trying to hold me responsible for your derailment of the thread simply for asking you why that was so surprising? The OP and I both knew the unit did not come with a SD card and the SD card wasn't discussed until YOU brought it up. Where in this thread did you offer to send him files, because I'm not seeing it? I pointed out to him in my first post on this thread where he could get most of his files, but that still doesn't help with the detail map, which as you well know, a GPS is virtually useless without.

I ought to know the answer to this but admit that I don't.

Let's say that I inadvertently deleted my detail map from my 765T (also assume no backup).

If someone sent me the map from their backup, would I be able to copy it on my 765T and have it load?

If you deleted just the large gmapprom.img map file but kept your valid gmapprom.unl and possibly gmapprom.gma or some other files, then I'd give it a "good chance" that someone else's .img file might work on your device. This, of course, assumes the map version of the replacement is the same as the version of the deleted file.

But if you inadvertently deleted all the gmapprom.* files, then I'll suggest you're either doomed or have to go to Garmin's CS for a solution except for the possibility described below.

But...I think that as long as your basemap--gmapbmap.img--remains, your nuvi will boot to it. If so, there's a good chance you could go to myGarmin/myMaps and re-download and reinstall your inadvertently-deleted detailed City Navigator map (which is not what you asked, but may be what folks in a similar situation would find equally acceptable).

Amy other thoughts?