nuvi 3490 - Map file location mystery?

Your unit uses MTP mode as explained by Garmin

What you want to do is to put your unit into mass storage more.

My unit is only mass storage more. Others have done this
to get to mass storage.

"In the map, touch the speed to get to the dashboard screen.
Touch the speedometer for a few seconds (about 5).
Scroll down to the MTP setting and select Mass Storage."

I'm confident that changing to Mass Storage mode will correct many of the issues you describe.

I believe your 3490 file structure is the same as my 2460. Your map file (gmapprom.img) should appear in the .System folder as will the gupdate.gcd file.

Regarding the .gcd file I want to point out it may not be there on a brand new unit.

The first thing I did when I bought my 2460LMT was make a backup in its virgin state. There is no Gupdate.gcd file in that backup. It is present in all future backups, so I'm assuming when an update occurs the file is created. Not sure if it's only created by a firmware\software update, or the modification of any files that were changed since it left the factory.

Let us know if all is good after changing to Mass Storage mode.

Thank you - I did not know that this choice was available as I have not seen it in my other units developer screens - I will try this and report back out.

Thanks again

Thanks for this info!

I'm also curious about your backups. Are they regular type backup of the entire Nuvi drive or are you only referring to the .System directory backed up/copied individually? I presume GE backup function is only for user files?

This seems to come up every now and then:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/36024

I wish they would just leave the default in Mass Storage and forget MTP!

I just tried a Garmin Express Backup and what it created was
/Garmin/Backups/[device serial number]/2013-03-04 (13.24.29)/Garmin
which had two folders: /GPX (with current.gpx) and /POI (with all my .gpi files)

and
/Garmin/Backups/[device serial number]/2013-03-04 (13.24.29)/Reports/.mileage.csv

I am trying to locate a FAQ I wrote that tells you how to create a complete backup using an ISO file, but it is temporarily offline.

All,

I just want to say thanks to everyone as this did the trick - I have to admit that this would have been the last thing I thought of because my other units did not have this option. They all were Mass Storage by default.

Thanks again.

Glad to hear that, let us know if the gupdate.gcd file is still missing, then try an update with WebUpdater and see if it appears. But please do a full backup so you will always have a refernence from when the unit was new.

I personally do a complete backup of all files since I have loads of storage space on my various hard drives. To save space you can just copy the files that have changed to an older backup (execpt the original). Just look at the date stamp in Explorer to see what has changed.

One very important file to backup is the gupdate.gcd file since that is the firmware.
When you update your firmware there is no going back since you can't get an older version from Garmin and must rely on the backup should problems occur with the newest firmware.

it was never missing - it was just not visible in Windows Explorer due to the unit being in MTP mode. As stated in this thread, I switched to Mass Storage mode and all is well as now I was able to see the system folder - I can see the map, jvc, 3D, and the gupdate.gcd file.

For my own education can you tell me if you did any updates at all since receiving your unit new.
As stated, right out of the box I backed up and there was no gupdate.gcd file on my 2460LMT.

That tells me I could never have reverted to the firmware\software that the unit came with.
As a side note, my XP SP3 system has always been setup to show hidden files & folders, unchecked hide extensions for known file types, and unchecked hide protected operating system files.
So the gcd file was not hidden, but just not present.

P.S. The 2460LMT is one of the units in the 24XX series that DOES NOT have MTP mode so that could not have been the reason for the missing .gcp file.

Yes - This file will not exist until the unit is updated. It was the first thing I did as this unit has been out for a year or so - I did the firmware update prior to the map update out of the box. Then I went through the personalization settings.

Works like a champ - I am very satisfied with it.

I doubt they will do this. They are using MTP since it keeps the end-user from accessing the nuvi's critical file system. I *believe* it also prevents the user from accidentally formatting the nuvi drive as well. I say "I believe" because I have not actually tried formatting a nuvi while it's in MTP mode. But my gut feeling would be that MTP prevents this.

The test results would be beneficial to many

Yes, please go give it a try. If you brick the Nuvi there's always Ebay to relieve the pain.

DorkusNimrod,

I agree - this is probably the most plausible reason I have read yet. Try it and let me know how you make out.

Thanks for the info.

Hi,

I have the same problem,I don't see system file on Garmin 2405.

What should I do,to get my device from MTP mode to Mass storage device.

I watched all Garmin settings,and there is no any options to change this mode.

Thanks in advance.

Mario,Croatia.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30394 thanks to jgermann!

Note: If you have one of the newer units (as of Apr 2013 these were the Nuvi 2405 series, 2505 series, 2407 series, 2507 series, 3400 series, 3500, series and 3507 series; the zumo 350 and the dezl 760)) that uses something called Media Transfer Protocal (MTP), then you need another step
STEP 1.1: Start NUVI by itself and go to Volume Screen.
STEP 1.2: Press the upper right hand corner of screen for 10 seconds.
STEP 1.3: The Developers Screen will pop up
STEP 1.4: Scroll down to MTP SETTINGS
STEP 1.5: Change from AUTO DETECT to MASS STORAGE
STEP 1.6: Back Out and shut down the Garmin
[Note: Another method is to, in the map, touch the speed to get to the dashboard screen. Then, touch the speedometer for a few seconds (about 5). Then, scroll down to the MTP setting and select Mass Storage.]

or
To reconfigure to the traditional mass storage mode:
From the map, select Trip Computer
Hold the speedometer for 30 sec.
Set MTP Settings -> Mass Storage

Also, welcome to The Factory!

I solve this problem,from one guy from Slovenia.

Here is the link:

http://www.alter.si/tabla/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1290641/...

just follow the arrow on pictures

MTP settings is on the second screen in Diagnostic page...change into Mass storage and save.

Reset the device,and you will be able to see System directory with maps.

In Windows and MTP mode. The Gamin GPS shows up as a "Portable Device". Click on it and it expands to a "Internal Storage" and a "Memory Card". There is no format option on the pull down menu you do mouse right-click on either of them, i.e., you cannot format them. Neither can you force it to show hidden and system files.

On a standard storage device, the format option shows up of course.

I like it this way actually.

Apple does this with their OSX computers in a sense too. When you get a machine right out of the box, you don't even see the drives on the desktop unless you enable them with the preferences. One of our Apple techs said they did this by design because too many people were trying to trash their disks - basically not knowing what the hell they were doing. Frustrating for people who do know as all this stuff leads to extra steps. Also note, PC's used to indicate which F key gets you into the BIOS but now you raraely see it unless you research it in advance on another machine. We just bought a laptop with Windows 8 for work and it took me quite some time to a) find the BIOS and b) change the boot order so I could boot into Linux to do an image of the drive. In one way it's good for the novice but a real hassle for more savvy folks.

No rest for the wicked.

I just did a hard reset on my 3597LMTHD and found that this causes the Nuvi to be set back to MTP mode although I had previously had it set for USB. So that's just another thing to remember if you have to reset your new Nuvi.

Note that Garmin says that a master reset will erase all favorites and will restore your device to the default factory settings