Garmin Express v2.5.6.0 Released

And that's it's main issue...it works fine for some and not for others...and it's always been this way.

Hey Guineas!

You just won't learn, will you?

Are you okay with GE always running in the background? If you say that you stop GE so it doesn't constantly run, then are you okay with 'having' to stop it?

Have you ever considered yourself to be an experiment - the equivalent of a human experimental test goat or Guinea pig...like prisoners used to be treated?

You may have detailed what happened to you that has caused you to keep repeating these "guinea pig" posts, but I must have missed it.

What exactly happened to you relative to Express that has you so upset?

I agree those posts are getting quite old.... and a bit insulting.

Seems I have to install it every time I use it. The Garmin cockpit(?) never finds it.

Fair question. The answer is:

MULTIPLE TOTAL FAILURES over a period of many map updates (which amounts to well over a year) of Garmin Express to install the map update. In an attempt to stop failed updates, the Garmin device has locked-up or lost data.

Garmin Express is purposely designed to run constantly in the computer's background (even though the program is used only once every 3 months or so), which is a gateway/path to potential security threats. Do you really trust Garmin's software people (who cannot even get GE to work for most people with years of trial-and-error, and have had a zillion of 'questionable' updates on a daily basis) to provide you with a safe product that runs constantly in the background and needlessly uses computer resources on a 24/7 basis...and would not get a passing grade in Software Design 101?

Thanks for the reply.

I wonder what you would find if you were to run CCleaner against your registry.

When you have uninstalled Express, did you do so with the Windows Programs uninstaller or did you happen to use Revo Uninstaller in advanced mode?

What OS are you running and do you allow Windows to do automatic updates? If not, when did you let Windows last update?

While I do not disagree with anything you've said nor experienced specifically using GE, some of us actually HAVE TO use it to update maps. Personally, MapUpdater does NOT work for me using my MacBook Pro (Late 2011) running Mavericks. The download process abruptly stops at random places and needs to be restarted where it happens again (and again). Nothing is wrong with my internet connection since nothing else is affected. When I use GE, the map update works the first time and works flawlessly.

Without using GE, I would simply not be able to install map updates.

The only difference between my usage of GE and perhaps someone else's is that GE is removed from my system after the map update (quite easy on the Mac).

So does my required use and method of use of GE make me a Guinea pig as well?

Since you have a Mac - no...

I have three PCs, two using Windows 7 and one using Windows 8. All three PCs are less than one year old. I'm notified when new MS Updates are available and I decide (usually within a day) when the updates will be downloaded and installed. (Many people, including myself, had problems with GE after installing MS Updates - (see below).

I honestly do not recall what all I ended up having to do to FINALLY REMOVE Garmin Express from two of my PCs, but I recall that I had a hell of a time doing it...and I was not alone.

To be very honest and candid with you - I do not know what CCleaner might find in my Registry due to having [had] Garmin Express on my PC, but I suspect it would be clean of any problems as it stands now. After going through numerous and frustrating 'procedures' to finally remove Garmin Express my PCs acted normally again. I don't want to run CCleaner...and I shouldn't have to! I did not use Revo Uninstaller. And I never want to experience the pathetic results of having GE on my PCs again.

Thank heavens no other software programs I use are designed as pathetically as the software for Garmin Express. That should be readily apparent to anyone by the huge number of updates, many times mutiple updates per day. Are first-year software students doing Garmin's GE software? It's a scary product! Garmin should be embarrassed and ashamed...

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If you care to read about the problem (and also what happens when MS Updates are installed) it starts at 7:21pm on 4/9/2013 on Page 6 in this thread:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/38598?page=6

Koot: So you have problems with GE. Sorry.

IMHO:
Is that any reason to belittle all of those who do not?
Your Guinea pig tirade is childish and insulting.

My opinion pal!

How many times must you write in reference to Garmin Express the words Guinea pigs and POS. You said both on numerous numerous occasions in the past, we all know your thoughts on this program, now let's just move forward.

Please see the forum rules before continuing discussion.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/28855

~Angela

Except it now downloads and installs map updates properly. Previous versions didn't work properly for me.

As I understand "internal error 2753", it is/was not related to any particular piece of software. I looked, but could not determine that this error was caused by Microsoft Updates in the 3013 period.

I did find one web page that said

I also do not understand how this can be

because it would seem that your initial problems were restricted to March and April of 2013. Perhaps you continued to try GE and did not post about it.

Oh by the way, the latest version of GE now has three entries that must be unchecked to keep it from running. Garmin added an entry into Task Scheduler called GarminUpdaterTask with a description of GarminSelfUpdater. I used Autoruns to uncheck that entry along with two other entries I have already discussed.

Agree 100 percent - wish Garmin would scrap it!

However bad GE is and even though it is known to be of "scrapable" quality, the fact of the matter is that many users depend on it for map updates since MapUpdater will not work for them.

Scrapping it would mean that those users would have no means to update their maps.

I only had two issues this time with GE:

First, I had previously disabled the systray and Garmin Core Updater Service. When I ran GE, it said it needed to update and then said I didn't have privileges (WinXP SP3) to install Services. I downloaded a clean version from the web and that installed fine.

After the install, it had again enabled the systray and core update services, so I again disabled them using Autoruns Portable. Takes about 10 seconds. I agree, Garmin should have a "Run at Startup - Yes/No" checkbox like many applications have, or an option to disable that from inside the software, but it isn't a big deal. (And it can be useful as you can have it download maps for later installation in the background if you wanted it to do so.)

I can't use the old garmin update anymore. It will not connect to the server. I guess the express is the only way now.

They were gifts...I also have the built-in Navi in my Acura and Honda.

If you re-read my post, it is their update process I was discussing...

We just need a solid working simple piece of software that does not require editing the registry to un-install.

GE has added a task to the task scheduler called "GarminSelfUpdater". You need to disable that task also.

As other have said, Garmin should have the option in "settings" to have GE run every startup - or NOT. They don't but let's be fair, this is more and more true of software now days.

Do you use Adobe, have Itunes or anything Apple, run Google, have Intuit's TurboTax for your taxes? All these packages are running something all the time.

How do you find this out? You run Autoruns and see what is running by looking in the "Logon", "Scheduled Tasks" and "Services" tabs. You will be surprised by what you find running.

Now there are those diehards who say, I have always used MSCONFIG and there is no reason for me to do anything else. I know how to use it and you should use it too. The writeup at portablefreeware.com says it well "Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility."

So, you should at least try Auroruns and see if there are some advantages or not. Autoruns is freeware and it is "portable" meaning that it does not need an "install". It will run from the directory in which it is downloaded and then "unzipped".

Get it at
http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?q=autoruns&m=

Don't really care for the new program...but I guess its Garmin's way of forcing something on you.

jgermann,

I'm curious - are you a current or past employee of Garmin, or affiliated with the company in any way?

No, I am not affiliated with Garmin other than having purchased several GPS units for my family, although, for myself, I stick with the 765LT I got years ago.

My career was spent working for a life insurance company.

I have spent many years in Information Technology (IT). I understand many of the issues that cause software to react other than intended. I have been a part of many software package rollouts.

GE is an interesting case study. It came into being at the point when the maps it was trying to load began to exceed the memory capacity of the older units. When those who have never been involved in IT suggest that more testing should have been done because they had problems, I put on my "systems" hat and begin to wonder whether the problem occurred because the software lacked sufficient testing or whether the end-user had a computer with conditions that no reasonable testing environment could have duplicated.

Now if the vast majority of people were having problems, that would be one thing. However, my reading of the threads on this site seemed to indicate that most people were able to load maps with GE - EVEN THOUGH many did not like (or perhaps understand) GE's interface.

So, I was proposing the use of tools that are reasonable good at detecting whether one's computer has issues that might be solved. CCleaner is one such tools.

I have also wondered - when people complain about how long GE takes, or perhaps hangs - whether the issue could be traced to a security suite trying to do real-time analysis of the data being downloaded. Further, there could be conflicts caused by other packages "phoning home" to check for updates while GE was trying to do it's thing. These are really huge downloads now.

I know the tendency is to blame the "new" thing, but my experiences have shown me that such is not always the case.

I had pretty well beat GE into submission so it would not run at start up, check for updates etc.

We are traveling and running on a MiFi with a bandwidth allowance so doing a map update is not acceptable while we are on the road.

I just installed a bunch of Windows 8.1 updates and after restarting the computer found I had used about 600 Mb in an hour.

The long and the short of it appears to be the updates had made some changes and I had to turn off the update feature in GE and also the Garmin Core update service, which I am sure I had killed before.

Of course you see the bandwidth being used like mad but have no way to know what is using it after closing everything that was knowingly opened.
Fortunately was able to guess the culprit based on what was on this forum.
Anyway beware of GE if things get strange after doing a windows update

Sorry to learn that you are 'continuing' to have problems with Garmin Express. Some may think your problem is just an illusion. Welcome to the Garmin Express EXPERIENCE!

There are NOW three places you need to check.

A Start up entry called "GarminExpressTrayApp" described as "Express Tray" located at "c:\program files (x86)\garmin\express tray\expresstray.exe"

A Scheduled Task called "GarminUpdaterTask" described as "GarminSelfUpdater" located at "c:\program files (x86)\garmin\express self updater\expressselfupdater.exe "

A service called Garmin Core Update Service described as "Keeps the software and content on your Garmin devices and the Garmin software on your PC up to date" located at "c:\program files (x86)\garmin\core update service\garmin.cartography.mapupdate.coreservice.exe"

One of the features that Autoruns has is the ability to "find" something. I did a File > Find > "Garmin" to verify that there ar currently THREE places I need to "uncheck" in order to keep them from running.

Recall that earlier versions of GE had only the startup and Services entries.

Thanks, I had forgotten about Autoruns. I was surprised at how many things that I had disabled with CCleaner were still running something.

If you don't use express to update your garmin device, then what do you use to get updates?

For software, try WebUpdater:

http://www8.garmin.com/products/webupdater/howtoinstall.jsp

For map updates, try GarminMapUpdater:

PC:

http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.exe

Mac:

http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.dmg

Garmin Express is taking place of the ANT+ agent of the GPS Watch and other related devices.

The new VivoFit is the reason for all of the recent updates to express, as this is how it is synchronized to the new Garmin Connect website.

I was able to get to the software update list by going to http://my.garmin.com/ and then connecting my 3597 and clicking the My Dashboard tab. It found my device and showed several software updates.

Installed the updates and while "My Garmin" was still in IE, I opened GE and the "Extras" worked. Now I can't repeat it after re-booting.

I did manage to download the "Dr.Nightmare" voice. Sounds creepy, so my granddaughters will like it. Doesn't say street names though, so it's back to Samantha until the next time one of them is in the car. It does say strange things randomly as you go down the road. Voice is hard to understand at times. This morning when I turned it on in the house, it said "Seems we've scared the satellites away", instead of "Lost Satellite Reception".