Out of warranty Nuvi 1490 won't boot past garmin logo, won't connect to PC even in recovery mode

Since your nuvi can still be recognized by the computer, your best bet is to call (not email) Garmin support. It doesn't matter that your unit is out of warranty. Garmin will still try to help. They can get remote access to the device and most likely fix the problem. These kinds of problems can quickly deteriorate to where the nuvi will not attach to the computer. Then the problem becomes much more difficult to repair.

Try this thread http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42067. I hope you have a backup..

That's a good thread to start. It does also mention GarminCure3. GarminCure3 is a last resort after all other options have failed but it has resurrected hopeless cases before. I speak from what I read--I've never needed to recover a lost nuvi.

Thanks everyone. I tried their phone support, but they couldn't seem to get any further than I had. I'm trying GarminCure3, and I seem to have the right firmware file (This is it, right? http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4961 ), but when I open the updater with the Nuvi momentarily connected I get "No update found for this device" or something to that degree. Am I doing something wrong with GarminCure? I followed the directions.

Can you see the GPS in Windows Explorer? I am assuming that you use Windows.

A few years ago due to my itchy fingers I deleted all files on my 855. Explorer could still see it but nothing from Garmin would.
There are many programs which will let you recover deleted files. They are not really deleted until you write over them again. Until then they are still there. A data recovery program will bring most back but many files will not have the correct first letter for the file. You will have to rename them and guess as to what the actual letter is.

I did that, takes some time to do. Once I was done I was able to get in via WEBUPDATER and reinstall the files on the 855.

See this website for FREE data recovery programs.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/filerecovery/tp/free-file-reco...

Good luck.

BTW, since then I have the last two mapupdates and complete GPS's backed up to a seperate backup hard drive.

It doesn't show up in file explorer, it makes the "connected" noise and some garmin programs can detect it but not do anything to it, then it makes the disconnected noise after 30 seconds. I can't see the raw drive.

How do you mean, rename the file? Am I renaming the recovery file GarminCure3 created? I read it's the first four letters (starting with 0), but how can I know what mine should be without being able to see the garmin files already in it?

Here is the original thread where I found GarminCure3. http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=143809 It explains how to use GarminCure3 in detail and hope it helps..

I'm not sure if this will help your situation or not but I had a similar experience with my 1490 two years ago. In my case, the problem started when I connected the 1490 to the computer through a USB hub. I have since learned this is NOT a good practice. The battery was low in the unit and the USB hub did not provide enough power to keep it booted long enough to complete the update. The unit would not boot past the Garmin logo after that.

After connecting the 1490 to a direct USB port on the computer, I was able to keep it booted long enough for one of the Garmin "fixes" to restore the firmware.

I've had on and off problems with most of my Garmin devices when connecting to USB Hubs.

But does seem better with my 3490. No problems so far.

Don't know anything about GarminCure3 and that is not what I am talking about.
When you use a recovery program it will/may recover hundreds of deleted files and they will all have the FIRST letter of the file changed, that is what DELETING a file does.

i use RECUVA for usb devices. It may work on the garmin. it's free.
OH, I see it is the first 1 on that previous link.
let us know ur results

i asked Garmin about backing up and was told i didn't need to do that 'cause they can reload the system...
so a call seems in order.

For a 110 bucks they'll certainly reload the system.

A different USB cable?

Hey Marrc, that's the thread I'm trying to follow, but like I said where I get stuck is right at the end, after I've created a cure firmware from the link I showed above, and try to patch it to the Nuvi with the updater application, I get "no new update is available" or something to that degree. What I'm reading is I have to change the first four numbers of the cure file to match my device, but what numbers are these? How can I find them?

Yes I've tried different cables to the above, different computers too, it's not the connection, the nuvi is the problem.

Recuva needs you to be able to point to the device, and this won't show up in windows explorer as I said, it just makes the connection sound then the disconnection sound after 30 seconds when doing preboot but the raw drive won't show up.

Thanks

Hey tipoo

I recently revived a 255W that I had "bricked" several years ago. I used GarminCure3 and can see that the first four digits in the name of the .rgn file that was created from my backup GUPDATE.GCD file is the "HWID" (Hardware ID) of my 255W.

I can also see the HWID inside the GUPDATE.GCD by using Turbocc's RGN_Tool_V078 so I have doubts that changing the .rgn file name would make any difference. There are two .GCD files in the link you posted, did you try both?

BTW The only way I know to find the HWID is to look in the GarminDevice.xml file on the device or in a backup of the files from the device.

Only one of the two files in the link I posted is for doing it over USB, the other is for serial. I can see I have a few files under garmin backup on one of the computers I've used it with, any idea which file I should look for in there? GarminDevice.xml isn't there I don't think, is it something else I should look for in the backup folder? In the ".system" subfolder I see local_poi, mlg_history, and system, there's also a gpx subfolder and a reports subfolder.

What does your HWID look like? Is it a 0 and then three digits, ie 0***?

If changing the name of the cure file won't help, any idea why I get the "no updated found" error with GarminCure3 after following all the directions in the forum?

The GarminDevice.xml appears on both my 255W and my 285W and is the only file on the device that I know of that has the HWID. The .xml file is not hidden on my devices but may be on yours.

The HWID for my 255W is 1091 and for my 285W is 0827.
I do not know why you would get the message you mentioned. I recall there was some sort of different error message when I used the GarminCure3 tool and I just hit the updater.exe button again and it worked.

I may brick my 255W again and repeat the process to see what the message was.

It has been several years since I was messing around with editing .rgn files but I think you may have to use something like the Turbocc rgn editor to change the HWID inside the .rgn file.

As far as I can remember, these are the steps I did to revive my nuvi 2595. I have to use GarminCure.exe (CURED firmware) so I can enter the mass storage mode and load my backup. Then I have to use GarminCure.exe again (this time with the ORIGINAL firmware) to make it boot normally. I Can't remember renaming anything.

Maybe you can use this GCD File http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4551

I copied these steps from other forums and put them in a way that got my nuvi working again. (as far as I can remember)

Flash your device with the CURE firmware. Please note that the CURE firmware will never boot, it can only enter the mass storage mode.

Don’t disconnect your device from the PC. It should enter the mass storage mode and the PC should detect it as a new flash drive.

- How to flash your device with the CURE or ORIGINAL firmware:

Download the original firmware if you don’t have it already.

Run GarminCure3.exe and open the downloaded firmware with it. You can do it by dragging the firmware file into “Input file” box or by typing the path to the file or by pressing the “…” button.

Press “Make firmware” button. Before doing that make sure the right option is selected from “CURE” and “ORIGINAL”. This is the CURED firmware.

If everything is ok, “Processing OK : )” message will be printed and all controls inside “Output file(s)” box will be enabled.

Then press "Updater.exe" button, which will launch updater.exe ready for flashing the firmware. Also you can drag the firmware files from the rectangle displaying their names.

Then put your device into pre-boot mode and flash the firmware with Updater.exe.

Pre-Boot Mode

1. Power OFF your Nuvi.
2. Press and keep holding the most right upper corner of the LCD screen
3. Power ON your Nuvi but DO NOT release your finger either from Power button nor from LCD screen (keep both pressed until the procedure ends)
4. You will notice Nuvi boots in Pre-Boot mode. Now quickly connect your USB cable. Prior to that make sure you have the latest Garmin USB drivers installed on your PC
5. If you managed to connect your USB to your Nuvi when it is still in pre-boot mode, you will see that Windows recognizes a new device - "Garmin GPS unit" and starts searching for drivers. Nuvi after a while turns the pre-boot mode off.

“Safely” disconnect your device from the PC. It should turn off in a few seconds. If it doesn’t then press the power button for at least 30 seconds. Be aware that some devices don’t turn off this way. You should know how to turn your device off if it hangs up.

Run GarminCure3.exe and flash your device with the ORIGINAL firmware, make sure the right option is selected from “CURE” and “ORIGINAL”. This is the ORIGINAL firmware and see if it boots normally.

Hopefully it boots and you can update your device using WebUpdater and MapUpdater.

I started from scratch and get the message:

"Your current software version is the same as the update version. Do you want to replace your current software version with the same software version?"

I answered "Yes" and it continued on.

Is that the message you got? If not, could you post exactly what it says?

Evert, No, unfortunately it was mostly like I posted, here's what I'm looking at

http://i.imgur.com/PPboBsd.png

I'll go through your instructions a bit later Marrc, thanks

I think I'm having an epic brain fart, where is the download button on that page?

Also the first step on your list is where I'm getting stuck, I'm just trying to patch the cure firmware right now and get what I showed in the picture just above this.

I get the same result as yours when I try to use my 285W GUPDATE.GCD for my 255W,so seems that the message you get is due to a GUPDATE.GCD mismatch.

did you see on gpspassion that you can read your HWID by using g7towin and it works in "pre-boot mode".

Do you have a GarminDevice.xml in your backup files? If so you can find the HWID in there.

There is a set of cure and original files for HWID 0972, which is a different ID than you tried at:

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=136228

It can be found here, too. Scroll down to November 27, 2012:

http://www.gmaptool.eu/en/content/nuvi

I'm still stuck getting the device ID, G7towin says file specified not found or connection timed out (sorry, I'll have the exact error message in a bit). I tried the "get device ID" option when Windows makes the device connected sound.

Bump, halp!

http://www.sharc.net/gps_repair.htm

I have heard nothing but good things about them.

^Looks like they're in the States? I'm in Canada. Also the front page talks about hardware issues more, this is more of a software/internal storage issue.

Any ideas about the device ID thing I've been trying to get? That's where I'm stuck on the above tips.

Just getting back to this after a while, any more ideas on getting that device ID so I can continue?