Maps on Flash Drive

When you use BaseCamp->Maps->Install Maps, BC actually opens the program “MapInstall” to do the job. You could do that directly by going to Start -> All Programs -> Garmin -> MapInstall.

I assume you had hoped that since you thought BaseCamp did the installing it might recognize it on the flash drive(s)that were not working.

However the Map installed that way is done by MapInstall and the result is much similar to the “three file” method except the map is named gmapsupp.img instead of gmapprom.img and there are only two files (the .unl file is not there). Also note that, similar to the “three file” method, there is no .xml file involved – so it did not create a ‘clone”.

As you noticed, installing via BC/MapInstall is more cumbersome than directly copying the “three files”. I believe the only reason to use MapInstall is if you want to put only a portion of the Map on a device instead of the whole thing.

Am I right in assuming that "The maps are available, but do not show in Maps>>Manage Maps." means that you can see the Maps using Windows Explorer but they still are not appearing in BaseCamp?

I can see the maps in BC that are on the generic Flash drive, SanDisk SD card, but none of the SanDisk Cruzer Blades.

Manage Maps does show the HD install of 2015.1, Global. If I plug in any of the Cruzers only the HD 2015.1 and Global and nothing in the left Library pane. Plugging in the generic Flash does not show in Manage Maps, but does show in the left Library pane with a good map.

Plugging in the GPS does show in Manage Maps and in left Library pane.

Confused a bit about your comment about seeing maps in Windows Explorer. If you meant, can I see the map files, then yes.

Does this all look like a "dead horse"? LOL

When you view folders and files by going to or Start -> Computer -> C: (or other drives including your flash drive), you are using Windows Explorer to view the Drives\folders\files.
You are also using Windows Explorer when you go to Start ->Documents (or Music, etc.)

When you said “The maps are available” it was not clear to me as to in what manner they were available – that is why I asked the question.

It does seem to be beating a Dead Horse trying to get your Cruzer Blades to work. But if you are curious enough maybe you would be willing to buy another type of Cruzer, or a Lexar, such as the ones I told you were working for me.

I thought about that. They wouldn't go unused even if they didn't work with BC.

I think I will buy a 16gb Cruzer Blade while I am out and about today. I have plenty of flash drives but I can eventually put it to use after I test it for BC reading a Map on it.

The Cruzer Blade configured as a clone is recognized by GE, but still not by BC.

I submitted a question to SanDisk regarding BC not recognizing the drive.

EDIT: Installed MapSource ... not recognized.

Very interesting.

Wonder if there is some file (or something) on the Cruzer that makes these programs think it is not a "removable" drive.

Have you tried a full format to FAT32 on the Cruzer and then do the clone thing again?

I have a 4 GB Cruzer and just tested it as a cloned device. It works fine for me in both Garmin Express and Basecamp. So something odd is going on here. Is your Cruzer recognized as a storage device (disk drive with a drive letter) in Windows Explorer? Are the \Garmin and \.system folders shown at the root level of the drive?

I have tried several configurations on my 16gb SanDisk Glide Flash Drive using BaseCamp Version 4.3.4

In summary, I found that:

1. If you have the map on both the computer hard drive and a flash drive in the form “City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap”, then BaseCamp only lists the one on the computer hard drive even with a shortcut in C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps pointing to the map on the flash drive.

2. If you then delete C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap, then BaseCamp lists the one on the flash drive provided there is a shortcut in C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps pointing to the map on the flash drive

3. If you have the map on the computer hard drive in the form “City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap, and on the flash drive in the form of \Garmin\ gmapprom.gma, gmapprom.img, gmapprom.unl, then BaseCamp lists both maps but the one on the flash drive has a slightly different name (In this case, a shortcut to the map on the flash drive is not needed in C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps)

4. I made a the flash drive a “clone” by adding the file GarminDevice.xml to the files in the Garmin folder as described for Configuration 3 and the result was the same as for that Configuration except for the name of the device in the Upper Left Pane “Devices” Section in Basecamp.

The following describes the Configurations and results in detail:

For all configurations, the Map is listed in Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features as “Garmin City Navigator North America NT 2015.10” i.e. Map is never uninstalled.

Between each configuration , BaseCamp was closed, and the file “Id.txt” on the Flash Drive (F: on my computer) was deleted. See Note below.

Configuration 1
C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap
F:\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap
Shortcut to F:\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap in folder C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\

Result in BaseCamp:
Upper Left Pane “Devices” Section: SANDISK(F:) : no maps shown

Maps => Manage Map Products => Map Product Information:
Name: City Navigator North America NT 2015
Installed Location: C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap\Product1\
===================================
Configuration 2
Deleted C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap

F:\ City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap
Shortcut to F:\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap in folder C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\

Result in BaseCamp:
Upper Left Pane “Devices” Section: SANDISK(F:) no map shown

Maps => Manage Map Products => Map Product Information:
Name: City Navigator North America NT 2015
Installed Location: F:\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap\Product1\
====================================

Configuration 3
C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap (restored from Recycle Bin)
F:\Garmin\ gmapprom.gma, gmapprom.img, gmapprom.unl (copied from my Garmin 40)
Deleted shortcut in C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps pointing to the map on the flash drive.

Result in BaseCamp:
Upper Left Pane “Devices” Section under “SANDISK(F:)” : CN Navigator North America NT 2015.10

Maps => Manage Map Products => Map Product Information:
Name: City Navigator North America NT 2015
Installed Location: C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap\Product1

Name: CN North America NT 2015.10
Installed Location: F:\Garmin\gmapprom.img
===================================
Configuration 4
Same as configuration 3 except added the file GarminDevice.xml from my Garmin 40 to the F:\Garmin\ gmapprom.gma, gmapprom.img, gmapprom.unl files.

Result in BaseCamp:
Upper Left Pane “Devices” Section under “nuvi 40 (Unit ID xxxxxx)” : CN Navigator North America NT 2015.10

Maps => Manage Map Products => Map Product Information:
Name: City Navigator North America NT 2015
Installed Location: C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator North America NT 2015.10.gmap\Product1

Name: CN North America NT 2015.10
Installed Location: F:\Garmin\gmapprom.img

=======================================

NOTE:
According to this thread: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?65414-Basecamp-crea... , the purpose of the Id.txt file is:

“This is to help us keep track of cached data from the card, so we don't have to reread the whole card every time it is connected.

I deleted the file between configurations in order to make sure the new configuration was read.

Yes to FORMAT.

Here is the reply from SanDisk:

This all kind of makes sense. There also must be a difference in the way BC treats a card reader for the SD Card and a USB port for the Flash drive.

We are out of town for a couple of days, but will try the procedure. However, I won't delete the map files, but move them so I don't have to download again. Didn't think of the recycle bin. Always a bit leery of the RB not coughing up the file. Never had an issue, but ...

In any case, I will give it a try when I get home.

I wonder why you would think that.

After all, the card reader uses an usb port, and either way the result is a “removable disk” listed under Computer.

Given the same configuration on both, the result in BaseCamp should be the same except for drive letter and perhaps label.

And the result should be the same if you insert the SD card into a computer's SD slot.

(I say "should" in the above because it does work that way with my computer/flash drive/SD slot/SD card reader.)

I guess I wonder why, too. Just running out of reasons why. I am going to purchase a SanDisk 8gb and some other brand (flash drives) and see what I come up with.

Guess I could try my WinXP desktop and rule out a Win7 issue .... or not.

My 16gb Lexar works on two Windows 7 computers so I don't think that is the problem.