Unclear about using MicroSD card in my GPS

You're definitely in the right place to get an answer for your question. SD cards are a frequent topic here.

At this point, it appears you don't need an SD card in your 2597. Over time however, you probably will. Each map update is usually larger than the last and you will likely add more POI files in the future.

If the card contains no data, you could remove it if you wish. It certainly won't hurt to leave it in place though.

There is a wealth of information here on the site. Do a search on "SD card" if you want more on the subject.

As far as I know, firmware is always installed into the storage that resides physically within the GPS and never onto a Micro-SDcard.

The real question is about what size the Micro-SDcard one should use.

Here are the things you need to consider and understand.

Your GPS was manufactured with 8GB of storage within the GPS proper.

Considering your GPS is 88% utilized, that's (7.209 GB in use) leaving you likely somewhere about (0.983 GB) free and of that likely only about 0.6 GB usable considering formatting and other things.

If you were to exploit the process described to "Clone" (refer to this post http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39231) the actual "Map" files onto your Micro-SDcard, the map proper would not fit onto the 4 GB Micro-SDcard presently within your GPS.

Considering the cost Micro-SDcards these days and that the GPS can easily support a 32 GB Micro-SDcard, one should certainly consider acquiring and inserting a 32 GB Micro-SDcard into the GPS.

Many here will argue using 32 GB Micro-SDcard in a GPS is akin to shooting a fly with a howitzer, even so, installing a 32 GB Micro-SDcard into your GPS will almost insure you will never run out of space.

I can't remember if your GPS can take screen shots and the like but I can only imagine them to not be particularly small.

In my GPS I have a 32 GB Micro-SDcard and I've acquired some 5 other GPS's and given them away as gifts. Each one went with a 32 GB Micro-SD card inserted just so those receiving the GPS would never need to concern themselves with it.

The other thing I do with my Micro-SDcard is that in reality I have 2 32 GB Micro-SDcards. One is obviously in my GPS, the other is a clone of the one that's in my GPS. Again, this is likely overkill, but it assures me that should for some reason the Micro-SDcard within the GPS fault, fail, hickup or choose to consume a cup o'coffee and fry itself, I have another one I can quickly toss in and be back in action almost instantly.

Best of luck with your decision about how you choose to exploit your Micro-SDCard

Some of un-necessary files, such as help files in languages other than the one you speak or want.
Maybe you have more than one car icon file, remove all others than the one you use.
This could gain you some more room.
Actually I have the bigger brother to your GPS, a 2797 and there were some other files to remove which increased empty space.

Maybe the following thread will help you:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/44329

It would be better if the SD card were larger - at least 8 GB. They are so inexpensive now it pays to replace it. Kingston or SanDisk are the most reliable. There are SD cards with fast read/write speeds available. This is not needed. Buy the slowest card.

Format the SD card - not the nuvi memory!

https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?...

Leave the SD card in place. As the map grows larger it will still fit on the nuvi for now. While running Garmin Express, at some future date, the map will be too large for the nuvi and it will be placed on the SD card.

dobs108

A 4Gb card is really too small, minimum you should consider is a 8Gb card,but no rush .... You have enough room for another update or two yet. You can create a bit more headroom by deleting all unwanted help, EULA, vehicle, voice, keyboard and text files.

I had a 4GB in my Nuvi when the maps were too large. The first time or two I was able to use the 4GB but the next time I had to put a larger GB in.

You're all throwing 8 GB and 32 GB around with ease.

My very first REAL IBM computer had a 270MB hard drive and 4MB RAM. AN update to 8MB Ram was $ 350.00.

How times have changed.

The first IBM 360 computer that the insurance company I worked for purchased had 256KB of memory. I remember that we could have purchased one with 512KB, but our IBM salesman said we probably would not need that much. LOL

Sounds a lot like something Bill Gates said about PC's and 640K..

And yeah, I recall those days too along with all the real Core memory...

Kinds dates us doesn't it ?

I have a 128GB Class 10 MicroSD card somewhere on my desk (I'd need to find it), would that be sufficient or would it be overkill?

... Not only would it be overkill but the card in your nuvi must be FAT32, which cards larger than 32Gb aren't by default

Works great in a phone... I just had to replace my 32 GB card in my phone with a 128 Gb card because (get this) I filled it up with all kinds o'stuff n' ran it outa space.

Between having all kinds of music on it along with numerous fairly large PDF files containing legal documents on it, I just ran the bloody thing outa space.

As I said initially, all the Nuvi GPS's I've had or given away all went out with 32 GB of space on em. That way I never had to worry about conditions where there wouldn't be enough storage on them.

Like I said, using a 32 GB card is akin to using howitzer to shoot a fly.

If you do put a larger SD card in your Nuvi and need to format it, a word of caution. I do not recommend doing it with the card inserted in the GPS. As several of us here found out the hard way, it is too easy to format the Nuvi instead of the SD card. If that happens, the only trip your 2597 will be taking is back to Garmin for repair.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/44010

Play it safe and format the SD card while directly connected to your computer.

You can also find some useful info on SD cards in the newer posts to this old thread:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/14205?page=5

I put all my POI files on a SD card, just 8GB. Way back I had a Nuvi fail in the middle of a trip, no much fun. Now I carry a backup just in case though of course I have never needed it! But if I do, just move the card over and I still have all my goodies.

Can you keep the files on the Nuvi and the back up card and in your Nuvi at the same time?

All the POI files I have are no more than maybe 79,000kb so an 8 GB is plenty. That includes about 140 different items plus RLC and Speed cam POI's. But I would assume that one set would have to be renamed and only be kept as backup. But have been wrong before !

I have an old NUVI, and I associate quirky behavior - like crashing or not turning on to having little or no free disk space.

I routinely erase TRIP LOG DATA to free up space.

I deleted everything in my gps by mistake

Take it you don't have any backups or what you deleted isn't in the trash/waste bin?

If not then boot your device then check it, that should have created a Garmin folder containing a file named GarminDevice.xml

Now run Express which should reinstall much of what you need.

Come back when you've done all that with any other queries and confirm which device you have.

if any of the files that were deleted were on the large size, it's likely they aren't in the rubbish bin as large files are just pitched without any recovery option..

On my Nuvi 350. Long before I knew of POI Factory, probably before they existed.

But I used a "FILE RECOVERY" program and was able to get enough back so that Garmin could re-install everything !

Generally files are NOT totally gone but only the first letter is removed, so it will need a lot of guessing what the 1st letter is.