OK, who knows this? Nuvi 660 diagnostics

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1132

I'm over 70 as well and can't really recall if this works on the 3xx and 6xx models or newer ones but it maybe easier than the one detailed in the FAQ:

From the map screen on the Nuvi, press the Speed icon to open the Speedo screen. On the Speedo screen, press and hold the Speed/Direction indicator in the top center of the screen for 5+ seconds and the Diagnostic Page screen should open.

OK, it is the "Time" that's selected. I was trying to find where to switch MTP mode on or off. I did not see it there - I could have missed it.

For some reason I can see the .system folder on my 3597, but not on the 660 (Win 7 64 bit Pro). I was wondering if it got switched back to factory settings with an update.

There is no .system folder on the Nuvi 660. There is also no MTP support on that model, only Mass Storage.

Thanks soberbyker for your post...

I'm pretty sure there is a "Hidden" folder.

I looked at the "TrafficProvider.xml" file many moons ago (on the 660) to see what station in my area supplied the feed. I'm also pretty sure that I switched modes so that I could see the file.

Right now, when I do a search for "*.xml" I only come up with the "GarminDevice.xml" file and no .txt files. Of course, the last Traffic update could have failed by deleting the file and not replacing it.

I see no files listing traffic info anywhere on the device.

I agree with t92... in that the 660 and all older devices do not have a .system folder, MTP mode, or hidden or "protected operating system folders." Note that on PCs, hidden folders and protected operating system folders can independently be shown or hidden and both need to be shown to view all files/folders on the newer Garmin devices. Here's a quote from the Garmin site regarding the nuvi 660: This USB mass storage device is compatible with Windows® XP or newer and Mac® OS X 10.4 or later. [Bolding added by me].

I see that you also have a nuvi 3597 which does have both MTP mode and a .system folder. I predict that your remembering having to switch from MTP to MS mode to see the .system folder and its multiple .xml files was done with your 3597, not the 660. The 3597 does have multiple .xml files.

So in what folder does the TrafficProvider.xml file belong on the 660?

If there is, or ever was, one I would suspect that it was in the Garmin folder.

There wasn't/isn't a lot of magic in these 10 to 12 year old devices like the 660. What you see is what you have.

I can confirm there is NO TrafficProvider.xml files on my Nuvi 660. The unit has both Navtech (NOW HERE) and Clear Channel subscriptions on it which are recognized when powering up when connected to the car via the cigarette lighter plug.

So, I wonder where the list is stored at. It does work, because I can see the Norfolk provider listed when it's connected to the GTM-20.

I'd imagine any reference to the Traffic Provider would be hidden in internal memory which CANNOT be accessed.
Looking at the GarminDevice.xml file, it shows no entries for that file.

The only other place it may be located would be the sys_log.bin file in the GarminDiag folder, however, the file can't be edited.

My old 755T (2008 vintage) with the GTM-20 receiver, does not have and never has had the .xml file for traffic providers. It is possible that the FM data itself provides the station name of the station currently in use. I don't know though, and I suppose it is possible there is a list somewhere ... maybe in hidden memory or stored within the receiver itself. If I recall, in the past there have been some traffic receiver updates that get loaded to the nuvi (through webupdater), then somehow get transferred to the receiver. I think they pass through the /Garmin/ExtData folder or perhaps the /Garmin/RemoteSW folder, but again this is just a guess on my part.

That's certainly possible that it's in the nuvi's inaccessible storage area. I see that my nuvi 750 and 855 that had traffic provided when connected to my GTM receiver also have no obvious visible file in the nuvi for traffic providers as the two have you have also found with your nuvi 660s.

I just re-read the GTM 20 manual and it prompted me to try to remember back 9+ years when I had a GTM 20 (or possibly a GTM 21) which I used for FM traffic on my nuvi 750 and 855. Here are some thoughts:

-the GTM 20, when it came out, required a paid subscription valid for a certain period of time. This subscription was not tied to the Garmin GPS but was rather tied to the actual GTM traffic receiver/power cord so that the GTM 20 could be swapped between GPS devices and have the traffic subscription recognized as valid. To me, this suggests that the GTM 20 itself had some internal storage to hold the subscription code and expiration. If so, the traffic provider list, if required for the GTM 20 to find stations, could also be stored in 'inaccessible to us' storage in the GTM 20.

-To support my above thought, I do have a very vague recollection that after buying my subscription, its activation was odd and may have had data transferred to the GTM 20 and required me to be in an area with FM traffic (which required me to drive over 100 miles to be within an area with FM traffic). If true, these thoughts may show that the info on FM providers can't be found if it's in the GTM 20 since the traffic receiver is not a mass storage device with files viewable on a computer.

-One last possibility comes to mind to me given that this is ancient decade-old technology. I wonder if it's possible that for the old NAVTEQ and Clear Channel FM reception that there was no list of FM Traffic providers stored in a Garmin device but rather the FM transmitter's broadcast signal showed traffic receivers that it was a FM traffic provider and the traffic receiver just scanned the FM band looking for FM signals that were traffic-enabled rather than go from a file with a list of traffic providers that Garmin would occasionally need to update.

Unlike your Nuvi 755T, I never had a Garmin/EstDate folder.
On my 660. The Garmin/RemoteSW only shows a copy of the firmware (GCD File).

Also I never recalled WebUpadter giving an option for updating the Traffic Provider on the 660. For the Nuvi 660, that too uses the GTM20 receiver like your 755T.

Well, it has been a long time and my memory isn't what it used to be. But my recollection is that on more than one occasion, web updater reported a Traffic Firmware update (or something similar). Of course the traffic receiver isn't connected when running web updater. So later after downloading the update, when the nuvi was connected to the GTM receiver, it would throw up a message that the traffic receiver was being updated. This is a distant memory (maybe a false memory?), so I may be completely wrong.

I used to have a 765T which I sold. It was quite different than my 660. I too have memory lapses but I'm pretty sure the 765T had the Traffic Provider on the unit and I was able to Update the file using WebUpdater. the GTM20 on both the 660 and 765T since I had two of them, they both worked on the 660.

I'm willing the bet the even older Nuvu 3XX models didn't show the Traffic Provider on those models.
I'm convinced that any information sent regarding the Traffic Provider to the Nuvi is hidden in the internal memory.
Since the 660 works with Traffic I'm not concerned that I can locate the file that would list the Traffic Provider.

As long as member metricman has Traffic. no sense worrying about on these ancient models.

I found this 2009 post from our old friend DorkusNimrod that has some interesting information regarding the traffic table found in the diagnostics pages of the older nuvis: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/26104?page=0#comment-163110.

Holy crap, 8 years ago?