Garmin Express not offering to use SD card for map update

Has the card been formatted? FAT32 is the format recommended by Garmin.

As an FYI, with my Nuvi 2689 I’m not yet prompted that I need a card.

Thank you, John. We used to have to format new flash cards before using them, but lately it hasn't been necessary before using them in computers, cameras, etc. They seem to come preformatted from the factory.

Still I thought your suggestion was a good idea I might have missed and followed up on it, but it didn't resolve my issue. Windows doesn't give me the opportunity to format the micro SD card in the GPS, so I took it out, inserted it in a card reader connected to the PC, formatted it to FAT32 right-clicking the card in Windows Explorer, rebooted both the PC and the GPS, and Garmin Express still doesn't offer me the opportunity to use the card, though it still recognizes that the empty 32GB micro SD card is in the GPS; Win 10 also still sees it.

Oh incidentally, John, what is the built-in memory on your Nuvi? My GPS seems to have under 4GB of built-in memory, and the latest North American map updates are reportedly close to double that, even though last fall's map updates were under it.

Also I don't get the opportunity I see in Garmin customer support to choose a smaller regional (not national) map update on my GPS. Garmin Express is not offering me *any* options, other than contacting Customer Support. I figure I'm much better off asking for help here. Others have successfully updated this GPS to the latest maps. Something's off that I'm missing.

This is what my 2689 reports:

Software version 8.80

Map: Full Coverage of North America 2021.10

Windows 10 reports 233 MB free of 7.02 GB for the Garmin so the built-in memory is likely 8 GB. Garmin Express reports 244 MB.

Memory card unused, actually about 90,000 bytes are used. Looking at the card with a reader, this is apparently used for System Volume Information. Garmin Express reports 15.92 GB free.

Garmin is clear in stating "Garmin Express will only install a map update to a memory card if there is not enough space on the internal storage of the device."

Are you sure when you formatted the card it was formatted as FAT32 and not as exFAT?

Garmin also says

“The SD card support during the map update will only function with up-to-date software. It may be necessary to update the device.”

Make sure the device software is up to date. Then update your Garmin Express. I think your version 5.90 is quite old. Mine, which is current is 6.21.0.0.

Lost Anyway, what map is installed to your device now? Is it an earlier version of all of North America or is it a smaller region of the current map that fit in your device before adding the SD card?

If it was a smaller regional map rather than North America, check this FAQ out regarding "When should I use these instructions? - Change map":

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=dyYgXK9i6C3FkS9sU5xDcA

If you have a smaller region now, have you used Garmin Express' Map Options to Reinstall Map now that the SD card is installed?

This may or may not help as I've had no problems having my devices using SD cards when necessary and therefore never gone through the process you're having to try now. It does seem that I've read that the option to add a SD card or install a regional map is not offered again once you've earlier selected a regional map and there are some hoops to jump through to get the Option to use a SD card offer to reappear which is what you want.

If you have a smaller region installed you need to update that first, only then will Express give the option to install the full map.

6.21.0.0 is the Express software version, not the device software.

Is that not what I said..."Make sure the device software is up to date. Then update your Garmin Express..."

The OP has stated he is using GE 5.90.

The current Drive 50 software is 5.90:

https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=9043

If Garmin Express 5.9.0 was being referred to, it was released in December 2017 but was 5.9.0 which is why I'm thinking the reference to GE 5.90 actually was Garmin Drive 50 device software version 5.90.

I was referring to your sentences "I think your version 5.90 is quite old. Mine, which is current is 6.21.0.0" I was saying 5.90 is the device software version, not Express, but I now see that the OP states he is running Express version 5.90, so I understand your comment, if he is he should definitely update!

Thank you all for these suggestions. I’m not sure what the status or version of the device software and current map version is. Unfortunately I can’t get into that area of the house where the GPS and PC are right now as there’s a workman there, and with social distancing, the deal is he’ll do the work needed but only if I stay out of there. I’ll check it when I can.

Yeah /heh/ pwo, you may be right about him wanting "helpers' even less than Covid.

So based on the comments above, I checked and tried a bunch more things. Still getting the same result.

Specifically:

Yes, alandb, just to be sure, I reformatted the micro SD card one more time in Windows Explorer, definitely to FAT32.

John and everyone, re: which version of what is installed. I tried downloading and installing Garmin Express to an up-to-date Win 10 laptop that did not previously have GE installed. What's confusing is that Garmin Express says what's installed is "Software Version 5.90." That *is* I see now, really the installed version of the Drive 50, basically firmware, I believe, and yes, that seems to be the newest version for Drive 50. Garmin Express is the current 6.21.0.0 version, just downloaded and installed to a different Win 10 PC.

CraigW, I believe that last fall I installed the full North American map update offered then. I don't see a map version number anywhere. But the internal drive with maps only, no POIs, takes up all but 2.22 MB of the available 3.38 GB, so it's taking up about 3.1 GB, if that gives a clue to what map is loaded.

sussamb: Garmin Express is not offering a way to update a smaller regional map.

Also I have been careful to uncheck at Settings cog > General Settings > both "Always keep Garmin Express running in the background" and "Automatically launch Garmin Express when a Garmin device is connected" and reboot afterwards as advised in the express.exe thread here. Again, they are unchecked. In the same location, under Advanced, "Garmin Connect Authentication Domain" says, correctly, United States. Update Schedule has been changed to Never. Proxy Settings are on the default Auto.

Garmin Express says the Drive 50 is connected. Windows Explorer shows a blue triangle icon for Drive 50 and both a 3.38 GB internal memory, nearly full, and the empty Memory Card inside that Drive 50 folder. Also there are no yellow exclamation points in Windows' Device Manager even when USB is expanded.

But with all the above in mind, I still get the error message when I try to update the maps: "We're unable to install the updates. The latest version of these maps have so much new information that we're not going to be able to fit it all on your device's internal memory. Please contact Product Support for help with updating your maps." And there is no offer to install a smaller map or to use a memory card for the map upgrade.

Thanks to all for the suggestions so far.

Thanks for all the answers. It's confusing.

Have you gone to myMaps in Settings to see what map is installed? It should state the version and also either say North America or give a region.

Are you able to copy some files from your computer to the SD card in the Drive 50? Just as a test and to be deleted after the test.

Have you considered, just for the sake of a cheap test, using a 4, 8, or 16 GB SD card and trying the map update with the different card? With luck, you have a card just sitting in a drawer somewhere or buy one if necessary. Even when a SD card is needed for a full map update, most files still go to internal Drive storage so a 4GB SD card will likely last the life of your Drive 50.

I say 4, 8 or 16, not that it could be different than your 32, but just that it's a different card...and cheap. Also, a Class 10 is not necessary since in use, no files are being written to the card.

There is yet another option. You could use the clone method to update your map. The SD card could be cloned with the card connected directly to the computer or in the Drive. Be sure to follow each step exactly but that should be easy for you as you know what you're doing around computers:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39231

Just some thoughts. I won't be hurt if you choose not to.

I wonder if Garmin Customer Service is staffing their phones. A call may be in order and at least in the past, folks have had better luck with phone calls than emails or chats. If you call, do it by your computer with your Drive and cable available.

Good luck.

Hmm, I do wonder about the quote above assuming it's exactly what Garmin offers as an error message. Not having a Drive 50, maybe that's just what's offered when a Drive 50 needs a SD card. But I think the error message requiring additional storage by using an SD has always in the past mentioned SD cards specifically. I wonder if your error message without the standard "get an SD card and try again" is telling us something else is going on besides the lack of needed free storage space.

Thoughts, anyone

Maybe it's time to try Garmin MapInstall.

https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3291

MapInstall only installs a map, not the other files needed, and only if the map is already on your PC.

I think there are 2 ways to resolve this. One is the clone method mentioned above. The other simpler way would be to rename the current map file so that Express doesn't see it, this would force Express to use the card. Just change gmapprom.img to gmapprom.xyz

Why it's happening I have no idea but suspect it will be something simple that is difficult to determine through a forum discussion

Long shot, reviewing the format process...When you format the card in the reader, select "Default Allocation Size" in the appropriate area and uncheck the Quick format choice. This will cause a full format which may take 10 to 15 minutes so be patient.

The OP says that the SD card is an SHDC. He must mean an SDHC card, or Secure Digital High Capacity card. This is a relativly new device that Garmin might not support.

Found this statement on the Acer website:
https://us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11069/~/...

"Because SDHC is a relatively newer standard, devices that do not specifically support SDHC will not recognize SDHC memory cards unless that device has the ability to be updated via firmware, driver update or other means. SDHC compatible devices however can support older SD cards."

There also is an SHDC card. It is a new device and much less common than the SDHC. I could find no info on the web about lack of compatibility.

dobs108

SDHC cards work perfectly well in Garmin devices so it's not that.

Other info from the web says all 32 GB cards are SDHC.

If the OP really has an SHDC card (a subset of SDHC cards) that is a very new device.

More great suggestions; thanks to all again. I'm still stuck but have three more ideas (renaming the map file, cloning, calling Garmin) to try as suggested and will do so.

Craig, I forgot that the info about what current map is installed is displayed not in Garmin Express, where I looked and didn't find it even with the GPS connected, but on the GPS itself under Settings > My Maps - installed maps: "Update Maps - CN North America NT 2020.20 Foursquare" and "CN North America 2020.20 Lower 49 States" are both checked. (Foursquare, for anyone who hasn't seen this, is what Garmin calls a location-based social network for displaying their POIs, included on certain Garmin models. I never use this feature and wouldn't mind if it could be nuked to free up space in internal memory.)

That was a great idea, Craig, about checking to see if files could be copied to and deleted from the SD card while it was installed in the Garmin. That hadn't occurred to me. So I tried it now, and yes, I can do that: paste files with Windows Explorer onto the card while it's in the GPS micro SD card slot, see them displayed there, open them from there, and delete them from that drive. So that tells me that the card slot in the GPS is not the issue, nor the card formatting.

I don't have a lot of micro SD cards around. I bought this one for the GPS, and that took some doing with the virus closings. I think I have another smaller capacity micro SD card somewhere in the house, maybe in a device, but I can't recall where exactly yet.

That was a direct and exact quote from me of Garmin Express' error message when the updates have failed.

Cloning is definitely worth trying.

So is sussamb's suggestion to rename the file on the GPS internal drive.

dobs, this is the card I have (but I definitely have the 32 GB version, NOT the 512 GB version you first see when you click this link; just click the 32GB button on this page to see the exact card I have): https://www.lexar.com/portfolio_page/high-performance-633x-m...

So I will move on to try the renaming and the cloning to see how those go. Garmin Express did make a backup before trying to update, so I can always recover from that if these go south.

And also, yes, calling Garmin may reveal the issue too.

I predict that when you try the other card, it will work.

Oh, shoot, John, sorry... trying your idea now. I moved the card to the PC, and turned off Quick Format, changed Allocation size to Default, and left on FAT32 and we'll see if the third try is the charm for formatting. (Yes, it's slow.)

Note that the backup you get with Garmin Express is not a full backup and will NOT give you a complete restore of your device including the map and related files. Since you are trying some of the more unconventional solutions offered, you really should do a full system backup if you haven't already done so.

One thing that concerns me that you said in another post is that you only have 2 MB of free space in your internal storage. Sometimes when your device is filled up like that, the boot cycle that creates a new GarminDevice.xml cannot complete properly and that can create some odd issues. If possible, try to delete some unused voice files (after you do a full backup of course). Or perhaps you can clean out some old trip log files in folder \GPX\Archive.

That's a good call Alan, I had missed that little gem. Definitely worth trying to free up some space.

Our FAQ:

http://www.poi-factory.com/garmin/problemsolver#Space

The link below doesn't work for me right now but maybe the maintainer is revising it. In any event, try it.

Freeing up more space for maps:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/31186

The need for a full backup before tinkering with renaming files, cloning, etc. is a good suggestion. Be sure the Drive 50 is in MS mode, not MTP, and if using a Windows PC, make sure you have your folder settings set so that you can see the .system folder (dot system) and its contents.

You will get the current full North America map and I bet it'll be soon!

You can use GE to install the new map to the PC only by selecting your device and then choosing "View Details + Installation Options + Computer Only" and then use MapInstall to install the entire map to the Drive 50 . You have the option to install the entire map to the SD card in MapInstall.

What other files are you referring to? You can update the Firmware by itself using GE.

He is referring to feature files like junction view, voice recognition, point addressing, etc. These come with the map update, not as a firmware update. Map Install will not install these files even if you download the full map to the computer.

A four square map and a lower 49? I’m not sure what each is.

More good suggestions have been added. Thank you all. A quick read of the FAQ on freeing up space saggests it may indeed be useful. I will study that in more detail later.

Just to follow up first: John from PA's suggestion about customizing a full format of the SD card was done as specified, but did not make a difference.

And I found the other microSD card I have in the house. Unfortunately it's only 2GB. When I opened it and studied the contents, I realized it was a card once used with an old Nuvi I had, as it had 2014 Garmin map files. I Quick Formatted it. Same message. I formatted it as John suggested. Same message. Of course 2 GB may not be big enough, but I just wanted to see if I got a different error message using that card, and I did not. I don't think I have ready access to any other microSD cards.

Still to be tried: a better backup followed by trying to free up space, renaming map files, cloning, studying the space FAQ, and calling Garmin, who will tell me to clean out my cache and and cookies and reboot my PC . I have some other non-Garmin things I need to do first. Thanks again all.

I had a similar issue and had to reformat into fat32

Oh thanks Nick and that may resolve it for many, but both these cards are definitely FAT32 now and still throwing off that message.

[I pieced this together and am posting this for later lurkers who are puzzled by how to *really* and fully back up your Garmin GPS including key system files before performing any potentially risky changes such as editing file names. Mods may /heh/ modify or post this into the Garmin FAQ here if it seems useful.]

Garmin GPS full system backup

This works for many Nuvis and for my Drive 50 LMT in Windows 10.

Doing a full system backup of a Garmin GPS before making risky changes to GPS files gets a more complete backup than Garmin Express performs, and will better enable you to recover if things go wrong and the GPS stops functioning. But in order to do a full system backup, you first have to change the GPS from its default MTP mode to Mass Storage mode, and Garmin hides this option away. Here’s how to do it:

• Disconnect the GPS from the computer and press the GPS’ power button to turn it on.
• Touch “Volume” on the screen.
• Touch and gently hold down the empty upper right corner of the GPS screen for 10 seconds. (If this is confusing, there are YouTube videos demonstrating.) The GPS will enter the “Diagnostics Page.” NOTE: On some Garmin GPS’s, you get into "Diagnostics Page" by instead holding down the speed readout, or the upper center of the main map screen where speed is displayed, so experiment if you can’t get to “Diagnostics Page” by holding down the upper right corner of the screen with the Volume slider.
• Touch “Configuration and Settings.”
• Touch “MTP Settings.”
• Change to “Mass Storage” and Save.
• Turn off the GPS and reconnect it now in Mass Storage mode to the powered-up computer.
• To back it up, you may need, if you haven’t done so already, to enable Windows to “Show all hidden files, folders, and drives.” Otherwise key GPS system files may not be backed up. To change or confirm this setting, type in the Search bar down near what was the Start button in the lower left of your PC screen “File Explorer Options” (or search for “Folder Options” in some older versions of Windows). Click the View tab. Under Files and Folders > Hidden files and folders, Enable “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.” It reads differently in older Windows versions. Windows will probably complain about the change you are trying to make. Tell Windows to make the change anyway. Click Apply if needed. Click OK.
• Notice now, when you connect the GPS to your Windows PC and it is recognized in Windows (this can take a minute or two), if you go to This PC in Windows File Explorer, you should see that the GPS is a lettered hard drive. If you don’t see a letter label (such as “G:”) assigned to the GPS in Windows File Explorer > This PC, you are not yet in Mass Storage mode and cannot perform a complete system backup, so try the above instructions again or seek advice.
• In Windows File Explorer > This PC, do not double-click or Open but right-click the drive corresponding to your Garmin GPS and select Copy. Right-click and select Paste to copy your Garmin GPS internal memory to your desktop in one folder (or click and drag or choose a different destination location as you prefer.) You can restore from this location later if needed.
• Make sure the copying and pasting operation is complete before disconnecting the GPS. It will take at least several minutes. Note the number of files being copied.
• Open and check your backup in your saved location to make sure you got it. If you right-click the backup folder and select Properties, the number of files should match what you saw in the previous step.
• Disconnect the GPS from the computer. Return as above to the “MTP Settings” page and change “Mass Settings” back to “MTP Auto Detect.” Save.

jgermann FAQ

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30394

The OP hasn't mentioned anything about "Other Files". He only wants to get the current map. If MapInstall will install the current map, then GE is probably at fault, but then again nobody else seems to have a problem with their Drive 50 - that we know of.

One other thing. Some SD cards have a "Lock" switch. Is this perhaps in the wrong position. Just a thought.

He would not have been able to format the card if the "lock" was on.

He wouldn't be able to format it if it's write protected:

---------------------------
Yes, alandb, just to be sure, I reformatted the micro SD card one more time in Windows Explorer, definitely to FAT32.
---------------------------

to OP, try a smaller size SD card if you have not already tried it.

Great, dobs, thanks, you have an FAQ on total backups, unfortunately that information does not appear as far as I can tell in the Garmin FAQs pinned to the top of this forum. Whoever has the power to link to it from the Garmin FAQs should consider doing so, because I couldn't find it though I did search the forum for details on total backup.

So having backed up, I decided to try this second approach next, as it seemed a quick thing to try, and using Windows File Explorer, I'm not finding gmapprom.img or another file big enough to be a map file in the Garmin internal drive, not when the GPS is in either MTP Auto Detect or Mass Storage mode.

Where is this map file found on the GPS internal drive, or does some other means of finding it to rename it have to be used besides Windows File Explorer?

It's also not visible using Windows File Explorer on the total backup folder. Also many files included in the file count of the Garmin internal drive at Properties when Mass Storage was enabled are not visible with Windows File Explorer. I can see in the total backup folder that there are over 6000 files in there, but only a few hundred in the backup folder and in the Garmin internal hard drive are visible to me. The total displayed is much less than 1 GB, whereas the backup folder contains 3.38 GB.

And YES, I did just check one more time to be sure the Windows folder option settings to confirm that all hidden files, folders, etc. are enabled for viewing. They definitely are.

See if the content at http://www.poi-factory.com/node/49189 helps.

Thanks, John, that thread which resolved the same issue in a Drive 61 GPS certainly seems to pertain to my issue finding the map file, but... doesn't solve it. I checked it one more time just now... I put the GPS into Mass Storage mode. The GPS internal drive then appears in Windows File Explorer as a hard drive device with its own designated letter (which it does not do in MTP Auto Select mode).

But using Windows File Explorer to examine the GPS' internal storage folder in Mass Device mode (or MTP Auto Select mode) again does not reveal a .system ("dot system") or any similar folder on my Drive 50 LMT. There is no readily apparent difference in visible folders or files comparing MTP Auto Select mode to Mass Storage mode. Bizarre.

Tomorrow I will try cloning.

This FAQ is for Windows 7 and 8 but Folder Options for Windows 10 is exactly the same. This is why you cannot see the hidden files. Your PC has to be set up to display the files:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/30393

My guess is that you missed Step 6 of the Folder Options FAQ and if so, you would be far from the first Windows user to fall into that trap. The .system folder in your PC will not be seen until that's done and your missing map files are in .system:

Step 6:
Make sure that check box next to “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” is NOT selected

Thank you dobs and CraigW, yes, you are correct, I did fail to get that Windows box for System files checked. I would have sworn it was checked, but it wasn't. Once I did tick that box, I can now see all the .system files in both the backup and on the GPS.

So I tried changing the 2 GB map file name, but it still wouldn't update. I tried cutting the file off the GPS and pasting it to the desktop to free up 2 GB of space, but it still wouldn't update.

However this may not have been a fair test. Yesterday my battery level in the GPS was very good, but today, it's nearly depleted, and I know from experience that an almost-depleted battery can cause a Garmin GPS update to fail for that reason alone. So I'm charging it up now on USB to AC power. This GPS is slower to charge that way, if I'm not driving with it connected to 12V power in the vehicle. I'll try the update again with the changed filename or deleted map file later. And if that fails, the next step will be a cloning try.

Does LostAnyway have 2 maps installed?

My Maps - installed maps: "Update Maps - CN North America NT 2020.20 Foursquare" and "CN North America 2020.20 Lower 49 States" are both checked.

Yes pwohlrab, I did discuss what FourSquare is in that post you quoted from. I believe it is in effect a map overlay for the lower 49 states that is installed standard on certain Garmin GPS models. In other words, users who have it see both the Garmin map content and the FourSquare content at the same time for any locale. Besides functioning as a map overlay, it also has optional social media features. If my explanation in that post you quoted from and here didn't do it for you, try this thread to understand what's up with FourSquare:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/44747

As you can see in that thread, FourSquare is not wildly popular among those who have it, though it reportedly has improved in accuracy with updates and some users like it now. I would not mind having it gone, as I said, but I think all I can do is uncheck the option to see it, not actually get it off the GPS to free up space. If I did remove it, it would probably be reinstalled with the update. There is no option that I've seen to stop it from installing on the models that come with it. And that makes sense, because supposedly Garmin got money to include FourSquare on certain GPS's, so it's priced in to those models and neither Garmin or FourSquare would want it deleted for that reason.

Has the latest map grown beyond 4GB? FAT32 has a max limit of 4 GB.

No, chewbacca, the map file from the fall update alone is 2.2 GB, and that is the biggest file on the GPS. The current spring update for North America 49 states has worked on many GPS's and cards, so I doubt it's more than 4 GB yet.