TomTom 720 hangs at start screen

sgreenbank · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject: TomTom 720 hangs at start screen

I have been asked to look at a friends TomTom 720 that hangs on the screen with the tomtom picture.

I have connected it to a PC and it shows as 2 drives in device manager but neither have any media.

1 is presumably the external SD slot which has a blank card in it and presumably there is either an internal slot or hard wired flash memory which is dislodged or faulty.

I have a few questions:

1) Is there an internal SD card?
2) Can it be dismantled via the small Torx screws on the back?
3) Can the unit run off the external slot only?

or better still would some TomTom flash update software that might fix this problem.

thanks

Steve

dhn · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:57 pm Post subject:

There is an internal flash drive but no internal sd card as such.

You can dismantle the unit but you won't find a card in there.

Yes, there are those (including a moderator here) who runs everything off an external sdhc drive --- application, map, mp3s, photos, everything.

Just make sure it is a fast reliable sdhc card of at least 4 gigs.
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David

sgreenbank · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:30 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that David that's saved me attempting to dismantle it.

Unfortunately its still broken.

I have tried a 8GB Kingston SDHC Class 6 card and everything is just the same

i.e.

I get a solitary USB Mass Storage Device and 2 TomTom GO disk drives in device manager.

In disk management both drives are marked "no media".

The TomTom Go software (latest version) can't find the device.

The "clear flash" utility gets stuck and won't proceed past "please connect the power supply to your TOMTOM and switch on ...". When the next arrow is clicked the TomTom shows a red cross and what I think is meant to be a SD card with a TomTom symbol on it.

Resetting it doesn't help.

dhn · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject:

And none of the steps found here help at all?

Including the links at the bottom?
_________________
David

sgreenbank · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks again David.

I now have a 720 that loads up albeit very slowly - I think the internal flash is damaged and causes problems.

The 720 didn't care for the SDHC card but is now running on a 2GB Kingston SD card.

Unfortunately I have no maps. Is there anyway to download the originals?

mikealder · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 8:48 pm Post subject:

Has your friend or you ever downloaded a map update for the device? if so the map will still be on which ever PC it was downloaded to, if not there is no way to obtain a map other than purchasing it although under the circumstances I would give TomTom support a ring on Monday (0845 161 0009) to see if they will offer you a map or possible discount - Mike

sgreenbank · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:34 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info Mike.

Paying £75 doesn't seem like a good idea as without a map of any sort I have no way of telling whether it is really working.

I will search his laptop on next week and failing that try TomTom.

Flash memory should last years. Is complete failure of the internal flash memory a common TT problem?

mikealder · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:11 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't say its a very common problem but I have heard of it before and one of my devices has already got this issue (One XL) don't forget you will read of problems on forums which tend to paint a rather more negative view than reality, for every user posting on a forum that they have a Flash memory problem there will be a few thousand that have no issues at all - Mike

Andy_P · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:11 am Post subject:

Looks like there are now TWO moderators here with failed internal flash memory!

I think you have the same problem as I now have....
My 720's internal memory began to fail and the first symptoms were that it could read OK and things seemed to write to it but disappeared on disconnecting the USB.
So I moved everything onto an SD card and it worked fine - and still does.

BUT, as the memory corruption presumably got worse and worse, TomTom Home stopped recognising the 720 at all, and sometimes Windows Explorer, throws a bit of a wobbly when it's connected.

The answer to all these issues, is to put the SD card into a card reader when you want to update it. Even Home recognises it and believes it is a "complete" TomTom unit, so "operate my Go" and "update my device" all work as normal. Once you've done whatever you needed to do (wther by Home or just file copying with Windows), you can put the card back in the Go and carry on as before.

As an aside, the 720 *should* be OK with any decent quality SDHC card as well as ordinary SD ones. I've currently got a Kingston 8GB HC card in my unit too, so I don't know why yours didn't like it.

sgreenbank · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks Andy.

2 moderators out of how many? It sounds like a manufacturing fault to me- after all flash memory usually come with at least a 2 year guarantee. So 17 months protected inside and non-removable is pretty poor.

The unit whilst booting and connecting to the computer it takes significantly longer to get going and I think it spends quite some time trying to use the internal memory which is possibly partially failed rather than completely dead. There is a nagging worry that there may be a further fault.

We spoke to TomTom and they have offered to collect & return it free and give a free quote to repair it. If it's expensive then we might re-try badgering them for a map.

mikealder · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:17 pm Post subject:

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