| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
jimj40
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 17, 2006
Posts: 18
|
 Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:44 pm Post subject: i3 Card Woes |
 |
|
Being a simple sort of soul, I figured I'd pop a 1GB card into my nice new i3 and have loadsa room for maps, POIs etc.
I copied all the files from the installed card onto my PC, formatted the new card as FAT32 and pulled the files onto it. When I pop it into the i3 it just comes up with the "Please use the provided PC software (ha-ha!) to load maps......" just like when you fire it up with no memory card in at all. I don't know if it doesn't like the FAT32 format or the fact that the files were just copied straight onto the new card. I kept the same file/folder structure as on the original card.
Any thoughts, please? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
jimj40
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 17, 2006
Posts: 18
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| PS Forgot to add that it does the same even if the card's formatted as FAT, just like the original card. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mikealder
Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005
Posts: 19638
Location: Blackpool , Lancs
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
You cannot copy the contents of a Transflash card to use on the same machine, the card contains additional information that secures the data. For the i3 supplied with a card there is plenty of room for add ons such as POI's etc on the supplied card. For those that have an i3 using internal memory to store the map data a small TransFlash card is all that is required for POI addition.
You can use the new card to install new maps, these will be supplied with an unlock code so perhaps the 1GB card will be of use - Mike |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ffrr
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Oct 28, 2006
Posts: 44
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
| mikealder wrote: | You cannot copy the contents of a Transflash card to use on the same machine, the card contains additional information that secures the data. For the i3 supplied with a card there is plenty of room for add ons such as POI's etc on the supplied card. For those that have an i3 using internal memory to store the map data a small TransFlash card is all that is required for POI addition.
You can use the new card to install new maps, these will be supplied with an unlock code so perhaps the 1GB card will be of use - Mike |
Actually I did copy all my files to a new larger card, and get it to work successfully . Initially it did what the poster described, then, I powered it off and on, with the new card in place. As it started up, it displayed a green progress bar for a short while, then started up normally. I have been using this card now for a week or so.
There is a file on the original car with a .unl extension with a code inside it. I suspect this is the unlock code. I am guessing, at startup, the unit verifies this code and then will accept the card.
(this is all with 3.2 software btw) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jimj40
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 17, 2006
Posts: 18
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
It certainly won't work for me, ffrr!
I've tried both a straight copy and a backup/restore cycle; used 2 different readers/writers; the file attributes are just the same on both cards; the.unl file is identical in both size and content; I've tried a full reset and a checksum recalc on the i3 and nothing works yet 
When I do the recalc it recognises the card as 1GB but it claims it can't unlock the maps, even though it also recognises that there is a map on the card (166MB or thereabouts) and can perform a chksum on it and also recognises (ie fails the map checksum) when the card is empty. The progress bar goes about 1/3 across and then the silly "..use the provided PC software to load maps..." message comes back.
It seems as though Fred is correct, at least as far as my i3 is concerned, unless it has something to do with the brand of the card and I'm not sure I want to invest in another card on the off-chance - although this is starting to annoy me so just maybe....
As an aside, when you do a full reset it automatically selects "Avoid U-turns" for you so that must be Garmin's idea of a sensible default!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ffrr
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Oct 28, 2006
Posts: 44
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jimj40 wrote: | It certainly won't work for me, ffrr!
I've tried both a straight copy and a backup/restore cycle; used 2 different readers/writers; the file attributes are just the same on both cards; the.unl file is identical in both size and content; I've tried a full reset and a checksum recalc on the i3 and nothing works yet
When I do the recalc it recognises the card as 1GB but it claims it can't unlock the maps, even though it also recognises that there is a map on the card (166MB or thereabouts) and can perform a chksum on it and also recognises (ie fails the map checksum) when the card is empty. The progress bar goes about 1/3 across and then the silly "..use the provided PC software to load maps..." message comes back.
It seems as though Fred is correct, at least as far as my i3 is concerned, unless it has something to do with the brand of the card and I'm not sure I want to invest in another card on the off-chance - although this is starting to annoy me so just maybe....
As an aside, when you do a full reset it automatically selects "Avoid U-turns" for you so that must be Garmin's idea of a sensible default!! |
OK, the only other things I can think, that I might have done differently, is
1. My card is 512MB not 1GB
2. I did not format the card, just used it as it came from the manufacturer
3. I used linux to copy the files to my HD, then back to the new card. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mikealder
Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005
Posts: 19638
Location: Blackpool , Lancs
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
The topic of copying the TransFlash card to clone it or place the contents on another card has been covered loads of times. It would appear from time to time someone gets a card that can be coppied - starnage.
For further reading have a look at THIS or THIS - Mike |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ffrr
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Oct 28, 2006
Posts: 44
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| mikealder wrote: | The topic of copying the TransFlash card to clone it or place the contents on another card has been covered loads of times. It would appear from time to time someone gets a card that can be coppied - starnage.
For further reading have a look at THIS or THIS - Mike |
Phew, a lot of talking at people, and not listening, going on in some of those posts 
Anyway, I am like that elraco1 guy who was able to copy his card. My I3 came without CD, and with the maps on the microSD card, and with a yellow slip with registration and unlock information on it. However, it did not need to be unlocked because I used it to navigate home from the shop where I bought it, and the code in the unl file is NOT the unlock code that's on the yellow slip. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jimj40
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 17, 2006
Posts: 18
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hmmm - it looks to me as though Garmin has spent a lot of time, money and ingenuity in making their files "secure" from the light-of-finger at the expense of the rest of us!
I don't much appreciate being told that all useful data is on an easily-breakable/-loseable/-deleteable sliver of plastic and that if it gets lost or damaged then I will have the privilege of forking out for it all over again. To have active steps taken to circumvent any attempt I may make to protect my investment is adding insult to injury, in my view, and alienating punters is a very curious marketing strategy indeed.
Does anyone else spot a tendency towards "Bomb them into democracy"? :P |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Anita
Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 3219
Location: Windlesham, Surrey
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| jimj40 wrote: | Hmmm - it looks to me as though Garmin has spent a lot of time, money and ingenuity in making their files "secure" from the light-of-finger at the expense of the rest of us!
I don't much appreciate being told that all useful data is on an easily-breakable/-loseable/-deleteable sliver of plastic and that if it gets lost or damaged then I will have the privilege of forking out for it all over again. To have active steps taken to circumvent any attempt I may make to protect my investment is adding insult to injury, in my view, and alienating punters is a very curious marketing strategy indeed.
Does anyone else spot a tendency towards "Bomb them into democracy"? :P |
You'll find that Garmin has an exceptional after-sales service. If your card became damaged or corrupted to the extent that you couldn't copy the back-up you'd made on your pc back to it, I'm sure that you could return the unit and the card to them and they would send it back with the data on a new card - and from the experience of other members there'd be no charge.
| jimj40 wrote: | | As an aside, when you do a full reset it automatically selects "Avoid U-turns" for you so that must be Garmin's idea of a sensible default!! |
It's my idea of a sensible default too. You can always choose to do a u-turn instead of following the recalculated instructions.
_________________
Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1125.12264
Samsung Galaxy S21 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MaFt
Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: Aug 31, 2005
Posts: 15142
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
|
| Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
in normal use there's no need to remove the micro sd card at all so it won't get lost etc.
i have around 60,000 poi's on mine and it takes up about 5mb of space of the 256mb card - hardly any need to use a 1gb card.
MaFt |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ffrr
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Oct 28, 2006
Posts: 44
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:27 am Post subject: |
|
|
| MaFt wrote: | in normal use there's no need to remove the micro sd card at all so it won't get lost etc.
i have around 60,000 poi's on mine and it takes up about 5mb of space of the 256mb card - hardly any need to use a 1gb card.
MaFt |
I still like to have a backup. I have had memory cards fail. Did you know that most non-volatile ram has a limited number of times it can be rewritten before it fails? It is a large number of rewrites, but still, it can fail. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MaFt
Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: Aug 31, 2005
Posts: 15142
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
| ffrr wrote: |
I still like to have a backup. I have had memory cards fail. Did you know that most non-volatile ram has a limited number of times it can be rewritten before it fails? It is a large number of rewrites, but still, it can fail. |
in which case i'd phone garmin up and they'd more than likely ask you to send in the faulty card and they would then replace it f.o.c.
have a check through the forums and you'll see the excellent customer service that garmin offer. if a company will send out a new suction mount free of charge i'm pretty certain they'll make sure your maps work! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jimj40
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 17, 2006
Posts: 18
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
| MaFt wrote: | in normal use there's no need to remove the micro sd card at all so it won't get lost etc.
|
That's true, MaFt, but it's also true that in "normal use" I won't have a car crash so who needs air-bags, ABS, insurance, MOTs....
As ffrr says, memory cards have a "life" in excess of 100,000 rewrites, which in normal use may seem more than adequate. However this life expectancy is a "mean", ie similar to the MTBF figure for a hard disk or acturial figures for how long any one of us is likely to live, so any given card has the possibility of a much longer survival - or a much shorter one.
My main gripe is that there are too many technology companies which are quite happy to protect their own investment while compromising that of their customers. Lock the card, and any copies of the card, to a specific machine by all means but bookies slewing the odds against the punters has always been sharp practice.
The only reason this sort of thing continues is that most users are either ignorant of the risks they are being exposed to or complacent that it won't be their bit of kit which fails at an inconvenient or dangerous time. As a repeat-offender Land Rover owner for the last 25 years I definitely belong in the latter category!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ffrr
Occasional Visitor
Joined: Oct 28, 2006
Posts: 44
|
| Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jimj40 wrote: |
My main gripe is that there are too many technology companies which are quite happy to protect their own investment while compromising that of their customers. Lock the card, and any copies of the card, to a specific machine by all means but bookies slewing the odds against the punters has always been sharp practice.
|
Yes, if it's locked to a machine, why are they at all concerned that I might make a backup card. I am the only one who can use it, as I am the only owner of my i3 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
![]() Posted: Today Post subject: Pocket GPS Advertising |
|
|
We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?. Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in for private messages
Log in
