Oh no! A failed firmware upgrade killed my eTrex Venture HC!!

[Bearcat]

The title says it all. While upgrading to version 3.10 (from 3.00), my
computer froze, and now my eTrex Venture HC won't turn on at all.

I pretty much know that the freeze corrupted everything, and only
Garmin can fix it. I have tried a master reset, but to no avail.

I would just like to know if this has ever happened to anyone else,
and if Garmin fixed your unit, or sent you a new/refurbished unit
back, and if you were under warranty, if the warranty covered the
repair cost.

When I send my unit in, if they send me a refurbished one back, it
better darn well be in just as good or better condition then the near-
perfect unit i'm sending them!

-Trent

[TulsaOK]

Have you called Garmin support?

[Edmund]

"Bearcat" <tre...@msn.com> schreef in bericht
news:8975e3c4-5d26-448a...@v39g2000pro.googlegroups.com...

Try to load the frimware again by connecting it, selecting upload
on the computer and turn the Garmin on.
Worked here once.

Edmund

[Bearcat]

TulsaOK said:
>Have you called Garmin support?

Yes, I am working things out with them at the moment. Garmin says they
will exchange my dead unit for a brand-new one for free, but I am in
Canada, and I don't want to pay the hefty international duty costs to
get it through to the US.

Edmund said:
> Try to load the frimware again by connecting it, selecting upload
> on the computer and turn the Garmin on.

Thanks, but the unit needs to be turned on for the computer to detect
it, but it won't turn on at all.

[Jack Erbes]

Secret key strokes, that's one possible answer.

http://gpsinformation.org/dale/secret.htm

http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/43/07645842/0764584243.pdf

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9791

Those are all well known secrets (that's a conundrum, no?).

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jacker at midmaine dot com)
(also receiving email at jackerbes at roadrunner dot com)

[TulsaOK]

Jack Erbes wrote:
> Bearcat wrote:
>> TulsaOK said:
>>> Have you called Garmin support?
>>
>> Yes, I am working things out with them at the moment. Garmin says they
>> will exchange my dead unit for a brand-new one for free, but I am in
>> Canada, and I don't want to pay the hefty international duty costs to
>> get it through to the US.
>>
>> Edmund said:
>>> Try to load the frimware again by connecting it, selecting upload
>>> on the computer and turn the Garmin on.
>>
>> Thanks, but the unit needs to be turned on for the computer to detect
>> it, but it won't turn on at all.
>
> Secret key strokes, that's one possible answer.
>
> http://gpsinformation.org/dale/secret.htm
>
> http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/43/07645842/0764584243.pdf
>
> http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9791
>
> Those are all well known secrets (that's a conundrum, no?).
>
> Jack
>

More of an oxymoron.

[Bearcat]

Jack wrote:
> Secret key strokes, that's one possible answer.
>
> http://gpsinformation.org/dale/secret.htm
>
> http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/43/07645842/0764584243.pdf
>
> http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9791
>
> Those are all well known secrets (that's a conundrum, no?).
>
> Jack

It struck me funny, that second link is from the book "Hacking GPS" by
Kathie Kingsly-Hughes. I know because I own that book! Other than
that, no, either I have already tried those special key strokes or
they didn't work.

-Trent

[slo...@hotmail.com]

When loading the software via web updater for my friend the power vent
out after the old software was erased and before new one was loaded
in. when I turned 60csx off and on the message on the screen was ,
MISSING SOFTWARE. To fix the problem I downloaded the software from
Garmin site and loaded it strait without web updater.It worked
perfectly.

[Bearcat]

> perfectly.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I have never even used the webupdater before. I just download the
update program and run it from there.

[Quenya]

Bearcat a écrit :

Maybe this article can inspire you (although it concerns a GPSmap60csx
instead of a eTrex):
http://brilliantcorners.org/nodes/87-fixing-a-dead-garmin-gpsmap-60csx

gr.
aoristos

[Bearcat]

Quenya, thank you so much!! It worked!!!! I did it and the system
software installed flawlessly!! I can't believe it! Why didn't those
b**tards at Garmin tell me that?!? My eTrex Venture HC lives again!

Again, thank you so much!! You have saved me so much time, worrying,
and probably money!

-Trent

[TulsaOK]

Gotta love Usenet, right? :-)

[do...@88.usenet.us.com]

Bearcat <tre...@msn.com> wrote:
> Yes, I am working things out with them at the moment. Garmin says they
> will exchange my dead unit for a brand-new one for free, but I am in
> Canada, and I don't want to pay the hefty international duty costs to
> get it through to the US.

The "International" tariff on a "free" replacement was $25 into Australia,
and I understood that was a flat fee charged by Garmin.

How much did they say the Canadian fee was going to be?

Which part of the referenced web site seemed to do the trick?
Reloading the firmware directly from a local .exe has been noted here
before. I would prefer a download of the firmware from Garmin, rather than
some other site, although gpsinformation.net is a well known site.
http://www8.garmin.com/support/blosp.jsp

I noticed that I said "hold the power button for 10 seconds" in 2006, but I
don't recall ever having my eTrex yellow die.

--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

[slo...@hotmail.com]

> update program and run it from there.- Hide quoted text -

>
> - Show quoted text -

I think you should at least try it once to make sure you have the
chipset software at latest version.I did not see that software on
garmin's site.There are other add-ons that show on updater that you
don't get in strait software download.Like language options.

[Bearcat]

d...@88.usenet.us.com wrote:

>>How much did they say the Canadian fee was going to be?

They (Garmin) don't charge the duty fee, the customs on the
international border do, and it would've been around 30 or 40 bucks.

>>Which part of the referenced web site seemed to do the trick?

Taken from that website:

"Now, here’s where it gets tricky. Since the unit wasn’t recognized by
the firmware updater on its own, customer support gave me the crazy
keypad combination to trick the updater to see your USB GPSr: hold
down the power button (on the top of the unit) and push the
directional button in the up (“^”) position.
While holding those buttons down, double click on the Updater.exe file
in the directory where the firmware updates were extracted to.
If this worked for you, then your GPSr should now show up for the
firmware update program. While still holding down the two buttons,
make sure your GPS device is selected, and then click the “OK” button
to start the firmware update.
During the entire firmware update process you need to hold those
buttons down. The update can take several minutes, and your fingers
will start to HURT, but you need to hold them down.
Once the update has completed, you can relax your fingers and you
should now be able to start up your GPSr."

slo...@hotmail.com Wrote:

>>I think you should at least try it once to make sure you have the
chipset software at latest version.I did not see that software on
garmin's site.There are other add-ons that show on updater that you
don't get in strait software download.Like language options.>>

The option to download the EXE is on the same page as the option to
use the Webupdater. I'm 100% sure that I have the latest version,
because Garmin doesn't host downloads for older software versions, and
it says when the software version was released. (For the eTrex Venture
HC and Summit HC, Jan. 5 for software 3.10, the latest.)

-Trent

[do...@88.usenet.us.com]

Bearcat <tre...@msn.com> wrote:
> d...@88.usenet.us.com wrote:
> >>How much did they say the Canadian fee was going to be?

> They (Garmin) don't charge the duty fee, the customs on the
> international border do, and it would've been around 30 or 40 bucks.

But you wouldn't pay that, the recipient would. You are assuming that it
would have been $30-40, which I think is too high for a new item, there is
no customs duty at all on items that are being returned for repair.

http://web.uvic.ca/purc/customs.php#Items_Shipped_Out
http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d8/d8-2-26-doc-eng.html

<http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/international_agreements/free_trade/nafta/repairs_alterations/>

[Bearcat]

I see. I'm assuming $30-40 because that is the tax from $200, about
what was paid for the unit. Whatever would've happened, at least I
don't have to worry about it anymore since I fixed it myself. (BIG
thanks to Quenya!)

-Trent

[slo...@hotmail.com]

[slo...@hotmail.com]

> > -Trent- Hide quoted text -

>
> - Show quoted text -

I see your point. For my 60csx there is two separate software to be
checked.First one is Unit software(3.70) and the second one is gps sw
(3.00) On Colorado there is even some languages options.With web
updater all this software are addressed.The .exe file I can download
from that site I am sure contains only the unit software.I have
noticed that updater gets the software way before the .exe file is
available.You can always go through the updater wizard and say no to
upload.You get fast update on availability of the new software. Rudy.

[Quenya]

Bearcat a écrit :

Hi,

I'm very glad I could help you.

greetings

Quenya

[randys...@gmail.com]

Trent,

Were you ever able to fix your Garmin? Mine is doing the same thing. I have tried all the suggestions in this post but they do not seem to work

[Barry.f...@shaw.ca]

Yes...!
I used the reset function (three finger salute) plus removed the usb to com port converter, not sure which one did the trick, but it’s back.

Press the power, menu and thumb buttons all together and hold for five seconds.
At first it did not appear it did anything different when turning it on as it still displayed no software.
Then executed the WebUpdater, it recognized the unit (as it did before) but this time was able to complete the software update to 3.90 (from previous 3.70).

When the unit errored it just got through downloading the software, but then somehow stopped receiving communication. This is an old unit and I was using a com port to usb converter. Not sure if it was the three finger salute or the removal of the converter (used a different computer that had a com port (9 pin), but as mentioned it’s back..:)