Is there any hope for updating my Garmin if I don't have the original connections?

Asked by syz (36034

) January 17th, 2010

I was given a Garmin GPS for Christmas several years ago and I have no idea where the original packaging has gotten to. My system recently told me that I needed to update, and then a few hours later it flashed a picture of what looked like a pc and then promptly died. Each time I restart it, it searches for a satellite, and then dies. I’m guessing that it’s trying to tell me that I need to connect it to a computer and either update or run diagnostics, but I don’t have the plug ins. Does anyone know if the company will support such an old unit? Do I have any other options (besides buying a new one)?

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2 Answers

I have a TomTom so this may not apply, but it seems to me that you should still be able to use your gps whether it needs an update or not.

What you describe sounds more like a battery that needs charging.

SABOTEUR (14420

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Actually, if it’s that old then it’s possible that the battery needs replacing; it won’t hold a charge. For instance, the battery in my netbook has lost about 15% of it’s capacity permanently, and that is about average for a one-year-old lithium-ion battery. If you kept it in a car that got hot in the summer then it’s likely that your loss was 20% or more per year, so it’s entirely possible that you lost >95% of your battery capacity already, making it nearly useless.

On the other hand, it it was working fine right up until it started asking for an update then something that goes from a regular USB port to a Mini-B should work, at least if it’s the same as my Magellan. That port is fairly common.

jerv (31079

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