Basecamp 3.3.3 and 4.0.5 losing maps

http://www.javawa.nl/gmtk_en.html

just looking at what this thing says it can do I am asking myself... Garmin, how hard was to think about this when you have such a convoluted system of storing maps?

BaseCamp doesn't require maps to be "registered". It simply looks for folder names ending in .gmap in

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Garmin\Maps (Win2K/WinXP)
C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps (Vista/Win7/Win8)

You say you browsed to the "right directory" but didn't say what that was. Are you seeing a

City Navigator Australia and New Zealand NT 2013.10.gmap

folder?

Hi STUARTMV,

Thanks for the information you provided, it was very helpful giving me a starting point.

I have searched the whole C: for "*gmap*" files/folders.
So I have found I have two sets of shortcuts pointing to the same sets of maps.

C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2012.40.gmap.lnk
---> "E:\......\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2012.40.gmap"

C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2013.10.gmap.lnk
---> "E:\.......\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2013.10.gmap"


C:\Users\All Users\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2012.40.gmap.lnk
---> "E:\.......\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2012.40.gmap"

C:\Users\All Users\Garmin\Maps\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2013.10.gmap.lnk
---> "E:\........\City Navigator Australia And New Zealand NT 2013.10.gmap"


Anyway the "C:\Users\All Users" folder is merely a link to "C:\ProgramData", so everything seem to go to the same direction.

Trying to avoid any future confusion I have replaced the links with the real data folders (the .gmap folders that I have indeed recently moved to a different location on the E: drive) in "c:\ProgramData\Garmin\Maps\".
250Mb of maps are not that difficult to store on a C: drive these days.
The links were pointing to a network drive which was actually used as backup - so it was pretty slow.
Now I have better performance too :-))
Actually that's what I thought the software would do - store the data locally for fast access. But I was wrong to assume that it would do something smart...

Stuart, thanks heaps for your help!

My next quest will be to get working the other map that I have bought from Garmin website... this one is in "gmapsupp.img" format and I have no info about this yet...

Regards,
John.

BaseCamp/MapSource always looks in the folders JAVAWA and I posted. That said shortcuts (of the same name) to another location (local drive, USB stick, network drive) allow one to put the map data, which is largish, where one wishes. Often people put programs etc on one drive (C: ) and data on another. I do. Glad you figured that out for yourself and moved the maps to where they work better.

As for the gmapsupp.img file that is what Garmin provides when you buy a map in downloadable format. It belongs on the GPS unit (or SD card in it) you purchased it for. BaseCamp (but not MapSource) can display downloaded maps when your GPS (or a removable drive with an image of it) is plugged into the PC.

this dumb piece of software that is BC

the .gmap folders that I have indeed recently moved to a different location on the E: drive

So, after all it wasn't the fault of BaseCamp that it couldn't find the maps anymore... ;)

Actually that's what I thought the software would do - store the data locally for fast access. But I was wrong to assume that it would do something smart...

Actually it does store the maps locally by default, unless you explicitly choose to do otherwise...

Actually it does store the maps locally by default, unless you explicitly choose to do otherwise...

And the map installer will automatically create a shortcut if you choose a location other than the default. Of course you can move the map data, and change the shortcut, later if you so desire.

So, after all it wasn't the fault of BaseCamp that it couldn't find the maps anymore... ;)


Actually it does store the maps locally by default, unless you explicitly choose to do otherwise...

And it comes up with a strange error message about a Windows shortcut not finding its destination...
Yes, it was my fault for asking BC to use a disk/folder used for storage/backup and then moving my files around on that backup drive.
Yes, it was my fault for indicating the right folders to BC shortcuts when it complained about missing maps and my fault for it not finding it even when pointed to the right thing...
The truth is usually somewhere in the middle.
Anyway not all people are that smart and this BC could be a little bit user friendly. A bit more descriptive messages would help.
The online manual is pretty basic, good idea for Garmin to open a forum.
Actually they should put stuff that users write in the user/admin manual!!!

Thanks everybody for help!

As for the gmapsupp.img file that is what Garmin provides when you buy a map in downloadable format. It belongs on the GPS unit (or SD card in it) you purchased it for. BaseCamp (but not MapSource) can display downloaded maps when your GPS (or a removable drive with an image of it) is plugged into the PC.

Thanks for that.
The trick that I have found so far is pretty simple (or complicated?):
I am using TrueCrypt ( http://www.truecrypt.org/ ) for protecting various files/directories/partitions on various computers. And with TrueCrypt you can create let's say a 4GB encrypted file on a HDD that TC can mount as a drive letter you wish, offering you the option to mount it as "removable drive" - similar to a USB drive.
So I copied the "gmapsupp.img" into that encrypted file and I am mounting it as a removable drive - USB stick/disk/drive using this TrueCrypt. When BC sees this drive mounted it loads the map and uses it with no problems at all. TrueCrypt is very fast at encryption/decryption (at least on intel i5 and i7) and randomly reading a file on a HDD is usually faster than randomly reading an USB stick/disk/drive.
And I don't have to open the cover of my zumo 660 to access the USB socket. This cover door has a kind of rubber gasket (waterproof/weatherproof) and it doesn't look like it was designed to be opened and closed 10 times a day every day...

So, if Garmin thought about this "gmapsupp.img" thing as a protection method, it was lame at least - I am not a genius and not even a hacker and I came to this workaround (next step will be to use a real usb drive - hehe sounds simple but I didn't think about this before because... let's I don't have any usb drives :-) ).
Other than that I can see this only as a method to make user's life harder. If anybody has other ideas please feel free to express them.
I am not sure about licensing and stuff like this, but why wouldn't a user be allowed to use on BC the map that he/she bought and should be forced to use it only on the GPS device.
It doesn't really make sense to me but I am very curious to find out if it makes sense to anybody else?

Cheers,
J.

Garmin didn't intend "this gmapsupp.img thing" as a protection measure ... which is why copying your map files onto a SD card or thumb drive works and allows BC to read the maps. It can't do anything to them, for example send them to another GPS.

Incidentally many of us 'old timers' keep a full copy of our GPS on a thumb drive. Gives us a back up if we need it and also allows it to be used in BC. Also, as stuartmw posted elsewhere, you can download any 'update' to the thumb drive just in case the download goes wrong, and copy it across to your GPS once you know it's OK :)

Old timers :confused:??? I resemble that remark :p

FYI I don't keep a full backup (all files) on my "device" SD cards/USB drives. Just enough to make them look like a real unit along with maps/JCV/firmware/GPX data/etc.