Basecamp Now Wont Read Topo Map From GPS

Former Member
Former Member
Hello. I have a Garmin Oregon 650. I have purchased a Topo24k West via Download. Seem great everything is working fine for the last 2 months. For some reason Garmin BaseCamp is giving me an error saying that its unable to read my Topo24k from my SD Card. The size of my SD Card is 4g.

My Garmin Oregon 650 is reading the Topo24k just fine. No problems there. Just when I open Basecamp for some strange reason basecamp can not read my Topo24k

I am using Windows 7 64bit

I am hoping someone will be able to help me on this?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Hello. I have a Garmin Oregon 650. I have purchased a Topo24k West via Download. Seem great everything is working fine for the last 2 months. For some reason Garmin BaseCamp is giving me an error saying that its unable to read my Topo24k from my SD Card. The size of my SD Card is 4g.

    My Garmin Oregon 650 is reading the Topo24k just fine. No problems there. Just when I open Basecamp for some strange reason basecamp can not read my Topo24k

    I am using Windows 7 64bit

    I am hoping someone will be able to help me on this?


    I presume you've checked the obvious:
    1.) Basecamp is up to date (4.2.4) FYI: You could also try reinstalling basecamp. (I'd backup all your data first just to be safe. And I wouldn't try reinstalling before trying other options.)
    2.) Plenty of memory and drive space available on PC.

    You can always re-transfer the topo to the unit, as it kind of "feels like" a data corruption issue.....
    To "re-transfer" you likely need to delete it first. Be careful not to delete the wrong .img file! ~ Better to first copy it off the unit, or rename it to something else like Bad24kTopo.im_ if you have enough storage memory on the unit.
    Note: If your GPSr has selectable hide/show maps in settings: I'm wondering whether hiding this map and then trying to show it again will cause problems? ~ In the event the map, or parts thereof are somehow corrupt on the GPSr..... You just may not be accessing the part that has the corruption issue on the GPSr unit. (But when connected Basecamp, it reads the entire file and thus encounters the errors.)

    BUT FIRST:
    Is all your data (waypoints & tracks etc.) stored on the GPSr's internal memory, and can you read everything else into Basecamp?
    Have you tried right clicking on the SD card (with the GPSr in USB storage mode) and checked it for errors (windows tools)?
    Is the firmware on the unit updated? (Garmin WebUpdater can reinstall the firmware on a GPSr, just in case something has become corrupt.
    Did you try to install any other maps on the unit? (If so, the .img file may have been given a different name)....
    Any chance you have a backup of the .img file (or the entire chip)?

    Try removing and re-inserting the chip. (And maybe even try a different USB cable & different USB port on the PC).....
    I'd even pull the batteries on the GPSr while you're doing this. (May be necessary to get at the chip anyways.)
    I've got several Lenovo systems at work that have 8 USB ports, and some of them won't work with certain peripherals correctly. (Just a thought.)......

    Assuming the chip and USB connection are both OK, I think I'd start here: If you have the map presently installed on the PC (and in Basecamp - not only on the chip) you can transfer the map back to the unit using Basecamp which uses MapInstall.....
    http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3291 (Newest version of MapInstall)

    ~Kind of stabbing in the dark here, but these are some suggestions. (I'm much more familiar with my Montana650, but I use Basecamp frequently and have the 24k software topo installed.)

    PS: Do you get an error when you select the GPSr in Basecamp, or is the problem merely that the map just doesn't show? ~ If the map is installed into Basecamp, you don't really need it to read off the chip in the first place. ~Providing the topo is the "selected map" in Basecamp, I think it shows all the time......
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    On my initial reading, I had presumed that Basecamp wasn't displaying the topo which was only installed on the unit. If you can't see the map with the GPSr not attached (and you used to be able to see it that way)....
    (And you have the correct ("Topo US 24k") map selected as the "map product to display" setting in Basecamp..... Why not just reinstall the map off the download.) ~ Presuming you still have it of course.

    Before you do this, make certain that all info & settings look OK under the "maps" heading in the Basecamp menu.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Yes sir your correct. I only have the map installed on the SD Card. I don't know how to install the map into Garmin Basecamp. I did try to reinstall the map. But Basecamp still says its unable to read the Topo Map.

    I'm going to switch SD cards and see if that works but I dont think its the SD card since I am able to still see my info from my Oregon 650. Basecamp can see the SD card aswell and also see the topo map but still getting an error
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    I presume you've checked the obvious:
    1.) Basecamp is up to date (4.2.4) FYI: You could also try reinstalling basecamp. (I'd backup all your data first just to be safe. And I wouldn't try reinstalling before trying other options.)
    2.) Plenty of memory and drive space available on PC.

    You can always re-transfer the topo to the unit, as it kind of "feels like" a data corruption issue.....
    To "re-transfer" you likely need to delete it first. Be careful not to delete the wrong .img file! ~ Better to first copy it off the unit, or rename it to something else like Bad24kTopo.im_ if you have enough storage memory on the unit.
    Note: If your GPSr has selectable hide/show maps in settings: I'm wondering whether hiding this map and then trying to show it again will cause problems? ~ In the event the map, or parts thereof are somehow corrupt on the GPSr..... You just may not be accessing the part that has the corruption issue on the GPSr unit. (But when connected Basecamp, it reads the entire file and thus encounters the errors.)

    BUT FIRST:
    Is all your data (waypoints & tracks etc.) stored on the GPSr's internal memory, and can you read everything else into Basecamp?
    Have you tried right clicking on the SD card (with the GPSr in USB storage mode) and checked it for errors (windows tools)?
    Is the firmware on the unit updated? (Garmin WebUpdater can reinstall the firmware on a GPSr, just in case something has become corrupt.
    Did you try to install any other maps on the unit? (If so, the .img file may have been given a different name)....
    Any chance you have a backup of the .img file (or the entire chip)?

    Try removing and re-inserting the chip. (And maybe even try a different USB cable & different USB port on the PC).....
    I'd even pull the batteries on the GPSr while you're doing this. (May be necessary to get at the chip anyways.)
    I've got several Lenovo systems at work that have 8 USB ports, and some of them won't work with certain peripherals correctly. (Just a thought.)......

    Assuming the chip and USB connection are both OK, I think I'd start here: If you have the map presently installed on the PC (and in Basecamp - not only on the chip) you can transfer the map back to the unit using Basecamp which uses MapInstall.....
    http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3291 (Newest version of MapInstall)

    ~Kind of stabbing in the dark here, but these are some suggestions. (I'm much more familiar with my Montana650, but I use Basecamp frequently and have the 24k software topo installed.)

    PS: Do you get an error when you select the GPSr in Basecamp, or is the problem merely that the map just doesn't show? ~ If the map is installed into Basecamp, you don't really need it to read off the chip in the first place. ~Providing the topo is the "selected map" in Basecamp, I think it shows all the time......


    Yes sir i have done what you suggested and still no good results. I dont know how to install the map into Basecamp since this was a download version from Garmin Connect not the DVD version
  • Are you able to read the card without doing it through your GPS?

    If so ... does Basecamp now see the map? If not run JaVaWa Device Manager, available here http://www.javawa.nl/jdm_en.html

    It should recognise the map. Select the map and click on the icon top left to make the map visible in BC. Does BC now see it?

    If so pop it back into your GPS, BC should now see it from there also.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Yes sir your correct. I only have the map installed on the SD Card. I don't know how to install the map into Garmin Basecamp. I did try to reinstall the map. But Basecamp still says its unable to read the Topo Map.

    I'm going to switch SD cards and see if that works but I dont think its the SD card since I am able to still see my info from my Oregon 650. Basecamp can see the SD card aswell and also see the topo map but still getting an error


    So when you stated that Basecamp "can see the topo map", are you referring to seeing/getting a topo related error that is displayed in Basecamp which results from connecting the GPSr unit?
    (Does Basecamp see the topo on the GPSr unit and displays an error trying to read/display it from there? ~ Or do you also get this error even when the unit is not connected?) ~ Exactly when does this error appear?

    I presume that regardless of what you do, you can't see any topo lines anywhere in Basecamp with or without the GPSr unit connected?
    My thoughts on this are: If the topo is 100% "intact" on the unit, shouldn't it display on Basecamp along with the data on the chip, regardless of whether it's properly installed into Basecamp?
    (When you select the data on the GPSr chip for display, isn't 't the topo map on the devices drive supposed to display along with the data? ~ Possibly this only occurs only with the "map on a chip" version of the maps that Garmin sells.)

    I do have quite a few different maps (.img files) on the microSD chip on my Montana 650 which can display multiple maps at a time. But the maps are also installed in Basecamp. (On a related note: Unfortunately, Basecamp will only display one of these at a time, so I've converted much of this data into GPX data for simultaneous display within Basecamp.) ~ I'm going to try selecting the default "global map" (instead of the 24k topo map) in Basecamp and connect my GPSr unit to see if the 24k topo data appears overlaid when I highlight the GPSr in the directory tree.....

    I ask these questions because before "capturing" the map from the GPSr to Basecamp with Javawa (the easiest way as SUSSAMB suggested) will not resolve the problem if the map on the GPSr has any corruption/issues.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Are you able to read the card without doing it through your GPS?

    If so ... does Basecamp now see the map? If not run JaVaWa Device Manager, available here http://www.javawa.nl/jdm_en.html

    It should recognise the map. Select the map and click on the icon top left to make the map visible in BC. Does BC now see it?

    If so pop it back into your GPS, BC should now see it from there also.


    thank you for your response. I did down load JaVaWa. Not sure what I'm supposed to do with this. BaseCamp still not loading my TopoMap
  • Run JaVaWa Device manager ... click on Manage maps, is your topo map showing in the list that appears? If so, does it show the Basecamp roundel, it will be about in the middle of the line? If not that's why Basecamp isn't seeing the map. Click on the line to select it then click on the Basecamp roundel top left that says 'Visible in Basecamp'. The Basecamp roundel should now show against your map and it show now be visible in Basecamp.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    So when you stated that Basecamp "can see the topo map", are you referring to seeing/getting a topo related error that is displayed in Basecamp which results from connecting the GPSr unit?
    (Does Basecamp see the topo on the GPSr unit and displays an error trying to read/display it from there? ~ Or do you also get this error even when the unit is not connected?) ~ Exactly when does this error appear?

    I presume that regardless of what you do, you can't see any topo lines anywhere in Basecamp with or without the GPSr unit connected?
    My thoughts on this are: If the topo is 100% "intact" on the unit, shouldn't it display on Basecamp along with the data on the chip, regardless of whether it's properly installed into Basecamp?
    (When you select the data on the GPSr chip for display, isn't 't the topo map on the devices drive supposed to display along with the data? ~ Possibly this only occurs only with the "map on a chip" version of the maps that Garmin sells.)

    I do have quite a few different maps (.img files) on the microSD chip on my Montana 650 which can display multiple maps at a time. But the maps are also installed in Basecamp. (On a related note: Unfortunately, Basecamp will only display one of these at a time, so I've converted much of this data into GPX data for simultaneous display within Basecamp.) ~ I'm going to try selecting the default "global map" (instead of the 24k topo map) in Basecamp and connect my GPSr unit to see if the 24k topo data appears overlaid when I highlight the GPSr in the directory tree.....

    I ask these questions because before "capturing" the map from the GPSr to Basecamp with Javawa (the easiest way as SUSSAMB suggested) will not resolve the problem if the map on the GPSr has any corruption/issues.


    I do think your correct. I believe that my map is corruption issues.
    Here are the steps that I'm doing so you can understand better whats going on

    1. Plug in Garmin Unit to USB Port
    2. Computer now reads my garmin and reads the memory stick. No problems there
    3. Open up BaseCamp. After It loads I receive an error saying that basecamp can not read my topomap
    4. On the left side of Basecamp I do see my memory card and I can see all my pictures and routes from my memory card. I can even see that the TopoMap is there. But Basecamp just can not read the map

    this is what I have done to try to fix this issue:
    1. Reformat my memory stick - not sure if im supposed to but im starting to get upset about this whole thing now
    2. I now have a fresh clean memory stick in my garmin.
    3. Open up Basecamp. I see no error pop ups. I do see my memory stick. Great everything is fine now.
    4. I have a back up of my Topomap. I drag the folder that says garmin and all my topo files back into my stick.
    5. Open up Basecamp. Bingo error again. Scratching my head wondering whats going on now!! Looking at this error and wondering what do I do now?
    6. Reformat my stick again.
    7. Went back to my.garmin.com and tried to download the file. Now get this Inter Explorer says I do not have the plug in to download the topo map inside my memory stick. Uggg!!! It was there few weeks ago. Searched around in google people say use Google Chrome
    8. Installed Google Chrome. Bingo Google Chrome recognize the plug in. Now im starting to see the light!!!
    9. Download process from my.garmin.com. Says 30 to 45 mins to complete. Now I'm getting excited!! Thinking of more hikes I can go on
    10. I let it do its thing left the computer alone. Now get this. Did not download it timed out!! Ok now someone is pulling me away from the light!!! starting to see the fire!!!
    11. Tried again. This time it says unable to download because it timed out? What the f...!!! Now im getting fed up with this.
    12. Went to best buy got another stick. I'm using 4g since my computer only can see 4 nothing higher.
    13. Started the process all over again and still nothing.

    Now I have two issues. I have a corrupted Topo map. Not sure how that happen and why. Not sure if its even corrupted if my garmin can read the map why cant Basecamp? 2. Now my.garmin.com is having issues in installing the darn thing.

    I'm out of options here and I have no idea what to do next.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 11 years ago
    Run JaVaWa Device manager ... click on Manage maps, is your topo map showing in the list that appears? If so, does it show the Basecamp roundel, it will be about in the middle of the line? If not that's why Basecamp isn't seeing the map. Click on the line to select it then click on the Basecamp roundel top left that says 'Visible in Basecamp'. The Basecamp roundel should now show against your map and it show now be visible in Basecamp.


    Ok i will try this soon as I get home. Thank you for that info