Transferring waypoints

I've already long accepted that I cannot delete WPs from Nuvi via BC.

Well that is a nuvi issue not a BC one. Some outdoor models do allow it. Not sure about the category issue. That might be a device issue too.

There are a lot of inconsistencies across Garmin lines/models. One can hope that one day they'll get their sh** together but I wouldn't bet on it.

So, I was able to select all, then deselect my shortcuts from the Delete screen on Nuvi. Connected it up to BC and oddly it had those WPs and a couple others (not visible on Nuvi, but visible in BC on Nuvi internal) Anyway, sent my Nuvi folder in BC to the nuvi device. Power up Nuvi, look at saved places and BINGO 99% correct, just as I'd expect.

Those WPs would have been in the temp files created by BC, which is why I always delete the temp.gpx file after data has been imported by my nuvi. If you don't do that you can never delete them off your nuvi, as every time you switch it on again it reimports data in any gpx file in the GPX folder. Note if you're sure there weren't any other files in the GPX folder check elsewhere as your nuvi will 'hoover up' gpx files from anywhere.

Returning to the '3 WP's' you want to keep forever, just create a file containing those 3 WPs. Rename it on your nuvi to something like keep.gpx and then never delete it. You can safely do a mass delete on your nuvi but every time you boot the data in keep.gpx will be reimported. I've done this with a number of categories I don't want to mess about with.

As for changes v adds. I've just experimented with importing a waypoint from my 2508 into BC, changing it by adding extra categories and sent it back to my nuvi. I found what I expected in that a 1 was added to the WPs name as my nuvi saw it as a new WP, so I now had 2 WPs, one named Black lion with the original categories and one named Black lion 1 with all the new categories. This is why in the past when I've been using BC for major edits I've deleted everything off the nuvi then sent the edited data back. For minor edits I just do it on my nuvi.

As Stuart says above, this is a device (in this case a nuvi) issue and AFAIK has been like this ever since the nuvi line was introduced. Nuvis store their data in inaccessible memory, and current.gpx is simply a one way copy ... which is why you can edit, delete etc current.gpx as much as you want but it won't make any changes to your data since on boot up your nuvi merges any gpx files in with the data internally then writes a new current.gpx file.

First, Awesome tip about keep.gpx. I'm gonna do that, and also with my "Tips&Tricks" folder.

My Nuvi does not create "Duplicate 1" for existing WPs, but my eTrex does do that.

On the Nuvi I have the following gpx files:
SDcard:\Garmin\gpx\trac##.gpx (likely from when I periodically "Send to" tracks from Internal to SD
Internal:\Garmin\Archive\17#.gpx (presumably tracks Nuvi wrote (but "Archive"? Odd name)
Internal:\Garmin\GPX\Current.gpx (see below)
Internal:\Garmin\GPX\temp.gpx (see below)

So I remain a little confused on your comments about temp.gpx and current.gpx....
Should I delete temp.gpx before "Send to..." from BC, or AFTER (and before disconnect)?
And simply deleting Current.gpx, then disconnect and power up has no affect? So delete it prior to an update, or not? (but definitely NOT after BC "Send to..." if you want the latest from BC).

And yeah, the inability to delete from Nuvi via BC is just a fact of life for Nuvi users.... until such time as Garmin device people actually start going to lunch with the Basecamp folks (and Forum admis). :D

ETA: Oooh, what about this Position.gpx that showed up just now?

SDcard:\Garmin\gpx\trac##.gpx (likely from when I periodically "Send to" tracks from Internal to SD

nuvi's won't display tracks sent from a computer so I'd delete those (unless you just want to save them on the card).

Internal:\Garmin\Archive\17#.gpx (presumably tracks Nuvi wrote (but "Archive"? Odd name)

Normal. Once the current track (usually in current.gpx) gets to a certain size the unit writes it to a nn.gpx (nn = number) in the Archive sub-folder. Completely normal.

Internal:\Garmin\GPX\Current.gpx (see below)

As already explained nuvi's keep data internally and when entering mass storage/MTP mode upon connection to a computer this file is (over)written with "current" data.

Internal:\Garmin\GPX\temp.gpx

Data written from a computer (BaseCamp/MapSource/etc). It is imported upon device reboot. After that it can be safely deleted.

And yeah, the inability to delete from Nuvi via BC is just a fact of life for Nuvi users....

Not just nuvi users. Other models also have the limitation.

position.gpx is your last position, it's created under certain circumstances on some nuvis and allows you to find your last parking spot

temp.gpx should be deleted ONCE the data has been merged by your nuvi, so after you've sent data to your nuvi from BC, disconnected your nuvi from your PC and switched it on. At that point it merges temp.gpx into your nuvi data. Once that's done temp.gpx can (and should) be deleted.

The archive folder contains archived track data, which can be safely deleted unless you want it for any reason. I don't allow my nuvi to create it, so never have any archived data.

What's confusing is that my nuvi creates duplicate 1 but yours doesn't, I guess that's simply a change in the way nuvis work. Mine is a 2013 model, yours is 2012 model I think?

Yeah 2012 or earlier.... but I keep my Firmware up to date. Its worth mentioning though that I did manage to get it to create a Place1 this morning. Not sure how but it was in the process of trying to remove all WPs, (yet some remained, but invisible on Nuvi), and a route kept getting created.... and then write a list out which had a WP named same as one mentioned in that ghost route.

Ton of experimentation here to figure out the exact best sequence to
remove all saved places, tracks, routes from nuvi, except those which are shortcuts.
Save those that remain as a "Keep.gpx"
And finally install all my desired WPs.
Be able to update in the future.

I may just skip the keep.gpx and tag those WPs with a "KeepForShortcuts" category.