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Garmin Express,Zumo 660LM & SD Cards

Kevsta_
over 2 years ago

I'm not sure if this is a Garmin Express, Zumo 660, SD Card or a CN Europe NT 2021.20 map issue.

It's been a while since I updated, so fired up GE, which prompted to be updated to 7.5.0.0, which install no problem.  I then try and install the map update, however it tells me it is too large and won't install, and that I need to select a subset.  Which is a little strange as I have a 32GB SD card for the map install.  So I checked the space available, 16GB.  It still will not install to SD.  So thinking that the SD card is possibly faulty, I replace it with a brand new unused 32GB SD card.

Plug the Zumo in, both onboard and sd card are shown and are browsable in Windows.  Fire up GE.  Same thing no enough space, and no prompt to install to SD Card.  Check Tools & Contents and then Utilities, in GE, and both internal and SD Card are shown.

Install the update limited to North East Europe.  No problems other than it is on the onboard memory rather than the SD Card.

Try another computer, and exactly the same thing.  I even try with the old 16GB SD card that I retire a couple of years ago, that has the maps from 2018 on there.  And watched as the reinstallation of the map update actually wiped the maps files from the \GARMIN folder on the SD Card.

I've even tried using a laptop with 7.0.1.0, and the same behaviour, I cannot install the full map update for Europe on the Zumo 660 because it won't install on SD Card.

Is this something that Garmin no longer allow?  Or is it specific to the Zumo 660, or the latest map update?  Or has anyone got some ideas? I know the 660LM is a bit long in the tooth, but it's still supported.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    I've found the reason.  So i'll post here so anyone with the same issue can get closure.

    It seems that the monolithic file that Garmin use to store the map information in now exceeds 4GB.  However as the older units can only read/use FAT16 & FAT32, and the maximum file size of FAT16 is 2GB, and FAT32 is 4GB.

    So there is no solution or workaround.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Kevsta_

    Thanks for this Kevsta.  So, Garmin are happy to take your (my) money for a product (lifetime updates) but then supply product in an unusable format.  Is fraud too strong an allegation for this type of behaviour?

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to 5904473

    Express will split the map into two, has for many devices for years and they continue to be updated and work perfectly. Nothing to do with Garmin but the FAT32 limit is 4gb so the map has to be split in two. The full EU map exceeded that limit many years ago.

    For the OP with an older device the solution is simple, use Express to install the map to your PC and then MapInstall or BaseCamp to send the rest of the map to your device or card.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to SUSSAMB

    Well I wish your solution worked.  However I have installed the map to PC an tried to install via Mapinstall and Basecamp, however regardless of the size of microSD card installed (4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB) it only shows 4GB free and will not install or split the file.  This tells me that Garmin is not splitting the file.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Kevsta_

    Then you're doing something wrong, it works for everyone else.  Both BaseCamp and MapInstall allow you to select which parts of the map to send to your device.  Note though the FAT32 limit is 4Gb so you shouldn't send a map over 4Gb to your device.  Work through this FAQ

    support.garmin.com/.../

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to SUSSAMB

    I've already seen that link you posted, and it does not provide any help.  How can I be doing something wrong?  There aren't any options that I can set, the 8GB, 4 x 16GB and 2 x 32GB SD cards I have all used have been correctly formatted.  There is no prompt to say use the SD card, there is only a message that the update cannot be installed due to lack of space.  I've that then just install the UK & Ireland maps, and then when trying to use Mapinstall it only shows 4GB of space regardless of the SD card installed.

    There aren't any options that I can choose, there isn't anything that I can do to change this so can you provide suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    After formatting the SD Card with exFAT filesystem, to support files larger than 4GB, the solution is simple and has been solved in an Italian forum of BMW users.
    You will have to look for it.
    (The link I sent yesterday has been deleted because it does not correspond to the policy of this forum, perhaps).

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Kevsta_

    If using MapInstall or BaseCamp you choose where to install the map, so I'm not sure what prompts you're expecting? As I have no idea exactly what you're doing I can't help further unless you can explain accurately what you're doing. This may or may not help you:

    https://youtu.be/ftxwadXEQXo