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Trying to Manage Maps on Montana 700i removable storage with Garmin Express Windows version 7.11.0.0 Fails

Abeloff_Vic
over 3 years ago

I had both City Navigator 2022.25 and Topo Active Amerias North on the removable storage on my Montana 700i.

City Navigator was just updated to 2023.10; the update did not go smoothly.  Maybe because I had the maps on the removable storage and/or maybe because Garmin Express requires the device to be unplugged from the computer and then reconnected after the update.  I forgot to turn on the Montana 700i before connecting to the computer the first time I reconnected.

Anyway, I went through Manage Maps to look at the results.  I can view maps on the My Maps tab; which in the Montana 700i internal storage.  However, when I try to look at Removable storage I get a popup window "Garmin Express quit unexpectedly" with Close / Report / Reopen as options.

I was able to complete the map update by moving City Navigator back to internal storage.  There is not enough space to also move Topo Active Americas North to internal storage; so I am unable to use the Removable Storage tab.

I did take the Report option to send in information.

Garmin Express 7.11.0.0 error.pdf

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    It looks like Garmin Express is just very bad at moving/managing maps.  The only way it seems to be happy moving back and forth between internal storage of the Montana 700i and removable storage is when all the maps are on internal storage.  Garmin Express does not seem to delete anything on Removable Storage so once a map is moved there it needs to be manually deleted if the map is moved back to internal storage with Express.  In addition, map updates and reinstalls seem to always go to internal storage regardless of where the maps was prior to the update/reinstall.  One last thing,  it seems like after an update/reinstall Express needs to be closed and reopened and the device needs to be disconnected, powered off, then powered on, then reconnected after Express is restarted.

    I don't know the meaning of all of the map files; especially curious what the .gma files are. 

    I have included details of what was where and how things behaved.


    After Reinstall of City Navigator 2023.10 and TopoActive Americas 2021.20
      Garmin Express_Manage Maps  My Maps(internal storage) okay
                                  Removable Storage okay
               Garmin Express Crashes going from Removable Storage to My Maps



    Montana 700i Internal storage 1.47 Gb free of 14.4 Gb

                                                 1006296801.gma                 3 Kb  11/19/2021 16:53

      City Navigator 2023.10     D2338450A.img  4,002,368 Kb  02/06/2022 16:07
                                                    D2338450A.gma                3 Kb  02/06/2022 16:07

      Garmin Public Land Map     D8272000A.img     80,634 Kb  03/17/2020  3:17

      TopoActive America North    D7249100A.img  3,855,168 Kb  02/06/2022 16:53
      TopoActive America North    D7249100A.gma                 3 Kb  02/06/2022 16:53
      TopoActive America Central D7753050A.img  1,722,816 Kb  02/06/2022 16:26
                                                           gmapdem.img  2,817,600 Kb  02/06/2022 16:39

      Base Map                                 gmapbmap.img     47,632 Kb  02/06/2022 16:19

                                                                  gmaptz.img          569 Kb  12/05/2021  9:46


    Removable Storage 21.7 Gb free of 29.7 Gb

      TopoActive America North   D7249100A.img    3,855,168 Kb  01/06/2022 19:18
      TopoActive America Central D7753050A.img  1,722,816 Kb  01/06/2022 18:12
                                                           gmapdem.img  2,817,600 Kb  01/06/2022 18:40

     
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    After Manual Cleanup of Removable Storage - delete 3 img files
      Garmin Express_Manage Maps  My Maps (internal storage) okay
                                  Removable Storage okay
                                  Back to My Maps okay


    Montana 700i Internal storage 1.47 Gb free of 14.4 Gb

                                                1006296801.gma                   3 Kb  11/19/2021 16:53

      City Navigator 2023.10     D2338450A.img  4,002,368 Kb  02/06/2022 16:07
                                                   D2338450A.gma                  3 Kb  02/06/2022 16:07

      Garmin Public Land Map     D8272000A.img     80,634 Kb  03/17/2020  3:17

      TopoActive America North     D7249100A.img  3,855,168 Kb  02/06/2022 16:53
      TopoActive America North     D7249100A.gma                3 Kb  02/06/2022 16:53
      TopoActive America Central D7753050A.img  1,722,816 Kb  02/06/2022 16:26
                                                           gmapdem.img  2,817,600 Kb  02/06/2022 16:39
      
      Base Map                    gmapbmap.img     47,632 Kb  02/06/2022 16:19

                                                        gmaptz.img        569 Kb  12/05/2021  9:46


    Removable Storage 29.7 Gb free of 29.7 Gb


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    After Using Garmin Express to Move TopoActive Americas 2021.20 from
      My Maps (internal storage) to Removable Storage

    Garmin Express_Manage Maps  My Maps (internal storage) okay
          Garmin Express crashes going from My Maps to Removable Storage                      


    Montana 700i Internal storage 9.48 Gb free of 14.4 Gb

                                1006296801.gma          3 Kb  11/19/2021 16:53

      City Navigator 2023.10     D2338450A.img  4,002,368 Kb  02/06/2022 16:07
                                                   D2338450A.gma                 3 Kb  02/06/2022 16:07

      Garmin Public Land Map     D8272000A.img     80,634 Kb  03/17/2020  3:17
     
      TopoActive America North   D7249100A.gma              3 Kb  02/06/2022 19:41

      Base Map                                gmapbmap.img     47,632 Kb  02/06/2022 18:10

                                                               gmaptz.img        569 Kb  12/05/2021  9:46


    Removable Storage 21.7 Gb free of 29.7 Gb

      TopoActive America North   D7249100A.img  3,855,168 Kb  02/06/2022 19:41
      TopoActive America Central D7753050A.img  1,722,816 Kb  02/06/2022 18:29
                                                           gmapdem.img  2,817,600 Kb  02/06/2022 19:00


    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
          

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Abeloff_Vic

    If you moved the maps then Express won't acknowledge them, Express will only work with maps it has installed.  Logical really, as otherwise there would be folks complaining it had deleted a map they wanted to keep.

    The .gma and .unl files are the files needed to unlock a Garmin map file that would otherwise be locked.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to SUSSAMB

    Thank you for explaining the .gma files.

    I am using either the Manage Maps function in Express or the Reinstall function within Express to move the maps. After using either of those functions, and disconnecting the Montana 700i, power cycling it and reconnecting it, then Express crashes.  I think because the software cannot handle what it detects on either internal storage or removable storage.

    The only "move" I have done outside of Express is to delete residual map files from removable storage after using the reinstall function the corresponding maps that were orphaned on removable storage.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Abeloff_Vic

    Express has always been able to manage my maps, no idea then why its not working for you. The usual cause is a user moving or renaming them.

    I've never had Express crash either.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to SUSSAMB

    One thing I can't tell is whether the Montana and the maps are fine when I use Express to move the maps.  It seems as though they are; however, maybe I don't know enough to tell for sure.  Maybe it is just Express that is misbehaving.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Abeloff_Vic

    The support ticket that I opened is telling me that unless Garmin Express explicity tells me that I am out of internal storage that I should not use Manage Maps to shift a map to removable storage.

    I'm not sure how they outcome would be any different at that future point.  However, support seems to be saying that the Express crashes are my fault for using Manage Maps when Express did not tell me to.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Abeloff_Vic

    Which is what I've said, let Express do its stuff. I use multiple OSM maps that you install yourself, they can be placed anywhere. Leave the CN map where it is.