So I dig my eTrex Vista HCx out of the drawer and blow off the dust, plug it into the computer and get this lovely little message from Garmin Express that my "device is not compatible with Express." Seriously? As in so not compatible I can't even view basic device information? I'm hesitant now to spend money on buying new topo maps in case those end up not being able to get transferred. Is anyone else using the Vista HCx right now? Am I going to be wasting money by buying the map software or will I be able to get everything transferred over to my device?
I just had the same thing. I wanted to update my Vista HCx, the web page says "Use Garmin Express to install this file." but Garmin Express says it's incompatible! What gives?
Garmin Express is not compatible with Garmin's older devices that are what would be called Garmin mode devices. These devices are straight USB connection devices. The hand held outdoor devices did not come preloaded with maps and they do not automatically go into mass storage mode. These devices do not have what is known as a GarminDevice.xml file on them. This GarminDevice.xml file is what all Garmin software communicates with specifically what Garmin Express communicates with to determine the device's status and and updates whether firmware or mapping.
If you are trying to update street mapping which is the City Navigator NT mapping this can not be done through Express on your device.
You mentioned TOPO mapping. This mapping is not loaded through Express at this time. The mapping is loaded through a program called MapInstall. This program works fine and is compatible with your device at this time for transferring mapping. See FAQ: How do I install mapping to my device with MapInstall?
