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Garmin Express won't upload Forerunner 305, but Garmin Connect classic will

I hadn't used the Garmin Connect site in a couple of years. I'm retiring my old 305 in favor of a new 920XT, and wanted to upload my recent runs. The 305 has about 250 activities on it.

I normally use SportTracks to download from the watch, and that continues to work successfully with the 305. Sometimes, it gives an error when I try to download the watch, but then it succeeds on the second or third try.

I downloaded Garmin Express and installed it on my Windows 8.1 system. It has no problem with the 920XT, which has only a couple of runs on it. With the 305, it gives a "working" icon (circular spinning arrows) for a bit, then throws up a red X and says "there was an error syncing with Garmin Connect". The watch makes its normal beeps during the download, so I know they're talking. It also doesn't matter whether the 920XT is also connected.

I saw the sticky posting about the retry button being removed from Garmin Express. The only retry option now seems to be closing Garmin Express and reopening. When I do this, the sync fails again the same way. I've tried this a number of times. I haven't found a log file or any Windows events that give more details about the problem.

I went to the new Garmin Connect site (connect.garmin.com) and saw there was a "switch to classic temporarily" option. That does take me back to the site I remember from 2013. From there the "Upload" button is able to download (confusing, eh?) the 305 just fine. I've tried it 3 or 4 times so far, and no errors.

Bottom line, using classic mode resolved my problem. I'll be using the 920XT going forward. It just seems weird that the new system can't handle something the old one did with no problem. (Not sure what it's problem is, either, although there's a 787 mile activity in there which I need to review...possibly the 305 got switched on mid-flight.)

The old 305 is actually a Garmin refurb which I got a little over two years ago. It replaced my original 305, which gave me 6 years of good service. Unfortunately, the refurb literally fell apart, and the contacts connecting the two halves got damaged. I've got it working enough to download by bending a couple of the contacts and holding the two halves together with a spring clamp. If Garmin support wants to experiment on this unit, please let me know.

0 pshare over 9 years ago

I sync my 305 almost every day and it syncs fine most of the time. However, what I do differently than you is that I always make sure Express is running before I connect the FR305. What I used to do is to attach the 305 to the clip while connected to the clip's cable but I found that I often didn't do it right and the watch would fall off the clip and mess up the sync.

What I do now is remove the clip from its cable, attach the 305, and then reattach the clip to the cable. When I reattach it, Express takes over. The odd time when the sync doesn't go through, I remove the clip from the cable and then connect it again. I don't have to stop and restart Express. In effect, reattaching the clip is like pressing the sync button.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Problem uploading data from Forerunner 305 using Garmin Express

I have a similar issue and I do notice that the fix documented above (using Garmin Connect "Classic mode") does allow the data to be uploaded. Obviously, Garmin has to update its Garmin Express product to fix this issue. I'm using the latest version (4.1.4.0).

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

garmin express wont find 305 ?

Over the last few weeks have had nothing but trouble trying to upload activities to garmin express. I use a garmin 305 which has been alright last few year but now when connected to laptop via usb port and cradle. Garmin express says its not connected? Even though the watch is being charged ? Have tried all 3 different usb ports but still doesnt find forerunner 305. I have tried using different search engines firefox and internet explorer , Have installed garmin express and reinstalled it dozens of times. Getting really peeved off with it now, any help grateful

0 EXPRESSCUSTOMERCARE over 9 years ago

4411

AdamBaird

If you are up to date on Express, I would suggest you contact support they can figure out if it is a problem with the connection, or an issue with express.

Albert

0 Testudines over 9 years ago

still an issue for me

Thanks for the suggestions, I hadn't had a chance to follow up on this until today.

I'm still seeing the same issue as before, regardless of whether Garmin Express is running when I plug in the Forerunner 305. The "sync" arrows appear for a while, they I get the error.

Unplugging and replugging the 305 with Garmin Express running just gets the red X more quickly.

SportTracks continues to upload the 305 successfully, although sometimes a couple of retries are needed. Classic mode Garmin Connect continues to work, and almost always seems to succeed on the first try.

So there's some difference between what Garmin Express does and what Garmin Connect does via the Garmin Communicator plug-in. It seems like a software defect to me, I'd suspect a problem with the number of activities or the content of the activities. The watch itself may be glitchy at this point, but two out of three methods can still upload from it.

Again, I'd be glad to help Garmin diagnose this issue, let me know if there's any interest.

Kind of a moot point for me now, I'm very happy with the new Forerunner 920XT. It seems to have addressed many of the issues with the Forerunner 305, from the annoying watch band on up. I'll probably scrap the Forerunner 305 once I copy off my saved waypoints.

0 Testudines over 9 years ago

possible glue failure on 305

AdamBaird, it sounds like you're experiencing what happened with my refurbished Forerunner 305.

The two halves of the watch are held together with some kind of adhesive. The first thing I noticed was that the Forerunner 305 shut off during run on two successive occasions. (Both at almost the same mileage, but in different locations.)

I also started having trouble connecting, even though the watch said it was charging. Adding a weight on top fixed this issue.

Then the top of watch fell off during a run. It turns out there are 8 little contacts that connect the two halves of the watch. So if the halves start to separate, they lose contact.

Unfortunately, the outer two contacts got broken off on mine, either during the crash or while I was removing the old glue. (They are kind of delicate, about 1 mm wide.) On one side of the watch, the contacts are V-shaped, and half the V broke off on the outer two contacts. I was able to get it working, kind of, by bending the other half of the V, so now I have two short U-shaped contacts.

Mean time, I went and got the Forerunner 920XT, and I'm pretty happy with that. I had six good years on the Forerunner 305, and two years on its refurbished replacement. I don't think the glue on the refurbished watch was up to the standards of the original, and it softened up in the hot humid weather here. Also, the refurb was the second one they sent me, the first had a bad GPS chip. Customer service replaced the first refurb at no additional charge, but I was still a little annoyed they sent a defective watch in the first place. Bottom line, think about a new watch if your finances support it, the refurbished unit was not really a good value for me.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

I am having the same issue, but on the old version, when I click on upload, the bar disappears very quickly behind the link to the new page and the garmin express says it doesn't work with the fr305 so now no way of uploading my info, nothing wrong with the 305 touch wood and cant afford to upgrade.

0 PARSONSDAVE over 9 years ago

Why are there SO MANY threads titled "There was an error syncing with Garmin Express"? I have been having this problem this week too, I thought I posted about this last here night but can't find it now. Not sure what has happened, but cannot upload rides from my 305 to Garmin or Strava.

Garmin Express tells me the 305 has the latest software and that it has synced "just now" but there are at least 3 rides today and yesterday that I cannot see on Garmin or Strava.

Sometimes when I plug it back in again I get a message saying "There was an error syncing with Garmin Express" but no more than that.

Trying to get on to Garmin Support is just impossible. There are so many menus and sub menus you lose patience before you find anything helpful.

I did try Windows 10 for 24 hours but uninstalled it as it messed a lot of stuff up.

If I try to upload through Garmin Connect it takes me to a page to download Garmin Express which I have already got.

I have just uninstalled and reinstalled Garmin Express, with no change.

Should I be able to see the Forerunner when it is plugged in? I can't browse to the Forerunner or my Fit files.

Two days ago, I would just switch on, connect the 305, put the kettle on and when I came back it was all uploaded. I'm going spare!

I have deleted the unit from Express and reinstalled it, no joy. I have installed it all on a pc that didn't have any Garmin programmes, no joy. I can see it in Devices and Printers under "unspecified" and it shows as a Garmin USB GPS, but I can't browse to files or see what is in this thing. I can't see .fit files on my pc either.

0 EXPRESSCUSTOMERCARE over 9 years ago

PARSONSDAVE

I am sorry that you are having trouble uploading the data from your Forerunner 305. It sounds like there may be a corrupt file on the device causing the sync error.

The Forerunner 305 is a Garmin Mode device, it does not communicate like a mass-storage device so it is not assigned a drive letter and cannot be browsed in Windows/File Explorer. The files on the device are .tcx.

Try switching to Classic Connect using IE and upload the activities from your Forerunner 305. If the files fail to upload, they are corrupted which is why Garmin Express is unable to upload them. Delete the corrupted activity or activities, create a test run and Garmin Express should upload it with no problems.

Also, if you have old activities on the device that are already in Connect, they should be deleted. When the device starts running out of space, it will truncate the older activities and that could cause them to be corrupted. Express has to match every activity on the device with Connect and it could be hitting on one of the older files that have been truncated and possibly corrupted.

If you continue to receive the Sync error in Garmin Express, contact Product Support by phone for further assistance.

Lisa

0 PARSONSDAVE over 9 years ago

Hi Lisa, thanks for getting back to me. I've opened IE, gone to Garmin Classic, but when I try to upload, it switches to modern, and tells me to install Garmin Express, which I already have. I have downloaded Garmin Express again, tried to install it, and it says I already have it. When I launch it, it says the Forerunner is connected, and up to date. When I disconnect and reconnect the unit it still has the syncing error.
How do I upload files manually if I can't browse to them on the unit?