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Drivesmart 61 - won't move past the orange tower!

Former Member over 4 years ago

I'm just trying to find out if anyone else has this problem as I can't find a way around it.

I connect my Garmin Driversmart 61 to my mac, the orange computer tower appears on the device screen (meaning it's recognised a connection) but it will not change to a grey tower and move on to connect properly to my macbook. Other devices connect okay so it isn't my macbook. Sometimes after 10 minutes it may decide to connect, other times it will decide to turn itself off and reconnect to the orange tower, but most of the time it just sits there like a limp lettuce doing nothing.

I have tried EVERY (and I mean EVERY) solution to connections, turning off (fully), resetting my macbook, unistalling/reinstalling software, changing the cable, changing the sequence of turning on and connecting. Basically every suggestion on every forum I can find ... and still that orange tower just stares at me! I wish my macbook was the orange tower ...

So has anyone else this problem AND SOLVED IT?

This Drivesmart has been the worst Garmin I've ever had - endless problems with it stopping navigating, suddenly deciding we are off road (even though I'm clearly driving on a road that has existed for over 50 years and is in the map). If it wasn't for the Basecamp software I'd be swapping manufacturers about now.

0 SUSSAMB over 4 years ago

My DriveSmart has been excellent, have you tried master resetting yours? That may also solve the issue of connecting to your mac.

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to SUSSAMB

Thanks SUSSAMB - mine is excellent when it works.

I've tried every reset I can find. I did a factory reset a while back hoping that would solve the problem. Luckily at that point by sheer persistence and wasting hours of my life, I did manage to get it to connect to put the favourites and saved trips back on there. I don't want to do anything now that will lose my data as I've got hundreds of favourites and dozens of saved trips. If I lose all of them and it still won't connect it will be as good as a hood ornament (when I throw it through the windscreen).

I've had it for nearly two years so Garmin won't do anything about it.

It feels like it gets caught in a loop of "I know I'm connected to a machine (orange tower), but I can't find the door and get in (grey tower)".

0 SUSSAMB over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

Have you tried setting your DS to mass storage rather than mtp mode? That has helped others with difficult connection issues?

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to SUSSAMB

Yes, tried that a couple of times. It gets a free pass for the orange tower and goes straight to grey, but whereas in MTP the orange to grey signifies a full connection to my mac, on this occasion the grey just hangs there like the black death, and still no connection to my macbook. I've tried it again just for the hell of it but no luck.

But is there anything else useful that you know of in the developer tools that may help?

0 SUSSAMB over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

No, only other thing I can suggest is that you ensure the device is fully charged. If none of this has helped I'd call Garmin, they may be able to help. I assume you'ce run through all the checks here https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=PEtKkmDWkF65Y5pC2CbJGA&searchType=noProduct

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to SUSSAMB

Hi SUSSAMB - yes ... many a time! :)

But the good news is I've just heard back from Garmin who have said they'll replace the unit with a "Newly Overhauled Device". So while I've had it for less than two years, the fact that it is pretty useless from my perspective if I can't link it to my computer, I think I'll take the NOD. And apparently they'll replace it within 3-5 working days of receiving my faulty one.

Thanks for your time and help.

0 SUSSAMB over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

Great news, Garmin are very good like that. I had an Etrex 20 where one of the buttons simply wore away after around 5 years, replaced even though well outside warranty