sideload PRG file; no longer working

Got it -- thanks. I should have been more clear in my reference. I followed the docs closely and got to this step:

"Connect your device to the computer via USB (it should appear as a drive)"

But this doesn't happen; I don't see a drive. My watch DOES seem to be connected because I can modify stuff via Garmin Express. That's why I was asking if it's an issue with Visual Studio on Mac or just incompatible with Fenix 7 Pro? Or is this a bug with some combination of Mac, VS, and my Watch?

1ec1417ab14a41599daedc163cdefb97 said:

"Connect your device to the computer via USB (it should appear as a drive)"

Unfortunately, this is typical for Garmin. This statement does not apply to the music devices (and more recently also to Edge devices).

Fenix 7 is a MTP device (Media Transfer Protocol). It does not mount as USB drive.
Unfortunately a MAC computer is not able to show such a device in filefinder. You need a additional program like OpenMTP to see the device and transfer files.

For Garmin Express your device is visible.

So, it has nothing to do with VSC or Eclipse. It‘s simply a problemm between MAC and MTP device.

The following thread is about this theme and Edge 1050 device:
https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/cycling/f/edge-1050/377557/garmin-edge-1050-does-not-appear-on-finder-menu-on-mac?pifragment-1290=3#1801937

You need the 3rd party app on the mac and GE can't be running.  The app that was used for a long time was Android File Transfer, but now I think it's  MacDriod: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macdroid-manager-for-android/id1476545828?mt=12

I don't have a mac so I don't follow what's best, but basically, it's an app so you can transfer music from a mac to an android device. (Android is also MTP I think)

OpenMTP worked today for me on a m1 mini, but you do need to exit GE before using it, which takes a minute for GE to check for updates etc

Do you really have to exit? I always get the warning that there might be problems and I have to exit, but I never exit, and there are no problems.

In later testing, I opened VSC and edited there and did the Run without debugging thing til ready to try it.  I 'then' opened OpenMTP and it worked while SDK Manager was running (dunno if that's needed or not), but GE was 'not' running at all.  Seems like OpenMTP makes even that unnecessary.

8759980 said:

OpenMTP worked today for me on a m1 mini, but you do need to exit GE before using it, which takes a minute for GE to check for updates etc

flocsy🤠 said:

Do you really have to exit? I always get the warning that there might be problems and I have to exit, but I never exit, and there are no problems.

8759980 said:

In later testing, I opened VSC and edited there and did the Run without debugging thing til ready to try it.  I 'then' opened OpenMTP and it worked while SDK Manager was running (dunno if that's needed or not), but GE was 'not' running at all.  Seems like OpenMTP makes even that unnecessary.

Not sure what you're getting at here, since the question (which you brought up!) is whether GE needs to be closed before using OpenMTP (or similar software).

Nobody disputes that OpenMTP will work if GE is *not* running, the question is whether it will work if GE *is* running. (The SDK manager is not relevant here.)

I just double checked, and at least for me, I found that Garmin Express does have to be closed before OpenMTP will work. This includes closing the Garmin logo icon in the status menu (it asks you if you want to run GE in the background, so it can sync stuff in the background - I think you have to tell it not to do so).

Conversely, if OpenMTP is already open and communicating with your Garmin device, if you open GE at this point, it won't be able to talk to your device.

TL;DR afaict, yes you have to close Garmin Express completely before using OpenMTP (or any other MTP software). No, Garmin Express and OpenMTP will not work at the same time. (If both are open at the same time, one of them will not be talking to your device).

flocsy🤠 said:

I always get the warning that there might be problems and I have to exit, but I never exit, and there are no problems.

I'm pretty surprised that you don't have to exit GE in order to use OpenMTP.

Not sure what you're doing differently. Did you use the eject function in GE? (This doesn't even seem to work for me)

Does your device show as connected in Garmin Express, with a green status icon? If so, I would not expect OpenMTP to work at this point. If it shows as disconnected with a grey icon, then I would expect OpenMTP to work, but then again, it would also mean that GE isn't actually talking to your device at that point.

I tested with an fr955 if it matters.

Actually I use Android File Transfer, and both seem to work, at least in the order I work with them. I don't think I ever worked GE,AT,GE or AT,GE,AT, but I did work for sure with: AT (always on, but watch not connected), open GE, disregard the warning, connect watch, use GE, then eject (and yes, it does eject it for me) and then AT to copy files. If I remember correctly I never had to disconnect the USB cable in between. I'll add that this is on an older Mac with Intel chip and older MacOS.

I only downloaded OpenMTP last week, I'll test it tomorrow how the same workflow works for me.

Ok, but you never mentioned ejecting the device in GE lmao. And no one ever said you had to disconnect the cable in between (but it's good to know that you don't have to).

It's very reasonable to imagine that pressing eject in GE would be a substitute for closing GE and vice versa.
I think this is an example of taking things too literally or missing the point. The point is that *something* has to heppen to get GE to stop talking to your device, whether it's fully exiting GE or disconnecting your device by ejecting it within GE.

And if Android File Transfer is open but the watch is not connected, that's also a reasonable substitute for Android File Transfer not being open in the first place. (How would the watch tell the difference?)

So imo it's kinda disingenuous to say "I never have to close GE" but to not mention ejecting the device in the GE. It's like saying "I don't have to reboot my PC" in response to some troubleshooting procedure, but not mentioning that you have to manually stop a service or log out and in.

If you're able to get the same workflow to work without ever pressing eject in GE, then that would be interesting.

IOW, if Android File Transfer is connected to the watch, I don't expect GE to work. And if GE is connected to the watch, I don't expect AFT (or OpenMTP) to work.

If either of those apps is somehow disconnected from the device, then it's very plausible that the other would work. The fact that completely closing either app also disconnects the device is somewhat of a technicality. Yes it's nice to know what's actually happening here, and that there's a "softer" way to get around the problem, but it doesn't make it 100% "wrong" for ppl to say that you need to fully close GE before using OpenMTP. It just means they don't know there's a different way (or in some cases, they choose not to mention it, to keep things simple.)

BTW it's a common shorthand in tech support that you ask the user to do easiest / most universal / "strongest" thing even if it isn't technically necessary. e.g. In some cases there maybe another to way to way to reset a certain state without asking the user to reboot their PC, but asking them to reboot the PC is the easiest way to get that accomplished. Similarly, it's probably lot easier to just say "completely close GE / AFP / OpenMTP before using another app" then it is to say "ensure device is disconnected from GE / AFP / OpenMTP before using another app".

I do think it might be nice as a power user thing to be able to just eject the device in GE, for users who like having GE open all the time for some reason. (I don't. i didn't even have it installed on my Mac.)

But I also don't think it's really much of an imposition to fully close GE/OpenMTP as opposed to simply disconnecting the device, unless it's really the case that you like having GE open all the time and/or it takes a long time for GE to close (or reopen).

Personally I hate GE and try to avoid using it as much as possible, so I'm ok with fully closing it.