Garmin, please help

Former Member
Former Member

I just bought a Garmin Montana 700.

In my.garmin.com I wrote a message to the support to move my registrated maps vom my monterra (which I sold) to my new Montana 700.

But I got no answer!

Could you please help me!

Monterra SN is 2TG009643

Montaba 700 SN is 6HR000379

Thank you in advance!

  • This is primarily a peer to peer forum. Although Garmin employees sometimes read and occasionally post, the forum is not an official support channel. You should open a support call if want assistance from tech support.

    That said, they are unlikely to help you in this instance. Garmin policy is that maps are purchased for a specific unit. They are locked to the unit when first installed. The only exception is maps that were purchased ON an SD card. Those are locked to the card, which can be moved from unit to unit. Based on your query, I assume that your maps were not delivered on an SD card.

    Garmin is unlikely to make an exception, but you can try tech support.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to twolpert

    Thank you for your answer. In the meantime the support answers to my request and the result is similar to your answer. I am user of Garmin devices for several decades and in earlier times it was possible, to shift map licences from one device to another. If this is not possible anymore, this means for me, I will not buy additionally maps for my devices or will not buy Gamin devices anymore...

  • Pretty sure your gonna be out of luck here.

    Maps are locked to either (A) the device they are downloaded to, or (B) the microSD card they are installed on (when purchased on microSD card).

    If you purchased maps for your Monterra, they are locked to that device, and you should have figured that into the selling price when you sold it, so you could purchase again for your new device.

    Those maps will always be functional on that Monterra, and Garmin have no way of disabling them, therefore they have no way to 'transfer' them to your new device without making them functional on two devices for one purchase event.

    The only time Garmin transfers map product licenses from one product to the other is when they are replacing the unit, and they have the original device in their possession.

  • this means for me, I will not buy additionally maps for my devices or will not buy Gamin devices anymore...

    OK.

    (A) There are plenty of free third party map options that work quite well. 

    (B) If not Garmin, what will you buy? There are no competitors......

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to atlas_cached

    In principle you are right. But in this special case I wanted to test the City Navigator on the new device. And there are GPS devices available from other manufacturers or software for the smartphone.

  • Special Case? How so?

    I do not believe Garmin provides any 'special Case' maps for testing.

    Sure, there are 'other' GPS manufacturers, so go ahead, knock yourself out with some of those.

    Or use your phone.

    Who Cares?

    Please don't bash Garmin because they will not provide you with free maps.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to atlas_cached

    OK, I am understanding, that you are a Garmin-fanboy. My aim was, to shift my Topo map and the City Navigator from my Monterra to the new Montana 700. Over years, this was possible and I did not know, that Garmin changed the policy! The reason for this was, I did not want to lose my PAYED software and especially to test the City Navigator on the Montana 700. If this was wrong, please excuse me very much :-D :-D :-D And BTW, maybe I am longer a Garmin user, than you spent on this earth...

  • Well, I was born long before Garmin, so no chance of that!

    City Navigator works just fine on the Montana 7x0. In fact, the 700i and 750i come pre-loaded with it! So no more need to worry, just buy it again if you want it for this device 8^)

    Personally, I would recommend using the TopoActive which includes lifetime updates and many Garmin only POI and other map data coupled with the power of open source OSM mapping.

  • it seems there where different policies in Europe and USA. I am shure: I did it in the past with cdrom maps activated on eTrex Vista to GpsMAP60s to GpsMAP60Cs all by mail. Thanks Garmin Europe!

  • But!!! they all have very small memory 24mb. so you can download only small parts to the device