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Map update for the wrong region

peteholloway
over 3 years ago

I recently upgraded my fenix 5 to a fenix 5 Plus to get access to Garmin Pay and Maps. I live in South Africa, so the unit came preloaded with TopoActive maps for Africa, which is great, but they need to be updated to the latest version.

I used Garmin Express on my work PC to perform the map updates, but I think this confused matters, as my work PC is on a VPN that terminates in the UK, so Garmin Express thought I was in the UK and provided the latest TopoActive European maps as an update, instead of the African maps.

Any ideas how to reset this connection with the UK? 

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  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Just a thought incase you find it isn't your pc connections,and you have a refurbished unit? ... 

    I bought a refurbished unit once from Garmin Southampton UK.... When plugged in to express... I was offered the USA map of many gigs along with the UK map updates.... Leading me to think the watch was possibly from the US originally?..... Anyway sorry if my post isn't relevant to your situation.

    Are you offered the maps you need along side the maps you don't?.... If not then you are probably right about the VPN

    I'd probably uninstall express... and reinstall... on a different computer etc.. Maybe you'll have to remove the watch and start over again etc.... 

    Good luck. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Sam201176

    Thanks for the reply Sam. Unfortunately Express only offers the European update, even though the Africa maps are installed on the device. I tried using a different PC (not on VPN) and a different user account to do the updates, but it still only offered the European maps. There must be a file on the watch that locks the region. Maybe a full reset will work, but that's a last resort.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to peteholloway

    I think your watch is Europe origin, that's why only europe maps are offer to update by GE. Africa map file was downloaded to watch by seller and cannot be updated via Garmin Express. Why don't you want to use OSM maps? They are rather detailed and update every day. Download and unzip Africa gmapi map from https://maptourist.org/osm-garmin/ to BaseCamp, and you may upload only needed regions to your watch. Europe maps you can move from watch to temp folder on your PC to archive and to free watch memory.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to ilracer

    I bought the watch brand new... I have loaded OSM but was hoping to solve the region mystery. Garmin support said the watch must be defective and I should return it to them... not!

  • +1 over 3 years ago in reply to peteholloway

    The maps that Garmin Express offers your Fenix 5 Plus series watch are directly programmed. Garmin Express copies a file off your watch and is then told what maps are to be updated to your watch.

    Example #1:

    • You buy a watch while traveling internationally and return home to another country. The watch is most likely to be programmed for that origin country and you will be able to update those maps only. Consequently, you will not be offered the mapping for the country you went home to.

    You would then need to buy the correct mapping for your region and download it through Garmin Express.

    - TopoActive Africa 2021

    Example #2:

    • You buy a Fenix 5 Plus series watch in your home country. It has the correct home region mapping already on it. However, Garmin Express offers another region's map. In general, this suggests the vendor sold the wrong region watch to you. Depending on the vendor, a batch of watches can be bought in one region but the vendor drop shipped them to another region and sell them either without properly understanding or it was done deceptively. Fortunately, quite uncommon but it can happen.
    • Or, it could be a legitimate issue related to the new watch that Product Support can often resolve. End result would be Garmin Express properly offering your correct home region and no longer offering you the wrong region.
  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris

    Thanks Chris, I believe my issue is as per example 2, point 2. Garmin support have confirmed that the serial number came through Garmin South Africa, but they have asked me to return the watch. Is there no way they can send me the correct files instead of being without my fenix for weeks?

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to peteholloway

    I will be happy to double check what your issue shows on our backend for your watch to confirm if we cannot resolve it. I hope to save you the inconvenience of exchanging it through the vendor. I am sending you a Private Message to gather more info.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Hi Pete, did u manage to get sorted, Im in Cape Town and eventually had a family member take my Fenix 5x Plus to Johannesburg and they said these units are skewed to update Europe, it doesnt make sense to me, and have not accepted the answer, and I have not updated the topo Europe map yet, and i probably will eventually install the free maps and lose the garmin heatmaps 

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Hi Pete, has your problem been resolved as I have the same problem with a Fenix 5x Plus, it wants to update a rather large topo Europe map, but it came with a topo Southern Africa installed, mine has been to Garmin in Johannesburg and they dismissed it as South Africa gets European Units, so Im pretty confused