Update to v2.40 in watch without Garmin Express

Former Member over 8 years ago

TL;DR: 'Install Now' option on Fenix 5 for update to 2.40 seems to have no effect.

I'm the proud new owner of a Fenix 5 Sapphire. I received it the day I went on holiday (perfect timing!) and am away from my computer for a couple of weeks. So I'm trying to update the software without using Garmin Express.

At Settings > System > Software Update, it shows:

v2.40 Available
Install Now
Est. Time: 2 min.

But when I click select (top right button) nothing seems to happen. Up and down buttons don't do anything, and back just returns me to the previous menu. Any ideas?

I've tried selecting 'Install Now' several times. On one occasion I got an alert 'battery too low to install update' (or words to that effect - but only once, I couldn't replicate this), so I charged the watch (currently 95%) and tried again - but nothing happens when I try to select 'Install Now'.

When I woke up this morning I got an alert to say that v2.40 was available. (Actually I thought it said it had updated to 2.40, but when I checked the current software version in Settings > About it says it's still 2.00.)

Any ideas on how I can update the software, or why 'Install Now' isn't working? Thanks!

0 Crispin_Ellisdon over 8 years ago

So it sounds like the install file is on the watch (without a PC/Mac to connect to you won't be able to confirm for certain). Have you tried the soft reset (press and hold the light button for 20 seconds, until the watch switches off, and the switch it on again)? This often unblocks all sorts of problems on the Fenix series.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

So it sounds like the install file is on the watch (without a PC/Mac to connect to you won't be able to confirm for certain). Have you tried the soft reset (press and hold the light button for 20 seconds, until the watch switches off, and the switch it on again)? This often unblocks all sorts of problems on the Fenix series.

I have not. I've tried turning it off and on again, but not a reset. I couldn't find a description of what that type of reset does and was nervous it would reset settings to default etc. Is that not the case?

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

So it sounds like the install file is on the watch (without a PC/Mac to connect to you won't be able to confirm for certain). Have you tried the soft reset (press and hold the light button for 20 seconds, until the watch switches off, and the switch it on again)? This often unblocks all sorts of problems on the Fenix series.

I've just tried the reset as you've described. After turning the watch back on, the same thing is happening - I don't seem able to select 'Install Now'.

Any other thoughts? Thanks for the help.

0 Volker over 8 years ago

Maybe a faulty file. Delete the GUPDATE.gcd file in the garmin folder and download the update again.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Maybe a faulty file. Delete the GUPDATE.gcd file in the garmin folder and download the update again.

Thanks Volker_I. Is there a way to delete the file without plugging it into a PC/Mac? I have an iPhone and iPad with me but that's it for a couple of weeks.

0 Crispin_Ellisdon over 8 years ago

It could just be the update file is corrupted (it takes an age for these things to transfer over BLE, so wouldn't surprise me). From looking at the details of the beta software on the Chronos forum and the file structure on my Fenix 5, it seems software update files are stored in the same /GARMIN and /GARMIN/RemoteSW directories as was the case with the Fenix 3. So it may work if you can hook up to a PC or Mac (doesn't need to be with GE) then delete the GUPDATE file in the /GARMIN directory and any files in the /GARMIN/RemoteSW folder, then reconnect to GCM on your phone and wait for the software updates to download again. Given you're away from home on holiday, without access to your PC with GE, the only other option would be to do a settings reset to clear everything from the watch and start again from scratch.

0 jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

Just a note.. If you do find a way to look at mass store on the watch, the files will be ".tmp" and not ".gcd" if the transfer is still in progress, both in /garmin and /garmin/remotesw. And they do take a long time to transfer over bluetooth!

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Ok thanks guys - much appreciated. I might try a factory reset as I'm impatient!

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Ok, I just did a factory reset (Settings > System > Restore Defaults) and then (before reconnecting to GCM) went straight to Settings > System > Software Update and it still says v2.40 Available - Install Now. So it must have retained the file despite the reset? But it still won't let me select 'Install Now!

I then, just on the off chance, connected it to my iPad via Apple's lightning-to-USB (camera) cable. It wouldn't let me access files, but when I disconnected it an alert popped up on the watch saying 'v2.40 Available' again. But this time, as well as an 'Install Now' option (which again I could not select), there was an 'Install Tonight' option, which it did let me select. So I've done that and we'll see what happens tonight!

Very strange. Hopefully these are quirks fixed by v2.40!

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

It's now the next day and the software did not update overnight - it still says v2.40 is available, and 'Install Now' still doesn't work. So unless anyone has any other suggestions, I guess I'll have to wait till I'm back at a computer to delete the install file and try again via GE. Frustrating!