Fenix 8 Topo Maps not downloading over wifi or Garmin Express

Went to Europe and tried to download the Topo Active map. It got very far and then did not go further. Watch was brand new. I was scrambling to be ready for a hike. In trying to figure it out and looking at things on Reddit and here, (and having no laptop with me) in the process of deleting and re-queueing and on/off wifi and rebooting my watch and re-plugging in, I wound up with no North America and no Europe.

Now back home, I tried to connect a map by putting Garmin Express on my laptop. The maps are still trying to wifi. I had a chat with Garmin service for about an hour or so, during which I factory reset the watch, deleted it from the phone and computer app, started fresh everywhere....except it was still just trying to download the North America map from Wifi. Finally let it just go on a wifi download, it got to 64% and then the watch buzzed that it was going into Sleep Mode at 11 and it stopped downloading. Now the map is queued again and will not download or connect to wifi or connect to Garmin Express.

ARGH!!!!!!

I bought a watch to hike and bike and it only shows roads and no contours!

Does anyone have tips on how to actually get effective assistance from Garmin?

Also, the watch queues all of North America or all of Europe, but the Garmin Express on the laptop has it broken down into smaller maps. Additionally, is the Topo Active even what I need if I want gravel roads and hiking trails?

0 bluefish 8 months ago

Can you describe again what Express displays when you have connected and synchronized the watch? Are the desired maps up to date? How much free space does Express show ?

0 7121504 8 months ago in reply to bluefish

It shows that there are no maps on the watch and that 1/2 the available space is "other" and 1/2 is "available". As an Apple user, I have no music or anything on the watch that would take up space that I'm aware of. It will not let me sync a map. When I plug the watch into the MacBook, it tries to start downloading the Topo map over wifi now that the watch is "plugged in" but if I plug it into the wall, it won't start a download. It will not do a transfer from the computer because it keeps trying to Wifi. Yesterday I wiped the watch, got rid of wifi, etc. and it still was not going as a Garmin Express transfer.

Garmin Express says my watch version is up to date at 11.67.

0 bluefish 8 months ago in reply to 7121504

That all sounds very strange.

7121504 said:
Yesterday I wiped the watch

Does that mean you have a factory reset?

0 7121504 8 months ago in reply to bluefish

Yes. A factory reset and "forgot"/deleted it from Garmin Express, Garmin Connect, and my phone bluetooth. Still back in the same spot with the North America Topo Active in the download queue.

0 bluefish 8 months ago in reply to 7121504

7121504 said:
North America Topo Active in the download queue.

In Express ?

0 7121504 8 months ago in reply to bluefish

On the watch. On Garmin Express it shows that after a 1/2 hour of transferring the US topo map, it is not on the watch. The transfer never actually went through. On the watch, if I remove the North America queue and look at topo maps, the US map is not there from the Garmin Express transfer and it just says that North America topo has updates available but I have to queue a wifi download.
I spoke to Support Chat and they said they have to talk to their maps person and get back to me in a few days after an hour of working with me again today.

0 bluefish 8 months ago in reply to 7121504

There are some cases where the map manager on the watch incorrectly says that map updates are available, although the maps are up-to-date.
There is a file "garmindevice.xml" on the watch. This contains an "index" of the installed data. I suggest searching for and deleting this file using Windows File Explorer. Then remove the watch from the computer, switch the watch off and on again. This file is automatically recreated when booting.
Look again in the map manager on the watch.

What does it say?