Browsing instinct solar files using a Windows-10 PC

Could be a number of things.

• Clean the connector port on your Instinct - Cleaning the Device
• Change to a different USB port on your computer.
• Change to a different computer.
• Change the cable. If you contact Garmin Support, they might send you a new one, otherwise any compatible data cable with the Garmin connector should work.

Hi seilogramp,

Many thanks for your four suggestions. I have tried the first three of your suggestions (cleaned the smartwatch port, tried a different USB port and tried a different computer) but with no success so, yes, now I'm looking at my Garmin cable with some suspicion. My cable looks to be in excellent condition but it could be that there's a broken wire inside although, instead, I am wondering whether garmin supplied me with a cable that does charging-only. Cables that do both charging and data-transfer are I think more expensive to produce, compared to cables that only do charging.

I've had a quick look on Amazon, for another cable, but their cables all seem to be advertised for charging. This means that those Amazon cables may only work for charging and not for data transfer. I don't think I want the hassle.

I have only one running activity that is not syncing to Garmin Connect - the one when the garmin servers were down. Prior activities are fine and subsequent activitites are fine. Life is very short so maybe I need to let that one run go. It was only a training run. However, I'm taking part in a cross-country relay race on Sunday (self-guided, no marshals, possibility of wrong turnings) so I will enjoy seeing my data from that run. I will check to see if the Garmin servers are working before syncing my watch.

Thanks again. Good suggestions

5531567 said:

I've had a quick look on Amazon, for another cable, but their cables all seem to be advertised for charging. This means that those Amazon cables may only work for charging and not for data transfer. I don't think I want the hassle.

I'm using this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N18DX6Y/

Charges and syncs data without issues.

I purchased a replacement cable and I still cannot get this to work. I'm not a happy bunny.
(A) I've lost the data from one running activity due to the Garmin servers being down when my watch was syncing.
(B) I've wasted time unsuccessfully trying to get my Instinct Solar to work with Garmin Express on Windows 10.
(C) I've wasted money purchasing a replacement cable which didn't solve the problem.

What I conclude is that with current versions of software (all of which are up-to-date on my devices) the Garmin Instinct Solar is incompatible with Garmin Express on Windows 10, when using the USB connection.
BAD SHOW GARMIN.

I appreciate your help seilogramp. It's just the Garmin device and its software that I'm disappointed with.

In that case, I would definitely reach out directly to Garmin Support - https://support.garmin.com

5531567 said:

What I conclude is that with current versions of software (all of which are up-to-date on my devices) the Garmin Instinct Solar is incompatible with Garmin Express on Windows 10, when using the USB connection.

Personally, I am using Garmin Express on a Windows 10 machine with Instinct and with Instinct 2 without any problems, so I do not think there is a problem in the software. However, I am unable to tell you where your problem comes from - there are several possibilities, and you will need to exclude them one after the other:

• First of al, make sure you wait at least a minute (or better 5min) after connecting the watch to the PC, since it can sometimes take significant time before the PC recognizes and connects to the watch
• Double-check the system settings of your Instinct, and make sure the USB mode is set to "Mass Storage"
• It looks like you already excluded that the cable is the culprit
• You should still try cleaning the contacts on the watch, to exclude that possibility
• You should try to install Garmin Express on another PC or Mac, to exclude your computer is the culprit, or that some of the installed software is in conflict and blocks the USB. And for testing whether the connectivity works, you do not even need to install anything on the alternative PC - it should be visible in File Explorer, regardless whether you installed GE or not.

If the watch is not detectable on any computer, even after having cleaned the contacts, using a new cable, and verified the USB mode, then as seilogramp wrote, contact the Support - the watch may need to be replaced.

Hi trux,

Thanks, yes, I have tried all your suggestions, apart from contacting Support. I do suspect that if I contact support they will just say (a) factory-reset the watch and/or (b) purchase a new watch; I am not inclined to try either. Really, my watch is working fine.

Apart from one running activity from last week that will not sync (from when the Garmin servers were down) and the connection problem with Garmin Express (which I was trying only because those Garmin servers went down), my watch is working fine. To ensure that I spend no further time in trying to rescue this one running activity, I have now deleted all the historical saved activities from my watch

5531567 said:

I have now deleted all the historical saved activities from my watch

Has that made any difference?

When you do finally get your watch to connect to a PC take a look in the TempFIT folder for the file that was not uploaded. If it's there it will be a .fit file with a timestamp appropriate for the date and time the activity was saved to the watch and you will be able to upload tha manually to GC.

Deleting historical saved activities made no difference but thanks for the tip about the TempFIT folder.