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Any workaround to disable automatic firmware updates?

m4dx
over 2 years ago

Hi,

I'm sure there's a lot of clever people on this forum so I hope someone knows a workaround how to disable automatic (forced) firmware updates of the Venu2 (or any other Garmin model without the possibility to disable it in the watch settings)

It's possible to disable automatic firmware updates on Fenix7 for example:

fēnix®‎ 7 Series Owner's Manual - Garmin International, page 95

Gear > System > Software Update: Allows you to install software updates downloaded using Garmin Express. Use the Auto
Update option to enable your watch to download the latest software update from the Garmin Connect app on
your paired phone.

But not on Venu2 (and many other devices)

Venu®‎ 2 Series Owner's Manual - Garmin International, page 47

Gear > System > Software Update: Allows you to check for software updates.

From my point of view forced automatic updates are a serious problem for the customers.
I read many posts on the forum with complaints that the new firmware broke some functionality, in the worst case the watch became useless (for example unable to pair to the phone).

What's even worse - often is the only provided "solution" the watch replacement.

But the question is: What if the watch is out of warranty? Will Garmin provide replacement unit in this case too? ...I don't think so.

So, that's the main reason why I'm looking for the possibility to disable firmware updates.
The other reason is that I need the watch to be functional (I bought it to use it, right?) so I don't want to face the issues brought by unwanted updates (unfortunately it happens too often for my taste) till there are fixes/workarounds for them.

I read somewhere it can be achieved by filling all available internal storage of the watch so there is no space available for new firmware file to be downloaded..
Can someone please confirm it works...?

Or any other workaround?

Thanks in advance.

edit 13/Oct/2022: See my response here, I'm still running old firmware 3 weeks after new one has been released :)

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  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Filling the available internal storage does work.  It has to download the update before it can run it on the watch and if there isn’t any available space it won’t be able to do that.  I ran into this with my SQ but it is the non music edition so a lot less internal storage.  It will probably keep trying to do it though and not sure how often you might get notifications of a SW update.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Not any good ones. You can use a computer to delete the install file from the watch but you have to catch it. So when you get the message that an update is available you can say wait to install and then deleted it. But it will get automatically recreated there at some point in the near future so you would be doing that a lot.

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Also I have seen a fair number of people complaining, as have you, but my (unscientific) opinion is that actually breaking the watch is rare. I have had 3 Garmin watches and have installed all betas and never had an issue. Don't get me wrong I HAVE had some bugs that eventually got fixed but never anything catastrophic.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to CindiL
    CindiL said:
    Filling the available internal storage does work

    Thanks a lot.

    Free space on the internal storage of my V2 is 10MB now - less than size of the firmware but I suppose there should be some free space left to keep the watch "working".

    Let's see what happens once the new firmware will be rolled out....

  • 0 over 2 years ago
    1. Go to Profile > Click on the Profile Name for the one you want to modify > Select Modify Policy
    2. Select Samsung Knox
    3. Select System
    4. Navigate to OTA upgrade
    5. Select Disallow in the drop-down menu
    6. Select Save & Assign
  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to 5269769

    Thanks, but the question was how to disable forced automatic updates of the watch firmware (not Android system updates on the Samsung platform - steps you posted).

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to CindiL
    CindiL said:
    Filling the available internal storage does work

    Unfortunately it (probably) doesn't :|

    Because of the new firmware announcement I verified free space on the watch yesterday evening (9.5MB). 
    Despite of firmware file is bigger (GUPDATE.GCD ~25MB), the update was successful.... :/

    There's 8.9MB space available on the watch after the update.
    The whole /GARMIN folder occupies just 5.2MB. 

    OK... time to check if the update didn't broke those 2 basic functions I use the watch for... 
    I'm going to leave ~1MB free space on the watch now - let's hope it will stop the next forced update.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to m4dx

    I have f6p so I can switch off autoupdate.

    In my watch updating is only when I allow it

    - only then I use express

    - if express has new version it ask me to install update

    So check express settings maybe there is an option 'auto installm update'.

    On watch I can update firmware only when I start wifi synchronisation - so don't use it.

    It's not good to fill all space on device and there is another space hidden when express is connected to watch.

    make a file GUPDATE.GCD and  add attributes hidden/system maybe system won't delete/overwrite such file

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to _psx_

    Yes, as noted in the initial post, it's possible to disable firmware auto update on Fenix (as well as on Forerunner) devices but not on Venu/Vivo models.

    In the case of Venu/Vivo devices you can only postpone firmware installation (see pic on the left in my previous post) - but the update starts automatically once you miss this prompt (you didn't tap on "Install Later"). So obviously, it will be installed during the night.

    _psx_ said:
    there is another space hidden when express is connected to watch.

    It's not necessary to use Garmin Express to update firmware (connect the watch to PC) - firmware is send to the watch via BT from Garmin Connect Mobile application. Maybe it can use the hidden space you mention too...

    _psx_ said:
    make a file GUPDATE.GCD and  add attributes hidden/system maybe system won't delete/overwrite such file

    It's not possible to change attributes of the files. Anyway thanks for this idea.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to m4dx

    Maybe for venu GC sends update. For f6p it doesn't (I know it because a few days ago I could see in web connect info about update and only after connecting watch to express it was updated).

    maybe try  from command line (attrib)

    but check it