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Problem with firmware update 27.09 seems to be solved with update 27.10 // FR265

Micka_H

Calorie count, step tracking, Body Battery, heart rate, and related metrics appear to be fixed with the latest 27.10 firmware update on my wife’s Forerunner 265.

It was about time — thank you for finally addressing this issue.

That said, Garmin should seriously review its internal crisis-communication process. When a firmware update causes major regressions affecting core health and activity metrics, waiting weeks without clear public communication is not acceptable.

Timely and transparent updates would go a long way toward maintaining user trust.

  • 0

    Hello. I have a Forerunner 265 and my watch has been working great. I have had it for 2.5 years. Would last over a week... this includes some GPS activities and other things such as Weightlifting. I don't know if it happened right after updating to firmware 27.09 as I can't remember when that happened but I would say in the last week or 2 the drain has been crazy fast.... Just yesterday it went from 50% in the morning down to 25% in the afternoon and then all of a sudden dropped to 1% and asked to be put into powersave mode. I contacted Garmin and they said they don't know of any other instances of this happening with the 265 and said they offer the exchange as I am 1.5 years past warranty. Anyone else out there in the same boat as me?

  • 0 in reply to 5703719

    Power drains have been a commonly noted problem after firmware updates but not for everyone (go figure?). If you haven't already, the first thing to try is a power down restart. Occasionally it's also noted that after a firmware up that some sensors have got set to modes of operation that creates the most power drain, again not for everyone, so you might what to check the sensor setting but the power down restart is the dumb simple first thing to try.

  • 0 in reply to gxgene1

    Thank you so much for the reply. I will check everything as you suggest. I will also do a factory reset before I consider doing the exchange. 

  • 0 in reply to 5703719

    Likely you don't need this info but just in case. If you do the factory reset which is a good third option, you are probably aware that you will loose activities and profile. Obviously if you've uploaded activities not an issue. You can hook the USB cable between the Garmin and a PC, the garmin becomes a thumb drive and the activities are stored in the activity folder. Copy them out to the PC, copy them back after a reset if you want them on the watch. I never tried to hunt if you can do the same with the profile information.

  • 0 in reply to gxgene1

    Hi!  Forgive me if this makes me sound naive... but I would rather ask the obvious than to be sorry.... but... we are just talking about activities that are saved on the watch itself for viewing without a phone around right? Anything uploaded on Garmin Connect and my profile itself will remain right?  I don't want to get my hopes up too much but I have a Gamin Tempe Sensor and an off market indoor bike cadence/speed sensor (at home.. currently I am at work)... I never shut them off so they are always 'searching'. I have never had a problem with battery life before even without shutting these things off... but to eliminate any possibility I stopped them from searching while I sit here at work. So far the battery seems to be holding out. Again.. don't want to get my hopes up. But is it possible that the latest FW update tweaked something?   I don't know.  I am hoping it is the issue!  Thanks again for your help. 

  • 0 in reply to 5703719

    My history on this is I've never been happy with the performance of the optical HR for the FR265 compared to my FR245, because of that I've read a lot of posts hoping for a solution. It has been reported on an occasion or two of a sensor (like HR) getting set to maximum detail during sleep, ect, but I wouldn't call it common; restarts after a firmware update fixing power drains are much more common, but not always a universal fix.

    I don't purposely long term archive my activities on Garmin Connect I upload to Strava. But the activities are there on my phone without my watch being connected. If you have any doubts just shut the watch off and check your activities.

    I also randomly back up the activities folder on my watch to my PC. I know I've got them if anything ever happens to Strava, or Connect, or the watch, 

    When I back up the activities folder I also typically delete some of the older activities. Eventually, depending on how much data is logged and how long you keep using the watch, it might run out of room. Sure you can use the watch interface to delete activities, but its simpler to delete a few in bulk after I back them up, using the watch as a thumb drive.

    If fact I have backed up all the folders on the watch to the PC, I may not ever need the other files, but it's not that much space and I'm just that kind of guy.

  • 0 in reply to 5703719

    Hi.  When you reset the watch, none of the activities on the app or on the website are affected.  The only changes happen on the watch.  Battery life on my 265 seems to be pretty good.  I am still getting about two weeks or so with the AMOLED set to only show when I turn my wrist up so I can see the watch.  I have several sensors attached to the watch - such as my Tacx, and several HRMs - but I have not turned them off.  And the watch face I am using has an active heart rate graph which I have to think uses a lot of battery juice to keep updating.

    Hopefully the reboot of your watch will solve the issue for you.

  • 0 in reply to gxgene1

    Thank you for your responses. I am very grateful. I don't know what exactly that I did that has made it better but with the recommendations here I am still sitting at 80% down only from 82% 22 hours ago!  I am much relieved. 

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    Can the original poster confirm their wife's model is really a 265 and that it was possible to install 27.10, because they must be the only one in the world who can? Google AI, Google itself is firing out false solutions based on this post, throwing a lot of people off no doubt

  • 0 in reply to DoctorCool

    Hi DC, I was talking full factory reset, not a reboot, I think that deletes activities but would love to know if I'm wrong.