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No updates for 7 months and my 645 keeps crashing while Hiking/Running

Labronico
over 4 years ago

I'm trying a new post since my latest reply on the matter has been removed from the moderators.

My 645 has been abandoned from Garmin. Seven months with no updates even though it's right below the top of the line of the forerunners.

I created an Hiking activity duplicating the walking one: nothing fancy here. I'm using only native data fields embedded on the watch, not even Connect IQ ones from Garmin, and yet it crashes.

When I'm super lucky it happens at the start (within a minute or so), so that nothing is really lost. Other times I'm not as lucky, especially when I was navigating a course and it leaves me with a black screen, refusing to wake up unless I trigger a soft reset. Which on turn greets me with zeroes aerobic and anaerobic efforts from the point it wakes up, after hours of hike.

And yes I tried everything:

  • Navigating a course or just start a free hike
  • Long courses or very short ones
  • With zero or more external sensors attached
  • Soft reset
  • Hard reset
  • Factory reset
  • Watch replacement (the old one had faulty battery at the age of 11 months)

It still crashes and that to me is the proof that's just a bugged software. It doesn't crash 100% of the times, but it happens so often that I can't really trust my device, which is the point of a pricier Garmin watch instead of a generic cheapo.

Am I the only one which hikes with a 645? Any other feedback?

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I've used it several times for hiking with the Hike2+ app & didn't have problems. Never tried setting up my own activity type however. 

    Other disagree but I think the 645 is dead to Garmin as well over two years old now. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I used 645 for hiking with native app, I made a copy of the pedestrian mode (renaming it hiking) and I customized the metrics, it works very well.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Luca

    That's pretty much exactly my scenario. I did however faced two crashes and a need for s soft reset in a month. I'd say 12-15 activities.

    I'll keep posting crash update as soon as they occur.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Labronico

    Another crash few seconds after having started a run activity, then it quickly showed the screen to resume it. Not a hike, but yet another crash.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Labronico

    One more this morning, again after a few seconds into activity.

    Garmin employees, do you need logs?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Labronico

    There are no Garmin employees here :) You  need to contact their customer support if you want any investigation.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to jkissane_

    Not true: I’ve also been contacted privately from Garmin employees here for things asked publicly, but thanks anyway.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Labronico

    So I've been having crashes too - though not hiking - it's been either 1) when saving an activity, 2) when charging, or today 3) when just starting an activity.  I contacted support and this is what they suggested.  I haven't done it yet.

    ---

    Let's reset/restore all the sensors on the watch, please follow the instructions below.

     

    Press & hold the left upper/power button for 40 seconds (Soft Reset) & then connect it to your computer.

    Now, let's see, via Garmin Express if there are any pending updates for the watch.  Please follow
    the instructions below.
    1. Plug your device into your computer 
    2. Open Garmin Express (can be downloaded at http://garmin.com/express) 
    3. Ensure that your device is the device listed in the top bar 
    4. On the Your Queue box, it will tell if an update is available
    5. If updates are found, please click Install/Install All

    Next, I want you to remove 4 folders from the watch, please follow the instructions below.
    1. Plug your device into the computer 
    2. Open the device's drive in your computer's File Explorer(PC) / Finder(Mac) 
    3. Open the Garmin folder 
    4. Delete the Activities, Monitor, NewFiles and RemoteSW folders & GarminDevice.xml file
    5. Empty your computer's Recycling Bin(PC) / Trash Bin(Mac) 

    Next, let the watch charge to 100%, wait for another 10 minutes, eject from the computer and restore the

    defaults on the watch.  Please click the link below for the instructions on how to restore the defaults.

    Resetting All Default Settings FR 645M

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Winbatch

    They’re basically telling you to take the “start from scratch” approach to reduce external causes.

    However, as mentioned before, I’m having the very same crashes even after resetting everything and even after a watch replacement from Garmin.

    It’s just buggy software, which is expected since they completely abandoned the 645 long ago. Sad but true.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Labronico

    I stand corrected! Best of luck getting any update for for the 645, it would help all of us :)