Garmin Express

[Berin]

Has anyone tried the new map loader, Garmin Express, yet?

I last updated at 2013.1. I loaded Western Europe on the device (Nav IV) and the rest on an SD card. All the mapping was there on the device and the PC, although MyGarmin Maps told me the download was unsuccessful

I checked for updates yesterday and found 2013.3, went to download, and got pointed at Garmin Express, which makes wild promises of easy updates and the ability to split maps onto the SD card!

I looked through the tutorial, and sure enough, there's a menu item asking where you want to install, so I went ahead. Last night I downloaded, but now it says it's only loading Western Europe onto my device, I have no idea where the maps are on my PC (not visible in Mapsource).

Any feedback?

 

[ghiribizzo]

Hadn't heard of it. Will go and look. Shuuurely they have made progress and it'll be plug and play. Not holding my breath though!

 

[ghiribizzo]

It installed very quickly - far easier than the usual download from Garmin onto a Mac and seems to be ok, but the units I have were up to date anyway but the car's Zumo, bike's Nuvi and Montana are all listed ok.
Fingers crossed for the next update though!

 

[Berin]

It installed very quickly - far easier than the usual download from Garmin onto a Mac and seems to be ok, but the units I have were up to date anyway but the car's Zumo, bike's Nuvi and Montana are all listed ok.
Fingers crossed for the next update though!

It has installed 2013.3 (and did split over the unit and an SD card, but only Western Europe! I want all of Europe!

 

[Berin]

Weird. I called Garmin, who sent me a link to download all of Europe using the old mapupdater product. There is no option now on the website to download maps other than Garmin Express.

I followed the link, selected full European mapping to download to PC and device, lef tit overnight and I now have full European mapping on the PC, and on the device under tools>settings>maps>mapinfo it say I have "all Europe".

Looking on the Garmin drive and SD card (16gb) it seems I really do have all the maps, split across Sd card and the device.

When I plug the device into the PC, Garmin Express pops up and says update available, for all of Europe. So I assume next time it will update fully.

 

[ghiribizzo]

Yet another half-assed piece of work by Garmin. I really wonder if someone really ever sits with a GPS, a Mac and a PC and tries the damn software.
Next update could be fun. Or not.

 

[ghiribizzo]

Well - the next Map update has arrived! Plugged in the Zumo and Garmin Express happily informed me there is an update. I'd the unit connected yesterday and no update available then.
Straight away, a screen prompting that there is insufficient space on the unit and that I could use a micro-SD card or choose to only have selected regions on the unit.
Yes - let's put the maps on the card...
Then another screen saying that the card must have at least 3GB free. Checking card...

Things are looking up at last with Garmin!

 

[Schtum]

Things are looking up at last with Garmin!

I've got an unlimited package with BT, if you get fed up of waiting.....

 

[ghiribizzo]

 

[Schtum]

There's gratitude, you offer to let your mate leech your broadband and....

 

[IainMac]

Weird. I called Garmin, who sent me a link to download all of Europe using the old mapupdater product. There is no option now on the website to download maps other than Garmin Express.

I followed the link, selected full European mapping to download to PC and device, lef tit overnight and I now have full European mapping on the PC, and on the device under tools>settings>maps>mapinfo it say I have "all Europe".

Looking on the Garmin drive and SD card (16gb) it seems I really do have all the maps, split across Sd card and the device.

When I plug the device into the PC, Garmin Express pops up and says update available, for all of Europe. So I assume next time it will update fully.

was the link provided a general one or one personal to you/your unit? Just had the same problem, only option was to use Garmin express which didnt update maps on PC..

 

[ghiribizzo]

only option was to use Garmin express which didnt update maps on PC..

Well, I take it all back about it working well. Unlike above - I found that Garmin Express updated the maps on the Mac ok. If I launch Basecamp without a GPS plugged in - no problem. So that's at odds with what IainMac found.

On another thread, someone wrote that the 3D maps were lost. I didn't quite understand that as on mine, it displayed both in Basecamp with the option to view 2D or 3D maps. - Or the two beside each other splitting the screen.
Well - that was until I updated the car's Nuvi yesterday. It was apparently all ok according to Garmin Express. The Nuvi is now displaying 2013.40 CN and the same in 3D maps. Seems fine.
But last night I plugged in the Zumo to drag some routes around to change from what Garmin decides to see more Michelin Green routes in France. I noticed that the options of any map choice had disappeared - it showed only the Zumo icon and the sd card icon but no info about what they contained.
So now I've found that without any input from me, despite Garmin Express saying everything is updated and fine - the Zumo on start up now tells me that the mapas are over a year old and should be updated. It's showing only 2011.30. WTF?
So it's currently attempting to re-install maps. We'll see what happens after that. Thankfully the trip is not on Saturday.

 

[ghiribizzo]

Re-installed with Garmin Express and we now have 2013.40 2D and 3D maps again.
Reconnecting to Basecamp, the two sets of maps have re-appeared in 'My Garmin Devices'.

 

[Humbug]

I prefer to use the old updater. Even the tech guy at Garmin admitted it was more flexible.

http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.exe

 

[bellyboy]

been thru the express ,,,ho ho,,,route with my zumo... using it I can only select pre selected parts of europe,, not as before, chosing the regions I want?.. less flexible I agree,

I went back to mapinstaller and reloaded using that,, Appreciate maps a little out of date but,,, will it really matter?

Hoping That with the new LC the NAV IV im considering will handle the latest maps all ok?...

 

[cookie]

just used garmin express and it installed the maps quickly and with little fuss.

with this being garmin, of course things are never that simple

it only installed to my 660 and not basecamp on my mac. never saw an option of where the maps were installed, and can't see one now.

is it possible to install maps to a computer using express, or should i just use mapupdater which garmin have apparently discontinued?

 

[John Armstrong]

just used garmin express and it installed the maps quickly and with little fuss.

with this being garmin, of course things are never that simple

it only installed to my 660 and not basecamp on my mac. never saw an option of where the maps were installed, and can't see one now.

is it possible to install maps to a computer using express, or should i just use mapupdater which garmin have apparently discontinued?

Tried to install it again as IIRC it then asks you if you want to download it to another location. Which MapUpdater used to do in one hit

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

Just in the middle of this

From the MyGarmin site the update would only direct me to using Garmin Express. The download says this is not Mac compatible but gives you no other choice so I successfully downloaded it.

The map is now too big to fit UK and Europe on so I bought a bigger 8MB mini SD card.

Interestingly if you opt to download a smaller map to the unit you get the choice if installing it to device and unit. No option if you choose to go to the SD card

It wouldn't recognise the SD card. Quick internet search and I formatted it and the download started but 20 mins in it then stopped and ejected the device. Tried it again with the same result

I have now binned Express and gone back to Map Updater. This has successfully downloaded the map to the Mac and I am just doing the same to the unit.

Usual Garmin service...

 

[cookie]

i'm in the middle of trying with mapupdater right now. i already had it on my computer.

firstly, it wants to download the multi GB of maps i've already downloaded with "Express" again.
there is now no option i can see to just install to the mac, so i let it do the gps as well, but it tells me there is not enough room, so i select western europe. still not enough room apparently.
i cancelled the process and started again and it's decided on it's own volition to install all europe to my SD card after i told the program not too

ever since i subscribed to lifetime updates i have had some issue like this EVERY FUCKING TIME i update my maps!
garmin: your software "engineers" are truly the most incompetent bunch of retarded fuck-sticks on the planet

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

i'm in the middle of trying with ma pup dater