Nav 6 /sigh!

[KrisL]

So, This damn nav 6 has to be the least intuitive thing I’ve ever come across..

My issue is as follows. I bought is second hand from Facebook gs owners group. Plugged into laptop and tried about 5 different cables. All were cables used for power and data and one is even from my tomtom. Only once in about 25 attempts did I get the pc wire and computer picture on the laptop. On this one attempt I managed to run garmin express, update the nav to the latest version and then I thought everything was peachy. Nav6 restarts and then won’t reconnect, even with the same cable I’ve just used to update it.

I’ve tried all the ports on the laptop
I’ve deleted the root usb drivers for the laptop and reinstalled them
I’ve downloaded the individual garmin usb drivers from garmin website and tried that.
I’ve tried a usb2 hub as my laptop runs usb3 and I thought I might be that
I’ve deleted all the user data from the nav 6 to see if that kicks it to life
I’ve set compatibility mode to windows 7 in the application properties to see if that helps
I’ve hopped in to the developer settings on the nav6 and set to mass storage device and that didn’t work either
I’ve watched the event logs whilst plugging the nav6
In to the laptop for anything weird and nothing there either


I’m now stumped!
I’m not new to pc’s and have in the past managed windows 10 migrations for large banks and technically supported windows 10 for a couple of years so I’ve tried a number of things which I’d expect to get things moving. But not here, not a sausage.

I’m now stuck as I bought it second hand and I’m guessing bmw will tell me to naff off.

 

[OldCroc]

Get a Mac?


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[KrisL]

Get a Mac?


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useful, thanks for you input

 

[OldCroc]

Said in jest but in all seriousness I use aMac and Macbook Air and any old cable lying around and not had any issues - yet!


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[casbar]

Said in jest but in all seriousness I use aMac and Macbook Air and any old cable lying around and not had any issues - yet!


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Well I use a MacBook Air and its behaves like the OP. Sometimes I connect and it can take 4-5 mins before it recognises it in Express. When I did the last software update on the reboot bit, nothing was happening, so I left it connected and went for a bath and when I came back down, the thing had rebooted and the update completed. My MacBook is a 2012 model so maybe newer models are quicker

 

[JerseyNeil]

I recently had the same issue with my Mac book pro and my Nav V. I had more USB cables in the man drawer that you could throw a stick at (including at least one that had definitely worked previously). They all felt a bit loose when plugging them in and all they would do was charge the Nav 5 and the laptop would not recognise it as a device. I had updated it and downloaded routes from basecamp loads of time before over the years using the same computer and cables I stated to wonder if the micro USB port in the Nav 5 was knackered.....

As a last resort I ordered a new USB cable from amazon basics and it worked first time.

One of my jobs at work include forensic examination of electronic devices and I know that USB cables do wear out quickly (we use sacrificial usb hubs at work to avoid wearing out the ports on the computers).

Worth a try with a brand new cable.

 

[Santa-2512]

erm... and how do the hubs connect to the computers.... via a usb cable???

 

[Bem]

Just updated my Nav 6 yesterday - took ages for the Nav to "powerup and be recognised" or whatever the correct descriptor is - tried a couple of times in haste, then just left it whirling round. Probably took about 20 mins to be recognised but when it was the updates flew by, comparatively.

 

[JerseyNeil]

erm... and how do the hubs connect to the computers.... via a usb cable???

Yes of course they do but you don't then have to plug and unplug it from the PC every time a new device is attached which causes the wear. Keep up at the back..........

 

[paul08]

Sometimes I have found my computer seems reluctant to recognise/connect to a Garmin satnav. Leave the device connected, but power down and restart the computer and it will (hopefully) recognise the satnav. Certainly works for me

 

[paul08]

And you may get a better response to your query if you post it in the Equipment & Toys| GPS Info section

 

[Santa-2512]

Yes of course they do but you don't then have to plug and unplug it from the PC every time a new device is attached which causes the wear. Keep up at the back..........

I am keeping up

So how lond do the hubs last with all that plugging and unplugging?? The new ones will require plugging into the pc at some point

 

[JerseyNeil]

I won't bite........ You can replace the hub by removing the usb cable at the hub end thus leaving the PC unmolested

 

[malcopopolo]

Sell the crappy device, remove the bmw cradle and fit a quadlock phone case and cradle for your smartphone. There are alot of options for navigation via the app store

 

[casbar]

Sell the crappy device, remove the bmw cradle and fit a quadlock phone case and cradle for your smartphone. There are alot of options for navigation via the app store

Not being able to connect to a lap top has no reflection on how the device works. I have had no issues with my Nav V or VI, but maybe just lucky like the thousands of users who also have no issues