Navigator VI not connecting to a new laptop (Win 10 and USB 3.10 ports)

Warlord

Do Not Resuscitate
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Mar 24, 2017
Messages
21,407
Reaction score
487
I decided to do an update on my BMW Navigator VI device this evening on my new Laptop (Win 10 and USB 3.10 ports)

Loaded Garmin Express to connect the Nav VI and no matter what I tried, the Garmin Nav VI would not connect to my laptop. The USB leads were supplying power, but the laptop wasn't recognising them for data.

So I did a search, which suggested the following tips (None of them worked by the way)....

a) Try different USB Cables, as some only charge device, not allow data transfer
b) Go to secret menu by pressing Volume icon, then holding upper right hand corner for 5 seconds to reveal secret menu, Scroll Down to Mass Storage Mode. Select Mass Storage Mode Single Session.
c) Go to Windows 10 Driver Compatibility website.

Solution....

Anyways, my new laptop is Windows 10 and only has USB 3.1 ports

I connected it to my old Windows 10 laptop with USB 2.0 ports and it worked first time.

So it doesn't appear to be a Windows 10 issue, but an issue with the USB 3.1 Ports on the laptop. Who knows :nenau but the old USB 2.0 ports and Windows 10 worked fine.

Just thought it might help someone if they can't get their Nav VI to connect :thumb
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Spot on

I decided to do an update on my BMW Navigator VI device this evening on my new Laptop (Win 10 and USB 3.10 ports)

Loaded Garmin Express to connect the Nav VI and no matter what I tried, the Garmin Nav VI would not connect to my laptop. The USB leads were supplying power, but the laptop wasn't recognising them for data.

So I did a search, which suggested the following tips (None of them worked by the way)....

a) Try different USB Cables, as some only charge device, not allow data transfer
b) Go to secret menu by pressing Volume icon, then holding upper right hand corner for 5 seconds to reveal secret menu, Scroll Down to Mass Storage Mode. Select Mass Storage Mode Single Session.
c) Go to Windows 10 Driver Compatibility website.

Solution....

Anyways, my new laptop is Windows 10 and only has USB 3.1 ports

I connected it to my old Windows 10 laptop with USB 2.0 ports and it worked first time.

So it doesn't appear to be a Windows 10 issue, but an issue with the USB 3.1 Ports on the laptop. Who knows :nenau but the old USB 2.0 ports and Windows 10 worked fine.

Just thought it might help someone if they can't get their Nav VI to connect :thumb

:thumb2 Brilliant, after tearing my hair out on this one with all the other suggested solutions this worked straight away for me. Tip for others. My (mini tower) PC has USB connections on the front panel none of which worked. I went round the back and there were more USB3 (these tend to have little blue bits of plastic in) ports and two USB2 (with black plastic bits) ports. I plugged into one of these and bingo, the PC recognised the Nav 6 straight away. Excellent tip.

CANCEL THAT, THE BLOODY THING'S JUST STOPPED WORKING AGAIN !!!!!!!
 
I have the exact same issue with a newish Lenovo laptop but it ONLY has USB3 ports. I find that if I connect it when the Garmin is off, the device boots and then goes to the screen that has a little USB stick logo on it but the PC acts as though it hasn't recognised it. For me, what works is disconnecting it for maybe 5 seconds and then reconnecting, this then gets recognised by the PC immediately.

As I mentioned on another thread, the only visual difference for me is that although the screen doesn't alter in terms of showing the USB connection picture, the screen brightness has dimmed when it eventually works.

It's possible that connecting it from "cold" prevents it from fully booting up but I have no idea why, just that this method works for me.

NOTE - I also make sure that the Garmin Express software is running and visible on the screen and I can see that it's not recognising the device, and after the quick disconnect/reconnect it then appears.

I'll test it out again this evening but of the 3 times I've connected to the PC so far, it's never once connected first time. I can't remember if I've tried booting the device all the way up and then connecting it, I "think" I have and it didn't work but I'm not sure.
 
OK, this gets more confusing.
First - and this may help some, I tried this fix from a Garmin forum

Win10 can have issues connecting to mtp mode devices, which yours is. Try changing it to mass storage mode:

1. Start device by itself and go to Volume Screen.
2. Press the upper right hand corner of screen for 10 seconds.
3. The Developers Screen will pop up
(may see Configuration and Settings, if so select it)
4. Scroll down to MTP SETTINGS
5. Change from AUTO DETECT to MASS STORAGE
6. Shut down the device and connect to PC
7. It should now connect in mass storage mode.

I've followed this and successfully switched the menu option from Auto Detect to Mass Storage (although whether it actually makes any difference I'm not convinced)

I've now tried connecting the Nav6 to a Win 7 laptop both via USB3 and USB2. USB3 - no joy at all. As soon as I connect it the NAV6 seems to see this as a power up and boots straight to normal navigating mode. When I connected to the USB2 and then rebooted the PC the NAV6 initially comes up with the PC and wire graphic that Garmin Zumo users will probably be familiar with. Look for it on Explorer/This PC and no sign. Then after 10-20 seconds the Nav6 flicks over to normal user mode again. Which suggests to me that something isn't detecting the connection. I've tried this with a cable I know works on other devices so I don't think it's the cable. And the laptop works with a Zumo550 and 395 so that's not the problem either. Which leaves me with the Nav6. Suggestions welcome.
 
If your Navigator VI is still in warranty, return it to yor BMW dealership and get them to fix it. Bertter still, give you a new one. If that doesn't work, repeat as necessary until it does.
 
FINALLY !!!!!!
OK, mystery maybe solved.
Having almost given up I finally remembered a USB cable I keep in the car for charging phones etc. It's a genuine Samsung which came with a phone I had a while ago. Plug in to Nav6, plug into USB3 (yes I did say USB3) on my Win10 PC and immediately the PC starts installing drivers. The Nav6 then pops up in Windows Explorer under devices and drives (It never did this previously). Then Garmin Express kicks in and tells me a device is available. I opt to discover new devices and the Nav6 pops up and subsequently Garmin Express offers me updates which I'm in the process of uploading.

Moral (for me anyway) is that one cable is definitely NOT always the same as another. I have 3 cables all of which purport to be full data cables not just charging cables. And only the Samsung one worked. But the NAV6 is now quite happy connected to a USB3 port. Which may not mean that it is fully USB3 compatible, just that the USB3 ports on my PC could be capable of detecting a USB2 device and switching to USB2 mode. It may be that the MTP switch (outlined in my last contribution) from Auto Detect to MASS STORAGE has helped but right now I'm not even vaguely tempted to switch it back.

Probably one giveaway for me if I were to encounter the same problem in future would be - if I connected a NAV6 via USB cable to a PC and the display on the NAV6 went to the PC and wire graphic when the PC was booted, BUT, reverted to the normal Nav mode 10-20 seconds later, I would then suspect the USB cable rather than anything else. The NAV6 is getting into the correct mode but then dropping out because it can't see what it expects on the other end of the wire.
 
I decided to do an update on my BMW Navigator VI device this evening on my new Laptop (Win 10 and USB 3.10 ports)

Loaded Garmin Express to connect the Nav VI and no matter what I tried, the Garmin Nav VI would not connect to my laptop. The USB leads were supplying power, but the laptop wasn't recognising them for data.

So I did a search, which suggested the following tips (None of them worked by the way)....

a) Try different USB Cables, as some only charge device, not allow data transfer
b) Go to secret menu by pressing Volume icon, then holding upper right hand corner for 5 seconds to reveal secret menu, Scroll Down to Mass Storage Mode. Select Mass Storage Mode Single Session.
c) Go to Windows 10 Driver Compatibility website.

Solution....

Anyways, my new laptop is Windows 10 and only has USB 3.1 ports

I connected it to my old Windows 10 laptop with USB 2.0 ports and it worked first time.

So it doesn't appear to be a Windows 10 issue, but an issue with the USB 3.1 Ports on the laptop. Who knows :nenau but the old USB 2.0 ports and Windows 10 worked fine.

Just thought it might help someone if they can't get their Nav VI to connect :thumb
It WORKS!! Just proves that some things never grow old.

Either that or, as the actress said to the bishop..."wrong hole"!! ;)
 
I am having similar problems connecting a BMW Navigator VI to my Macbook Pro (2021) with USB-C ports. When I use the cable I've always used (Micro-USB to USB-A) and connect to my iMac (2019) it works perfectly. When I connect to the Macbook Pro using either a USB-A to USB-C converter cable or A to C dongle, it doesn't work.

According to Garmin, "Macs with only USB-C Ports: These models will require the use of a USB hub or adapter for connection," see https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=Pu8dqQaIFY5hq2dMWuDix7

Amazon has hubs from less than £5, but I need this working asap, so have ordered a fancy hub/dock, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-MacBook-Devices-Digital-Multiport-Space-Grey/dp/B09QM99ZTV
 
The hub and a new MicroUSB to USB-C data cable arrived and made no difference. I then realised I was on MacOS Ventura 13.0.1 and the latest release was 13.4, so upgraded and now everything works. I had 'check for updates' ticked but now realise all that does is check, it doesn't install them! Duh...
 


Back
Top Bottom