Synchronization woes

[drknow]

I tried to add some Garmin Topo maps to my iQue, but the synchronization crashed with the message:

- Failed to install file: GMAPSUPP.IMG to the SecureDigital (SD) Card (0x4001)
Install To Card synchronization failed
Protocol Error: Unknown error. (4001)
HotSync Error: Connection is lost (6410)
HotSync operation complete 11/21/03 10:19:15

with the iQue hung in the Synchronization window.


Things I've tried (in roughly this order):
* Reformatting the SD card
* Soft resets
* Removing the topo maps
* Hard resets

and I still get the error. After the hard reset, all the other files and applications loaded fine until the GMAP install failed. Oddly, after the crash my PC won't boot unless I remove the USB cable to the iQue.

GMAPSUPP is over 300 MB but I am installing to a 512 MB Panasonic card.


Any ideas?

[Moose Man]

I'm wondering that perhaps the image creation process from the TOPO maps got corrupted. If you haven't tried recreating the image then that would be my suggestion because it seems that you've tried the other logical steps.

I don't load or reload maps often but when I first loaded to my 512 card I got a similar message and started back from scratch to rebuild the image on the PC before transfer.

Also, are you using the latest Map Conduit from the Garmin web page. There may have been an overwrite issue when you loaded the Topo map on the PC versus the Map Install Conduit - you may want to reload the conduit.

[uspn]

Hey Doc,

I had just the same thing, or something very much like it, happening on my unit. I never figured out how to make synchronization of large files, like the basemap, to the memory card work. Instead I ended up using CardExport to copy the large files straight onto the card. It's even quicker, I believe.

What you do is:

1. Get CardExport from http://www.softick.com and install it. (There's a try-before-you-buy version)

2. Prepare your map from MapSource under Palm Desktop, and get to the step where all you have to do is press the HotSync button on your cradle. Do NOT press the HotSync button on your cradle. Instead...

3. Start CardExport from your iQue. You now get the card on your unit as a disk in your file system.

4. Move the files GMAPSUPP.IMG / GMAPBMAP.IMG from your install folder under Palm Desktop straight into a folder on your card that you name GARMIN.

5. Wait and see. It's likely to work well, at least it does for me.

[jonasolof]

It would be interesting to know which transfer mode creates the most or the least problems when loading large files onto the SD card; card readers, hotsync or CardExport via the cradle.

I have not had any problems with my USB2 hama card 6x1 card reader and a Panasonic 512 card.

[Westcoastdave]

There might be something for you in this thread. In my case, the release 2 software upgrade seemed to solve my synch problem but I still use the card reader to transfer large mapsets.

Dave

http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24105

[drknow]

Well, I completely uninstalled and reinstalled MapSource, City Navitgator, and Topo. I could then install small maps, but when I tried to install City and Topos for all of California, I got the freeze again.

I tried cardexport. It mounts the iQue card on my filesystem, but won't let me write to it. I can't even examine the filesystem properties. What am I missing?

[Moose Man]

Once when I had sync problems and was still beta testing for Palm - besides removing the software and reinstalling - they had me delete the USB device from the Device Manager of the Windows properties.

I'm wondering if there is such a thing as a timeout manager on your particular USB that is causing this thing to "time out".

WAG but it's the best that I can suggest.

[drknow]

I got cardexport to work (I was clicking on the Mobile Device icon in Explorer instead of the mounted filesystem). It's now 138 M into a 200 M mapfile. So we will see.

MooseMan: thanks for the hint. Actually I went out and bought a new USB board in case the one in my Dell was flaky, but I have still had the problem. I'm thinking now it is either a flaky SD card or an intermittent problem in the cradle.

Is there a card test program for the Palm?

[Moose Man]

Check this thread (http://www.pdastreet.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29838) . There are a couple of good posts in here and some people that are more up on the SD card "tests" than I.....so then you can Private Message them and hopefully get the answer.

Sounds though, that your on the right path.

[drknow]

Don't know what finally fixed it, but I unplugged all other USB devices, booted my PC and didn't start any other applications, warm restarted the iQue and used CardExport to move a 400+ MB file to the card. Seems to have worked. Sheesh!

BTW, putting all of the maps in a single huge file seems like singularly bad programming practice. It certainly discourages one from frequent update of the map inventory. I know it will be a long time before I chance another map change.


Thanks to all who had suggestions and help.

[jonasolof]

If you need a couple of detail maps for a region you'll visit once, you could just copy them to RAM. I have northern Europe (400 MB of it) on my card, but yesterday we went from Brussels down to the champagne district south of Reims in France. I hotsynced some maps into RAm and didn't change anything on the card. Today I deleted them in Launcher. Tried to use FileZ but it reported an error. As described in a thread containing the words "deleting maps" maps are stored under different extensions in RAM vs card. Seemed to work.

Jonas