Zumo 660LM memory issues

Grabcon

Grabcon

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Jul 24, 2011
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72
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Hereford, AZ
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2020 Moto guzzi V85T
So I will try to explain the issues and would like solid answers as to how to resolve.

The product is the Zumo 660LM which I have had for about 3 to 4 years now and really never have had issues of any type. It has the factory 4gb memory and an additional 8gb mini/micro SD card, (the little one). The 8gb card has my music. Normally when I plug in to my laptop using a USB connection I can see both the 4gb and the 8gb external memory in windows explorer. I can navigate the folder/file tree and copy, delete, move files etc. Normally I create routes on my laptop with a variety of different software and transfer the gpx files to the pgx folder on the 4gb factory memory on the Zumo. I then can unplug and reboot the Zumo and import my new routes. This has always worked with out fail and have done this since I have owned the unit.

Now I recently had a major windows 10 upgrade debacle and to revert back to Windows 7 after 6 hours of phone support from Dell and a complete rebuild of the Laptop. Thank goodness for their service 24/7 contract. Now the Laptop is back operational and I installed the Garmin Express software. When I plugged the Zumo in Garmin Express took over and asked if I wanted to update my maps. Well of course I said yes. After the update Gramin Express comes back with a message telling me that my memory is 90% full and to add more memory.

Well looking at things on the Zumo yes in fact the factory 4gb memory is 90% full, without any custom or personal route data. The 8gb card has plenty of room. So now what happens is I load my gpx files to the Zumo, unplug and reboot. during the reboot Zumo asks if I want to Import the new data. This is normal. I answer Yes. 5 out of 9 files build and then I get an error message telling me about the import failure. Okay so now I plug back into the laptop and the Zumo will not connect. I have never ever had this issue. Yea I tried different USB ports and a different PC same results. The Zumo keeps rebooting and never connects. I disconnect and do a hard reboot of the Zumo this erases all custom/personal data. Now I plug back in and the Zumo connects. My first conclusion is that I ran out of storage memory on the 4gb factory memory and it does not allow a connection at that point. But I don't know for sure because I cannot see that 4gb memory on the laptop.

Has anyone out there run across this type of issue? If so what did you do to resolve? I do have a query into Garmin about this but it will be next week before they get back to me.

Is there any way to increase the factory 4gb memory on these Zumo 660LMs?
 
jfheath said:
There is no way you can increase the 4gb memory.
Click to expand...

Yea I kind of figured that.

I may have to go to Garmin about the double install on the 4gb memory. It seems to me that I typically have something less 500 meg left on the 4gb factory memory. I like the idea of installing all the maps on the removable media. I can increase the card size and still remain functional.

When I did the software and map update though I did not see an option for where I wanted the map data to go. Maybe I missed it.

Thanks for the thoughts on this.

Since I started this thread I did discover somethings.
1. I moved all of my personal route data (gpx files) to the removable card. This frees up memory on the internal memory on the unit.
2. When I go to import new routes the unit takes a bit longer to find the gpx files on the removable media but it does find them and does build new routes on the unit.
3. If an error occurs when importing that means that I have reached the internal memory limit for something. What I don't know yet. Also when that happens the unit will not connect to the PC. If a route is deleted and the unit turned off and then connected to the PC it now will connect properly.
4. After check some memory stats even if all of my personal routes reside on the removable memory the custom routes do get written to the internal memory of the unit which is causing limited room on the internal memory.
 
One other thing to consider. The SD card becomes fragmented over time. To de-frag an SD card you format it on the PC to standard FAT32. Garmin will then set it up for it's use. I do this for each long trip I take. How do I know this you ask? Had corruption issues with the ZUMO 550 some years ago that your issues resemble.
 
jfheath, I went through with the details in the email you sent. So for those that are following I moved files that jfheath identified from internal memory to the sd card. Two things happened first the detailed maps that I was used to seeing were no longer available. Second when I imported routes the routes that were built were undistinguished from the original routes. Moved the files back to their original location and everything works but as one would expect I still have memory issues.

I have receive a response from Garmin but it is unsatisfactory at this point. I will be responding back with more details and my dismay with boiler plate answers. I still am operational but not like I was before the Garmin software and map update. IMO I feel that the update left little room for personal data. Even if the GPX files are stored on the SD card when they are imported only a few can be imported without an error occurring and no others are available for import until custom routes are deleted and a reboot of the unit is done.

Because there is so little memory available on the internal memory I am going to guess that when riding and storing the route driven that at some point it will either stop collecting data or shut down. Stay tuned for further responses from Garmin.
 
Well since my last entry I have received responses from Garmin with little or no help to even provide a solution to solve the problem. Here is my assessment of the issue. Each map upgrade is increasingly larger. What the amount is I don't know but Garmin did say this in one of their responses. The 660LM has a limited internal memory size of 4gb and cannot be increased. Typically when a a map upgrade is done Garmin Express evaluates the amount of room required for the upgrade and then determines if all of the data will fit on the internal memory. If not it will place overflow data on the SD Card if one is installed. Also any software/firmware updates are placed here as well.

So here is the rub that I am finding when all is said and done after my last map upgrade there is about 410mg let available on the internal memory. This is not much. Some of this free space is required when plugging in to a USB on the PC. If there is not enough free space the unit will not connect.

What gets written to the internal memory that we cannot change. If I load a GPX file(s) I can place these files on the SD Card. But when I import the files and create a custom route that file(s) gets written to the internal memory slowly decreasing the amount of available internal memory until you can no longer create new routes using the import function. Also your Current.gpx and your Archive.GPX files get written to internal memory, again reducing available space. Once this happens most likely the unit will not connect to the USB port. It will keep cycling trying to connect but will not.

What is the immediate fix. Turn on the unit while it is not connected to the USB and delete any custom routes. Then reboot the unit and you will be able to connect to the USB and import additional routes, again until you get an error telling you that the import failed.

At this time Garmin has not provided a viable solution. In my opinion they need to provide some enhancements for file management when using Garmin express and provide a firmware upgrade to recognize where all files reside and can be utilized. I really do not want to purchase a new GPS receiver because of the limitations Garmin has put on the Zumo 660LM.

As an added note up to a 32gb SD Card can be used on the Zumo 660LM, but that seems kind of useless if I cannot load map data and such to the card.
 
This explains a little better what I directed you to above. I have made a fair amount of free space on my old Nuvi 765t with this method. http://www.poi-factory.com/node/31186 Clean out any un-needed voice files, text files, vehicles and help files. I currently have a pretty recent map set and still have 1GB free space with 2.62 GB used for data.
 
Thanks all for the help but I must say that I have not had great success. Plus I am very disappointed with Garmin tech support. Absolutely little or no help on this topic. Four correspondence with them and I got less info than from this forum.

So where am I? I was able to free up room on the internal memory. I still get errors when I have reach a limit somewhere when I Import routes. I have found a work around by deleting custom routes and Importing new routes. Kind of a pain but easy to do.

I was never able to force the Garmin Express software to load data to the SD card. I removed files as I mentioned and filled the free space. and Garmin Express updated the files in internal memory but I could never get it to load the data to the SD card. Also manually moving files to the SD card was not successful for me either. Not sure why.

I have to many other things going on right now and I cannot continue to mess with this. I leave next Thursday for MotoGP and need to get a bunch of stuff done for a new business start up that I am doing. Yea this work thing is interfering with retirement. Oh well thanks.


jfheath said:
There is a display which allows you to choose the files you want to use. I don't have a 660 now, but from the manual it say that this is in Tools / Settings / Maps / and down the list Map Info.
Click to expand...

Regardless if the files are on internal memory or on the SD card this only shows one option for maps and it is always checked. Unlike maybe where you are I only have the US and Canada available unless I assume that I could purchase other country map data. Because of what is displayed as mentioned in an earlier post I am guessing that I am not coping all of the correct files to the SD card.
 
You've probably already done it, but I'll mention it in case. Delete logs, delete unused favorites, delete previous route. Couldn't load new routes with my 550 and when I cleared all that stuff out I could load new routes. Also, search google on deleting some of those language files, for me most are useless. I recaptured a bunch of memory on the 550 that way.
 
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