GO720 - shutting off when connect to computer

[Mr Lizard]

I have two Tomtom's, and so I was "brave" and did some trial and error and found an irreversible modification that "fixed" the problem on one of them.

Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but I've signed up specifically to say thanks for this suggestion. It worked absolutely perfectly to fix my Go 720. Seriously, mvl - great work. Thank you very much.

Perhaps mvl's solution should be made into a sticky, since there are at least half a dozen threads from users reporting this problem (albeit in often confusingly different ways). The problem seems to be common on Go 720s with the (final, it appears) 8.351 firmware.

This solution appears to be the only one that has a technical basis for providing a permanent fix and doesn't involve the futile voodoo rituals suggested by certain others.

 

[dhn]

For a Kiwi, anything...........

For the moment, I have made this thread a sticky. Mind you, the shut off reports have been few and far between lately.

 

[Mr Lizard]

For a Kiwi, anything...........

Heh! Thanks!

For the moment, I have made this thread a sticky. Mind you, the shut off reports have been few and far between lately.

Perhaps people have moved on to newer models or just given up. It's a shame that TomTom hasn't seen fit to fix this problem - it reflects quite badly on them. I'm certainly not going to be buying another TomTom product any time soon!

 

[dhn]

There is a method that often helps to prevent the unit from automatically shutting down (doesn't just apply to a 720)...

Make a text file with notepad called noautosuspend.dat and just put a 1 in it, nothing else. Put that file in the root of the unit.

Make sure that the file truly is called noautosuspend.dat and NOT noautosuspend.dat.txt (save the file as 'all files' when created, not as a 'text file')

 

[canderson]

Heh! Thanks!

Perhaps people have moved on to newer models or just given up.

... or have never experienced this particular problem. I'm still running a 720 with 8.351 and have never seen this.

 

[roamwood]

Its just happened to me - help

For a Kiwi, anything...........

For the moment, I have made this thread a sticky. Mind you, the shut off reports have been few and far between lately.

Just connected my Tomtom 720 to tomtom home for the first time in a year. The first thing I did was run backup routine, then the check for updates routine. All seemed to work OK. Then Tomtom home wanted to be updated so I did that too, and during that process I noticed that my 720 had turned off. It wouldn't turn back on without a reset. So I plugged it back in, got the "do you want to connect" question, said yes, and it turned straight off requiring several attempts at reset to get it to turn back on. This happens every time that I connect to my computer whether TTHome is running or not, as soon as I say yes, it turns off and requires a reset.

So I'm very grateful for this thread being here, but I don't understand how to follow the fix, how do I get the system file onto my TT if I cant connect to the computer? My TT has all the bootloader and software versions listed in this thread 8.351 5.5120 etc, I don't know what versions it had before I plugged it in this morning! Don't know if its relevant but my computer is running Vista - yuk

 

[dhn]

Well, worth a shot, maybe.......

If you have a sdhc card and a card reader, you could download the 8.351 application from here and use WinRar to install on the sdhc card.

Then, insert the card into the 720 and turn the unit on. Should boot to the card. That may keep the unit on long enough to implement the 'noautosuspend.dat' file fix.

 

[mvl]

So I'm very grateful for this thread being here, but I don't understand how to follow the fix, how do I get the system file onto my TT if I cant connect to the computer?

Press the reset pin to shut off the Tomtom. Then dock/connect the Tomtom to the computer. Then turn it on.

 

[roamwood]

Thank you both for your rapid input.

The reset and then turn on in cradle trick worked a treat and gave me access to the TT internal memory. I correctly created the noautosuspend.dat file as suggested and copied it to the TT root directory, but unfortunately it hasn't changed the instant turn off problem. However using MVL's trick again, this time selecting the TThome option installed a new copy of TThome (dont know why!) and let me go straight into it without having to answer the connect to your computer question that seems to cause the problem.

So I am now logged in to TT and (I suspect rather rashly) am now updating my maps at great expense! If the back door route to get into TTHome continues to work, I might leave it at that, rather than risk bricking my TT having just spent ?70 on new maps as I only rarely connect my TT to the computer.

Many Many thanks,

Mike

 

[mzprx111]

Just updated my GO 720 to bootloader 5.5229 and all working fine now

 

[nigelsullivan]

I would like to join Mr Lizard in thanking mvl for the risk he took with his TT to test his solution to this problem.
My GO730 was running 8.351 and also displayed these symptoms after a software update subsequent updates have not improved it but mvl's fix of copying of the system file seems to work fine.

In detail, I found I could copy the system file out of the .cab file using XP without having to use winrar. Winrar is shareware, although apparently the unpacking facility is free.

The solution of returning a TT under warranty to get this fixed is derisory, it should not be for the user community to have to try to guess what has gone wrong. The symptoms of the software update to 8.351 seem consistent with the inclusion of code which uses uninitialised memory, making the operation of the resulting system dependant upon the previous content of memory, probably at the time of the upgrade. Even if it is not the reason, this possibility behoves the owner of the source code to solve the problem.

This thread should remain sticky until TT upgrades 8.351, or whatever code causes the problem, on all models.

Thanks again mvl

 

[rafa_sc]

730 "repaired"

Hello,

I've got the same problem with my 730 since I updated to v8.351 (the first thing I did).
I followed all the instructions given by TT-support, but nothing worked. Finally they asked me to send it to them in order to repair it?

Guess what they did? Update to v8.351. Nothing! It still shuts off if it asks to connect to computer.
Don't know what to do now. I guess the problem is like you said the bootloader, but I don't dare to replace it.
Somebody tried to replace bootloader with TT730?

 

[mvl]

Hello,

I've got the same problem with my 730 since I updated to v8.351 (the first thing I did).
I followed all the instructions given by TT-support, but nothing worked. Finally they asked me to send it to them in order to repair it?

Guess what they did? Update to v8.351. Nothing! It still shuts off if it asks to connect to computer.
Don't know what to do now. I guess the problem is like you said the bootloader, but I don't dare to replace it.
Somebody tried to replace bootloader with TT730?

If it's under warranty, I'd recommend returning it to Tomtom to be fixed again. Or returning it to the store and getting another one.

This bug seems to only affect certain devices/serial numbers. There are lots of 730's out there without the problem, and chances are if you swap the device out, your replacement will be fine.

 

[rafa_sc]

There is a method that often helps to prevent the unit from automatically shutting down (doesn't just apply to a 720)...

Make a text file with notepad called noautosuspend.dat and just put a 1 in it, nothing else. Put that file in the root of the unit.

Make sure that the file truly is called noautosuspend.dat and NOT noautosuspend.dat.txt (save the file as 'all files' when created, not as a 'text file')

Doesn't worked on GO730

 

[canderson]

Doesn't worked on GO730

Be very careful that there's just a "1" in the file -- no carriage return, line feed, etc.

 

[kioshi]

Press the reset pin to shut off the Tomtom. Then dock/connect the Tomtom to the computer. Then turn it on.

Awesome, worked for my Go 730. Thanks a ton!

 

[ezgoing]

... or have never experienced this particular problem. I'm still running a 720 with 8.351 and have never seen this.

Or more likely do not know about this forum to comment.

I had this problem after updating my maps and software last year before a trip to Chicago. I reset the unit, reinstalled, etc, etc etc. Every time I used it I would be hitting don't cancel every few minutes of the trip.

I was about to throw it away and buy a another unit when I found this forum. I hope the no auto suspend file works since if it doesn't I will be throwing it away and buying anew unit.

And if this happens you can bet the new unit will not be from Tom Tom. I think it is disgusting that the company would provide an update that creates problems for users and not provided another update to fix the problem.

Maybe this is just their way to force users to buy new units.

Regardless when I need a new map update I will buy another unit as it doesn't make sense to pay for map updates when the new units provide them for free.

 

[gbullman]

RE: shutting off when connect to computer

My thanks to mvl, my GO 720 has been experiencing the shut down behavior since my upgrade to 8.351 since I performed that upgrade. I am now at bootloader 5.5229 and the device boots up fine so I'm no worse off than I was before.

I'll post back after a few connect to computer / update cycles and confirm all is well, but I'm hopeful this has solved my problems. For over a year Map updates have been a kind of scary experience never being sure if the device would come back to life again or not.

Thanks again mvl!