Help with SD card DESPERATE!

[Andy_P]

It's going to be something obvious in the end... It's just finding it!

 

[carson.jc]

The manual download, 8.351.gox20.CAB-navcore-GO.cab expanded in WinExplorer to 394 items, no folders.
Copied 394 times to sdhc card, adding one folder 'text.'

After using sdhc card in 720 today, it now has 408 items including my 'text' folder, and newly created folders:
.fseventsd
.Spotlight-V100
.Trashes
bin
contacts
itn
logging
sounds
statdata
text
._.Trashes

The .fseventsd, .Spotlight-V100, and statdata have files inside, all other folders are empty. Unit still does not mount to PC with or w/0 sdhc inserted.

 

[carson.jc]

The 11 folders noted in previous post, bring total number
of items to 405 of 408.

Listed sdhc contents by 'Date modified,' in addition to 11 folders,
these 3 items were modified today, also filling gap 405-8

clmdata
settings
ttpnpd

 

[canderson]

You really ought to start over. The *.cab file should be extracted into a number of folders (some of which the firmware tried to create for you). There aren't nearly 400 files in the root. MOST of those should have been extracted into folders. You might find WinZip or WinRAR better choices than the native compression tool there...

 

[carson.jc]

OK, my *.cab experience is rather limited.
Extracted with RAR utility to sdhc card. Much different results as 36 files/folders -thx.

Inserted card into 720. It boots from internal. 720 does not mount to PC. Home does not recognize sdhc card in reader as device.

Would sdhc label/name have significance? I labeled as TT SD.

 

[canderson]

Think of a *.cab just as you would a *.zip. Directory (well, we used to call 'em that - guess it's all 'folders' now) architecture can be incorporated in to the process going in, and preserved coming out. Makes it a WHOLE lot easier than having to figure out where to put everything yourself.

Sounds as though you now have a bootable card that doesn't boot. The fact that the 720 doesn't appear on the PC should be a separate issue.

FWIW, the 720 will boot preferentially off the SD if it finds a system there it can work with. That comes as a surprise to most folks who would expect it to boot off the internal preferentially. My guess is that it is getting the system from the SD card (files such as ttsystem, etc.), but if your 720 can still see the maps on internal memory, it will take them there first if they are duplicated on the SD. So you may in fact be booting from the SD, but without any way to eliminate stuff from the internal due to lack of PC connection, don't know how you can get the whole thing to operate off the SD. We really need to sort out your PC connection issue. I'm going to give that some additional thought.

Let's start with this. I'll just guess (don't think you said and I don't remember) that you're running Windows, so let's ask whether you get the ding-DING sound on your PC when you plug the 720 in, indicating that the PC is seeing a valid device of some sort. Or the DING-ding sound indicating that it sees something, but isn't impressed with it. Either way, there should be an entry somewhere in Device Manager. Anything there at all?

 

[mvl]

Carson.jc.

I think you're successfully booting from the SDHC. dhn gave you files so that the sdhc contains a copy of the software, and Tomtom boots from the sdhc when there's a clone of the software on sdhc and internal. Now that the application is on sdhc, it is reading your text files on sdhc.

It seems like you've got everything fixed, with the exception of Tomtom HOME.

Tomtom HOME to won't recognize the SD alone as a Tomtom device (it checks more than file contents when identifying devices), so you won't be able to download new maps to the device any longer unless you fix the USB port.

 

[carson.jc]

Yes, ding-dong when inserting into USB on Windows -tested on desktop and laptop. Device Manager shows as Portable Device/SD TT, Device Working Properly with Microsoft Driver 6.1.7xxx.xxxx

When card inserted to 720, boot display shows icon for internal only. In past it showed addtional icon for sdhc.

BTW, I seldom use Home with unit, connecting via USB to transfer *.txt and *.jpeg files with WinExplorer or Finder. I am testing ww/o Home.

 

[carson.jc]

Correction to above:
"When card inserted to 720, boot display shows icon for internal only. In past it showed addtional icon for sdhc."

Per 720 boot up screen, sdhc is active, internal drive icon is not displayed. So, 720 is booting from sdhc.

Also, Device Manager:

Shows Portable Device listing when sdhc w/card reader in PC, also displayed in Explorer. With 720 connected to PC via USB, Device Manager do not recognize.

 

[carson.jc]

Thanks to all. This post has been a good experience.

The original issue remains - cannot connect 720 to PC. Need to upload *.txt files for use on device. I now have work around using sdhc and USB card reader.

Maybe issue is hardware at mini USB port?

But for the cost of a map, I would consider wiping internal and starting over, hoping for PC connect as result. Can that be done without PC connect?

 

[dhn]

Are you trying all USB ports on your computer? Especially try one on the back of the computer. Also, are you using the usb cable that came with the unit? If so, can you try a different cable?

 

[canderson]

I think you're successfully booting from the SDHC. dhn gave you files so that the sdhc contains a copy of the software, and Tomtom boots from the sdhc when there's a clone of the software on sdhc and internal. Now that the application is on sdhc, it is reading your text files on sdhc.

I agree that it's booting from the system on the SD card, but if the maps are duplicated on the internal, isn't it using those (see message above)? I agree that unless we can get him connected to remove the other folders from internal, he's stuck where he is. I just hope the issue isn't mechanical re the USB port. Those things are a right bugger to replace.

 

[canderson]

Yes, ding-dong when inserting into USB on Windows -tested on desktop and laptop. Device Manager shows as Portable Device/SD TT, Device Working Properly with Microsoft Driver 6.1.7xxx.xxxx

Just to be clear, this occurs when connecting without the SD card inserted? I am only interested at this time in the behavior of the device itself without SD card.

So we might be in good shape here (or not). When connecting the device, go to Device Manager and select the device, and right click on it. Select "Properties". The first item that shows up will be the "Device Instance ID". Please advise the full line of text there ("USB\VID..." etc). I want to see how your 720 is identifying itself. What we're doing is finding out if the device is correctly saying who it is. If so, your USB port on the bottom of the device must be working well enough, since there's a fair bit of communication going on before that's possible. If it's correctly identifying itself, then it's the Windows registry that is trying to couple your device up to the wrong driver. I suspect the latter.

Next, back up to the "Driver" tab and select "Driver details". Tell us which driver is actually being used.

 

[canderson]

Specifically, what I hope you tell me is that when looking at the "Device Instance ID", you see a line that starts with
USB\VID_1390&PID_0001...
That would be a correct identification for a GO720.

 

[carson.jc]

Since inception of issue, I have been continually trying all USB ports on three different computers, with TT desktop dock, two additional 'known working' USB-miniUSB cables, and 'known working' card reader.

SDHC CARD in USB reader is recognized by device manager. 720 device without sdhc card is NOT seen by device manager. Same for Mac disk utility. Sorry, my fault for not making distinction clear in that reply.

If card is recognized, but device is not, leads me to believe the mini USB port on unit is at fault.

Weighing cost of replacing usb port vs new unit vs using unit w/hack explored here. I am inclined to use as is.

 

[canderson]

Yes, ding-dong when inserting into USB on Windows -tested on desktop and laptop. Device Manager shows as Portable Device/SD TT, Device Working Properly with Microsoft Driver 6.1.7xxx.xxxx

Argh - we're not communicating (yet). From the above, it sounds as though you are saying that connecting your 720 with the USB cable is giving an audible response from the O.S. If true, then there's going to be an entry (even if it's the wrong kind of entry) somewhere in Device Manager.

I'm going to be gone from the desk here for a couple of hours. Will check back as soon as I return. Stay tuned...

 

[carson.jc]

No ding-dong when attaching 720 device to PC with or w/o sdhc.
Yes ding-dong when attaching sdhc card reader to PC.

Sorry, I never pay much attention to ding-dong, I didn't realize that was the issue. I was paying attention to Device Manager list.

I even had Window 'scan for hardware changes.'

 

[canderson]

Ah, OK. Without a ding-DONG or DONG-DONG-DONG (the latter being an unrecognized device - chuckle) when the 720 is plugged in, there's not much point in looking into the Device Manager. Nothing there. Guess you were hearing the 'announcement' only when you inserted the card into the reader. My bad. Without any indication at all from the OS, your initial thoughts on a bad USB connector on the TomTom may in fact be spot on.

Which leads us back to the original issue. If I recall correctly, when the device boots off the SD card (preferentially, again), it will still grab the map off the internal memory if it finds it there vs. one it finds on the SD. Can some of the other guys pipe up to confirm that for me? It's been a while since I've played that game with a 720.

 

[dhn]

That's my understanding .......even booting to the sd card, it'll use an internal map if it sees one there and not on the card

 

[carson.jc]

720 with sdhc card inserted, loads internal map, with my home location as starting point.

FWIW, on an external backup drive, I located TomTom Home folder w/complete backup of 720 internal and sdhc. It has older maps than currently on internal.

I don't think it helps, if unit will not mount to PC.