How to delete QuickFix

[Wildboy3]

Ok, here goes.

I've have my ONE XL.S for a little over a year. I was connecting it to TOMTOM HOME as often as I could and got all the updates. It was always working flawlessly.

Then, I took it to Florida for a vacation. It started randomly losing signal lock. Satellites would go grey and then go to 00 signal strength. I just figured It may have been the rental car, or the heat. I kept updating it while in Florida via TOMTOM HOME.

Then, I started using it again around my home, and I started getting the same signal losses again. They are completely random and last for 1 or 2 minutes to hours. I've tried my GPS at all hours of the day/night, driving back and forth to work, and it loses signal at a different place, for a different amount of time, every time.

I've backed-up, reformatted, re-installed... same problem. The weird thing is, in my house, let me say that again, IN my house, I easily get 6-8 sats lock up for the amount of time I leave it on. I turn it off cause I have to go to bed or something. I figure it's working fine, but then the next day I get the same signal loss...

I have read a lot on the forum, and my problem is common. It seems possible the GPS QuickFix file could be corrupting the satellite data. It sounds a little farfetched to me since an almanac is only used for initial lock-up.

So, I've been trying to delete the ephemeris (almanac) data from my unit, but I don't know what to delete. I can't uninstall it from HOME cause I can't find it in HOME...

Hopefully, someone here can tell me how to get rid of QuickFix.

Thanks,

JF

 

[dhn]

On your unit, delete everything in the ephem folder. (Use Explorer).

Now, in this location:

C:\Documents and Settings\yourname\My Documents\TomTom\HOME\Downloads\complete\ephemeris,

delete any subfolders and their contents.

 

[Wildboy3]

Done! Hope it helps. I have also removed the ephem folder. Should I put it back? I wonder if it's of any use if it's empty.

Thanks for the quick reply.

JF

 

[dhn]

You can leave the ephem folder in the unit but empty.

Try a reset on the unit as well.

 

[Wildboy3]

All right.

Did all that last night. Had 6-8 satellites solid until I went to bed. I turned it on this morning, and what d'ya know, nothing. No tracking of ANY satellites at all. Hard reset, still nothing after 3-4 minutes, not even the hint of a satellite. Hard reset again, poof, 6-8 satellites, again, inside my house.

What gives? Is the TomTom a reset-savvy machine? Should I expect to hard reset the GPS everytime it starts not working properly? It seems a big problem to me...

Any ideas about what I should do? I will do the flash clean tool and see.

JF

 

[dhn]

You can try the Clear Flash tool found here. Download and run it 3 times.

Also, what are you referring to as a hard reset? Technically, TomTom considers a 'hard reset' when you return to factory defaults. The reset of the unit with a paperclip if the model has a reset hole or holding the power button for about 15 seconds for other models is considered a soft reset.

Having said that, I know that often I can turn on my 720 and have to wait a minute or so for satellite bars after having them the previous day. Not unusual.

 

[Wildboy3]

Okay, then I will rephrase. I use a paperclip to reset. So I guess I'm soft resetting. I just did the clear flash tool, but it asks me to insert a SD card. I did that, but I'm wondering which flash is it clearing? What will happen if I don't insert a SD card??

I just cleared the flash 3 times without an SD card inserted. Didn't cause any problems...

Speaking of satellite bars, when the TT is not being "friendly" it takes more than 5 minutes before I lose my patience with the thing and turn it off. During those 5 minutes, it seems as if all satellites are on break , ie, I get not the hint of a signal.

 

[dhn]

I honestly don't know what to suggest other than try to download an updated gpsquickfix file (now that you know how to delete the data).

Maybe a new set of data will 'settle things' down. Or maybe the gps circuitry in the unit for maintaining the signal has gotten screwed up; for that, I'm afraid there is not much that can be done, especially if the unit is out of warranty.

That's why I'm suggesting you try stuff you do have some sort of control over.

 

[Wildboy3]

I just got off the phone with TT. They are making me send it to Mississauga for repairs. Good, warranty at least...

I had removed everything in the ephem folder as mentionned, and it hadn't made a difference: when I used it this morning to go to work, I lost the signal, only later than usual, but still lost it. So I figured I would restore the ephem data to the unit before sending it in. I used HOME to get the new quickfix. Lo! and behold, the new ephem folder contains a new file that was not in my old ephem folder that I had deleted yesterday... The file is lto.dat. Could that have been the cause of my problems? Now I see quickfix in HOME and I can remove it if I want...

I wonder if lto.dat was the missing link in my signal loss problem. In any case, I'm sending it in, but if anyone can shed some light on that lto.dat file, I would appreciate it!

Thanks!

JF

 

[dhn]

Whenever you get a quickfix file from Home, that file gets created in the ephem folder.

 

[mvl]

The file is lto.dat. Could that have been the cause of my problems? Now I see quickfix in HOME and I can remove it if I want...

What was in the folder in your backups? It should have had lto.dat all along.

 

[Wildboy3]

I did a backup using Home (I know, I know, not the preferred method). And you are correct, the lto.dat file is in the back-up folder... That is strange!

What does that mean then?

TT is shipping out to Mississauga today! I hope they replace it!

 

[mvl]

lto.dat is your quickgps file. So it means you had it all along.

Your device probably had a hardware fault.

 

[Wildboy3]

mvl.

I tend to think like you. TT is gone now, just brought it to the post office. Everything I tried, short of throwing it on the ground, failed. I always lost satellites, didn't matter with quickfix or not, didn't matter what time of day or year. Didn't matter how long I was using it for. If they find something, which I sure hope they do, I hope I can find out what it is, especially if it's something that is partially my fault (ie leaving it in the windshield too long with the heat. But I took good care of it, it should've been fine, I was really disappointed when it started acting up.

 

[Wildboy3]

If anyone is interested... Closure for me.

I mailed in my TT last week, let's say, Tuesday. Friday I get a knock at the door, it's the FedEx man with a brand new TT ONE XL 2!!! I tried it out for the first day, it locked satellites without ever losing one. So I got home and did an explorer Back-up of everything.

I am assuming there is no need to do a Home back-up at this point correct?

Also, TT support gave me 815 maps as opposed to the 715 maps that were shipped with the unit! Thanks TT. I had to download those, but you can already see that my explorer back-up does not contain my newer maps. What should I do here? A new explorer back up and delete the old back up? Back up only the new maps?

BTW, the new maps are bigger than the old, and I was only able to keep 1 computer voice on the unit since I ran out of room fast! There is only 1.5Mb of room left on the unit and there is nothing more I can delete. I hope MapShare updates are few and far between!

JF

 

[dhn]

Make a complete Explorer backup of your new unit's contents. Ensure that hidden files/folders are showing.

If the map is newer in this one than the old backup, dump the entire old backup.

Register this unit at TomTom with a NEW email address/password than the other unit was associated with.

 

[Wildboy3]

Thanks.

I am doing this as I write this. Two questions though. I show the hidden files and folders but there does not seem to be any. Is it model dependent? Other question is why should I register a new email? My new device was changed in my profile, and of course, I have no need for the old device since I sent it back. Please enlighten me!

Thanks again for all the great help!

JF

 

[dhn]

For whatever reason, sometimes TT creates a hidden file on the unit when installing. This takes care of that.
Any map updates, traffic +, stuff like that is associated with one user_id and it's a hassle getting items made available for a second unit.