How to get more menu options on models with 'Easymenu'

[mikealder]

Connect your unit to the PC and use Windows Explorer to view the contents of the drive letter associated with the TomTom, when you first open the drive letter for the device this is known as the "Root" - Mike

 

[Rick F.]

I've seen others confused about what a 'root' or 'root directory' is. It's the main directory of what ever device you're referring to. If we're talking about your computer's hard-disk-drive (HDD) it's the main directory (root directory) ? probably C:\

"In computer file systems, the root directory is the first or top-most directory in a hierarchy. It can be likened to the root of a tree ? the starting point where all branches originate."

When the TomTom is connected to your PC, it shows up as another drive letter... E, F or G (or possibly another letter). See attached image below for example where it's G: (click on image again to zoom)

 

[Abb0]

First of all thanks very much to parider and genci88.

I have made the suggested changes to my new XXL550TM and the old menus are available. To be honest the only real feature I wanted that was in my old 130s was the compass, I like to be able to see where North is. The option to turn the compass on has appeared but it doesn't seem to work, it remains turned off.

The firmware in my XXL550TM is V9.150.

Also, what is the small triangle/arrowhead to the left of the time. It doesn't seem to have any use at all.

Thanks for any help.

 

[dhn]

That small triangle serves no viable purpose at all.

 

[ctx32]

I'm not sure who to Thank, But THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
I was ready to return this 550tm due to the fact I appeared to be a striped down Tom Tom.
Thank you again and it works great, Just need to get use to the new menu order.
Ctx32

 

[acerbix]

Thanks!

Thanks! Got an XXL550TM for Thanksgiving - was aobut to return it due to lack of customization options. This post saved me a trip - I like my GPS now that I can customize it.

Also - I do not see any info around plugins / apps for the XXL 550. Is it possible to run the old Tomtom apps on this GPS (like Heights, Tripmaster, etc?

Thanks!

 

[Aiken Drum]

Programs that work on the xxl550

First things first. MAKE A BACKUP BEFORE YOU CHANGE ANYTHING.

The latest version 3.1 Tripmaster works on the xxl550 with the "hook" program , get Tripmaster here
Le Web Bazar !!! Tripmaster !!! , the "hook" program is also available there listed as "Program for Tomtom v8.x or v9.x compliance"

Offroad Navigator v3.0 works on the xxl550. Get it from Le Web Bazar !!! Offroad Navigator !!! This program also requires that the hook program is installed.

I have found that when in the TomTom supplied Easymenu that the plugin programs sometimes don't start when clicked. When that happens you need to do a hard reset and the programs will then work. The custom menu has never needed a hard reset for the added plugins to work. A hard reset is described in the next paragraph.

The switchmenu program mentioned earlier in this thread works on the xxl550. It lets you switch between regular and custom menus without having to connect to a computer to manually change the name of the TomTom.mnu file. To make it work from the EasyMenu do a hard reset (hold the on/off button down for about 15 seconds, the TomTom will shut down, continue holding the buttton and it flashes a green screen, keep holding and the unit starts up and you will hear bongos ) to reboot before using the switchmenu program, the custom menu does not need the hard reset for switchmenu to work. https://www.tomtomforums.com/tomtom...tching-original-custom-menus-screen-dump.html

When switching via the switchmenu program the xxl550 will reboot itself about 30 seconds after the switch and then it's rock solid after that.

The Traffic function (traffic info from the 12v adapter power cord built-in antenna) works fine with the custom menu on the xxl550.

The following is an update 2-10-2011
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Height Program v8 will work on the XXL550.

As mentioned here Le Web B@zar !!! Applications Tomtom !! Patch Tomtom v8.350 !!! , you can run both Height and Tripmaster at the same time but you will have to modify the Hook Program's TTN file. The modded line needs to look like the following for it to work on the XXL550

LD_PRELOAD=/mnt/sdcard/plugins_hook/plugins_hook.so:/mnt/sdcard/Height/height.so ttn

Which is opposite from what is suggested on Le Web Bazaar. Remember this is for the XXL550. Get Height 8 from here: HEIGHT8.ZIP

Get a pre-modified TTN file for running Tripmaster and Height on the XXL550 from here: MODIFIED TTN.ZIP

Some additional Height info can be found in the following two links:
New Project: Height - yourTomTom Forum | About your TomTom GO, XL, ONE and RIDER!

Height - OpenTom

Don't forget to do a backup before you start playing.

 

[cerfcanuck]

I got an XXL 550M for Christmas and I was happy to find this thread. I have a couple of questions, however:

1) Using genci88's customized "tomtom.mnu" file I don't see the "Keyboard preferences" icon on the following screen:

Instead the text "(c) 2001-2009 TomTom International BMV" is displayed. If I touch this field, it does bring up the keyboard preferences; I'm just wondering why the menu image is wrong.

2) I downloaded "SwitchMenu.zip" and installed the appropriate files in "bin" and "sdkregistry". Although I can switch from the EasyMenu to the custom menu by pressing the "Switch menu" icon, I can't figure out how to switch back from custom menu to EasyMenu.

Here are my system specs:

App 9.151.605385.2, OS 541764
64 MB RAM (free 17.0 MB)
GPS v1.20, Boot 5.5274
Map: 'USA_Canada_and_Mexico_P' v860.3121
Language: English_US

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Tony

 

[Aiken Drum]

2) I downloaded "SwitchMenu.zip" and installed the appropriate files in "bin" and "sdkregistry". Although I can switch from the EasyMenu to the custom menu by pressing the "Switch menu" icon, I can't figure out how to switch back from custom menu to EasyMenu.

Tony,

One of your lines in your TomTom.mnu file needs to be

MENUITEM|TASK_SDK1|

That will add the switchmenu icon to your custom menu.

What that does is add a plugin from the sdk registry to your custom menu, you don't have to call the program by name, just a SDK number. You can add up to 9 plugins to your custom menu SDK1 through SDK9. The TomTom will decide which number to assign to which plugin/program. You have to have a seperate line for each plugin/program you want to add to the custom menu.

 

[cerfcanuck]

Tony,

One of your lines in your TomTom.mnu file needs to be

MENUITEM|TASK_SDK1|

That will add the switchmenu icon to your custom menu.

What that does is add a plugin from the sdk registry to your custom menu, you don't have to call the program by name, just a SDK number. You can add up to 9 plugins to your custom menu SDK1 through SDK9. The TomTom will decide which number to assign to which plugin/program. You have to have a seperate line for each plugin/program you want to add to the custom menu.

Worked like a charm!

Thanks very much.

Tony

 

[mccririck]

It's disappointing that TomTom are making their new products simple menu only, I am assuming they are cynically trying to get people to pay more for their top of the range satnav and trying to stop others having some fun. Pretty pathetic way to operate in this day and age with the increased competition from smartphones.

Another thing I dont like is that they no longer have SD card slots, when all old satnavs did, smartphones do, and all the cheap satnavs from Binatone etc do. It seems crazy, and restrictive. They wont be making any new friends with tactics like this!

However I do really like the new windscreen attachment, it's really small and works well.

Thanks for this thread.

 

[canderson]

It's disappointing that TomTom are making their new products simple menu only, I am assuming they are cynically trying to get people to pay more for their top of the range satnav and trying to stop others having some fun.

It's not a matter of "top of the range" at all. Only a certain slice of the current models have the EasyMenu setup. Others that are otherwise almost identical (and similar in price) have the more familiar (and fuller) menu system.

 

[mccririck]

It's not a matter of "top of the range" at all. Only a certain slice of the current models have the EasyMenu setup. Others that are otherwise almost identical (and similar in price) have the more familiar (and fuller) menu system.

Then why have they done it, seems crazy.

 

[mccririck]

Does the full menu allow you to enter GPS co-ordinates on an XL350?

 

[canderson]

Does the full menu allow you to enter GPS co-ordinates on an XL350?

NO. There seems to be nothing that can be done to re-establish that particular feature on these SleazyMenu .. er .. EasyMenu units - at least not without doing things that we don't even begin to discuss around here... and I have never heard that anyone has succeeded that way, either.

 

[canderson]

Then why have they done it, seems crazy.

I can only interpret their move in one of two ways ...

The first is that they were concerned that there really was a segment of the population that wanted only to do A to B, straightforward, no frills, Navigate To. Instead of providing them with a switch to allow the user to pare down the menu set like they used to do, they just pared it down in hard-coded fashion themselves, eliminating a lot of features in the process. Problem is, they didn't place a biohazard warning on the outside of the box to warn off people who already had certain expectations of what a GPS should be able to do. As a result, they've had what I can only imagine has been quite the rash of returned units from outfits like WalMart that was supplying the likes of the XL335SE, the BestBuy model XL335LE etc., all of whose special suffix markings were intended just to avoid competition in the "lowest price guarantee" bowl.

The second and perhaps more obvious reason was to generate a bunch of new models on the exact same hardware platform with enough true differentiation (due to the lousy new menu) to get away with the above, and drop the pricing accordingly.

 

[mccririck]

Do you have to get the full menu to edit POIs?

 

[dhn]

You can edit custom pois through Manage POIS but not any of the built in categories or contents.

They are accomplished via mapshare changes.........edit POI.

 

[mccririck]

You can edit custom pois but not any of the built in categories or contents.

That is extremely annoying. Why did they disable this feature??? What are you supposed to do if one of them is in the wrong place??

 

[canderson]

That is extremely annoying. Why did they disable this feature??? What are you supposed to do if one of them is in the wrong place??

I had thought that "internal" POI corrections were always accomplished using Map Corrections > Correct a map error > [arrow] > Edit POI, just as had been the case for some time. Has this changed?