New here with new TT XL 325 SE

[photoman2]

mvl,

YES!!!! Map 840 is installed and working!!

To make a long story short.. I worked on it the day before yesterday from about 2:00pm till 3:30am in the early morning after many downloads of the LMG map and deleting it from my Home downloads files do to many installation errors I finely had a look at the file that would halt the install it was a file in the USA/Canada Map v835.2423 in the folder ""brand"" File "" 9361_4.bmp "" on the tomtom, it looked much bigger then the other bmp files but could not be opened and contained o data.. So I deleted it out on my map in the tom tom. I then tried the install again.. nope would get stuck on the same file so I deleted it from the new map UAS/Canada 840.2570 then tried the install again.. It went by the spot it was getting stuck on almost near the end of the install about 6 hours and 1/4 inch of install bar left I got 3 more errors but I just kept hitting install all over and over and finally it worked and got through the install..
Maybe this bmp file is why there are so may issues with this model tom tom and this map?

The only thing I did was let windows fix errors on the tomtom drive the first day I hooked it up. maybe this was the start of my issues.. Disconnecting to quick after ejecting my device was another thing I see now that didn't help.

Where TomTom stands now and what's in it so far.
So I backed it up in explorer and will also back it up in Home just to be on the safe side.
I also added computer voice Samantha v520 installed
I installed voice Mandy
I install Quick-Fix
didn't join map correction or anything at this point?

We took the TomTom out and it seems to be running fine.. Is there anything else we should do? I think I'm going to keep the Tom Tom away from the computer for as long as I can now that it's updated and working..

I want to thank you mvl for taking the time and sticking with me throughout all of this.. I would have never figured it out by my self..

Also may thanks to dhn, for helping me and giving me the push I needed to get this done. Making me see I needed to slow down and take life a bit easier!! I'm trying!! Thank you to all the readers out there!!
George & Penny

 

[dhn]

As long as you made the Explorer backup of your unit's contents and poured yourself the nice drink (vodka, wasn't it? ), then you did well.......

Now, go out and play with the unit.

Don't be reluctant to connect to Home for updates of mapshares and gpsquickfix files. They come just about every day and are small. Won't take long to dl and install at all. No need for backups after those kind of downloads......

And, of course, always .............ALWAYS..............disconnect your unit properly from Home after a session using the Device disconnect icon.

 

[mvl]

The bmp files in the "brand" folder represent the branded store logos that show up for certain chain stores when you display points of interest on your map. For example, instead of the default fork/knife restaurant icon, all McDonalds on the map will show the Golden Arches "M". So by missing that bmp, some national chain will have no icon on your map (I think Tomtom put a large red square if a file is missing).

It's quite possible that that bmp file got corrupted in your internet download. Try using winzip to test the big zip file downloaded on your computer at this location:

\mydocuments\tomtom\home\download\complete\map

If the test fails, let us know and we can tell you the steps to force HOME to redownload it. If the zip test succeeds, you could also manually extract and copy that one file from the brand folder in the zip file to onto your Tomtom.

Also, did you do a chkdsk/f on the Tomtom drive? Perhaps there's directory corruption on the Tomtom that's preventing instalation of that bmp file.

 

[photoman2]

mvl,
As far as the bmp. file goes. Heck the map is in and I don't care if one chain logo don't show up. I have a copy of the file from the new map v840 and will manually drop it back in "brand folder" after I use the tom tom for awhile..I checked the zipped folder and windows opened it fine and all the files look good..

Yes I did have windows check the disk on my tomtom drive after the box popped up to do so.. That was a few weeks ago when I just got the tomtom. That's what started this mess in the first place I think.. I now just close out that chkdsk box when it comes up..

The bad bmp. file was on my old map v835 in the tomtom.. deleting it before the install of the new 840 map still stalled the install. I had to go into the new map 840 and delete the file there too then the install passed that point..

I did a full format of the tomtom drive in vista FAT at 32 killibites then a restore From Home before I install the new map so yes it could have seen corrupt files not sure I may have backed it up after the disk check, But to the best of my memory I think I backed it up before that.. Not sure what to do about them? I think at this point they may be just taking up some space on my device.. I deleted all but two voices and have 56mb of space left on the drive.. So far two short drives with the unit with no issues. Thanks for your help! George

 

[photoman2]

Thought I would re-post here being this was the forum I was in that got me were I was.. Sorry for double posting!

Hey,
Just a short update.. My unit was working fine for about two weeks I hooked it up to home checking for updated , none found. Made sure to disconnect it properly waiting for the do you want to connect to the computer again picking No.. Somehow it got corrupt again.. So I am going for a proper FAT 32 Format and I let it pick the allocation size it self 4096 bytes.. First attempt failed. Try #2 formatting extremely slow going but still formatting.. I will try and install the app and I have a downloaded copy of the latest map v840 saved to my computer so I hope Home can see me as a valid user and let it run.. I am hoping that my last format job , just plain FAT with a allocation size of 32 bytes was the cause of my issues this time.. Please cross your fingers for me and be patient.. I feel I have learned a lot here.. Just going to try to do it and have a positive attitude about it all this time.. I don't want to use my Explorer backups as I feel they are corrupt and will try and use this as a learning experience! I'll try and not drive you guy's nuts! Thank you all!! George

 

[photoman2]

I keep getting this error after trying to install th APP

ERROR: HomeBase/IO: Error writing file: F:\United_States\cline.dat
@ .\portable\cfile.cpp(1947)
0000045D
in .\portable\cfile.cpp:1947
Stack:
0. chrome://tthome/content/ui/bindings/commit.js:82
error(textOrException);
1. chrome://tthome/content/ui/bindings/ttwizard.xml:1058
this._commitFailed(i, commitPage);
2. chrome://tthome/content/logic/util.js:79
return func.apply(obj, arguments);
3. chrome://tthome/content/logic/dllUtils.js:77
this._errorCallback(e);
4. chrome://tthome/content/logic/dllUtils.js:69
this._errorFatal(error);

I cant SEEM TO FIND A WAY AROUNT IT.. I have a roadrunner high speed connection and never have issues with files corrupt or otherwise.. I don't understand how to get past this point.. I have formatted my unit to FAT 32 4096 bytes allocations.. I am trying! George

 

[mvl]

The error is that HOME can't write to the Tomtom.

First things first, Hold the power button forever until you see the black debug screen. Does "bootloader" say you're on version 5.5136? If not, post back as that upgrade is the first key step, and we'll post steps to get that working.

Next, make sure you remove all your voices. HOME is saying it can't write one of the key map files onto the Tomtom. One reason is that it could be out of space. Voices are big and can be re-adde later after you get the map loaded.

Next, try a quickformat of the Tomtom, and this don't restore anything. Just run "update my XL", and only install the application. Then run update my XL again and install the map only. Only if that succeeds, then install other stuff like voices/quickgpsfix/mapshare etc.

 

[photoman2]

mvl,
I put two more full days into this.. I did finally get it to format to FAT 32 and the default allocation size it picked was 4096. For the first day after a few full formats and many many quick formats I found I could not get anything into the tomtom with that FAT32 on it.. SO I decided to let windows Vista pick both the FAT and unit allocation size for the sectors.. It picked Plain FAT and unit allocations of 16 bytes.. OK thinks started to get things into the tom tom.. MT first attempts were to get the app from tomtom, Then install the map.. after many errors failed I decided to use one of the few Explorer backups I have with a few corrupt files we had talked about earlier.. each attempt failed but after 4 or so tries it finally got installed on the tom tom.. Ok the tom tom ran kind of.. it ran slow would not lock a satellite in any amount of time.. I soft booted it and it would not do that normally 15secs on the power button never gave be a boot it would bring up the screen you mentioned looked like a black dos screen.. Then if I hit the button once again it would go into it's normal look.. I hard set it.. Stilll nothing.. At this point I decided to format again.. I format to a PLAIN FAT and I picked the unit allocation size of 32 kilobytes.. I ran Scan disk on the clean newly formatted internal drive of the tom tom and did check the two boxed check for corrupt files and make attempt to fix bad sectors.. It cam up clean no bad sectors.. With this Plain FAT and 32 kilobytes allocation size my Explorer backup went in with out a hitch except for telling me i had two corrupt files one file containing O bites in it but it still installed.. I believe it was the logo file under BRAND... and a file holding fragmented filed from long before I owned the unit.. I assume TomTom ran scan disk after there install... But who knows.

OK GPS v1.21 Boot log is in fact 5.5136 app 8.038 OS:343369 Map USA/Canada v840.2570


Also per you post on just changing the bad 9361_4. bmp logo file that was large and contained 0 data. If I move it deleted it replaced it with a good working file it would corrupt the hole map on me..I even put the original back and it would not fix the map. This is what caused me to try redoing the tom tom.. every time I run scan disk with everything loaded in my tomtom it don't run right any more.. So I'm avoiding that for now..

I had a fer copies of the v80 and earlier on that came with the tom tom but I corrupted many maps I had, thinking I was working just with a file and it would install right if needed.. I may have a few copies of clean maps though.. I know tomtom won't let me download any being I am now past my 30days..

Sorry this post is so long but I wanted to fill you in.. All installs were made without the voices installed.. Right now I have 58mb of free space on my unit I have the app one map v840 one computer voice and one regular voice with QuickFix installed.. I know every time I have to upgrade my map or do something it's a big hassle and should not be.. Oh where does the file .Spotlight V100 at their very top of the internal drive? Because after every attempt to do a manual install of the system didn't not show that file after I was done..

If you feel up to it I will try anything but only after it gets messed up again.. For now it's running.. I feel I should have known what to do and how to do it from all the help i got from you guys.. I work on computers so files and working with them and how they work I know....

Please Feel free try and figure out my issues.. step by step instructions are great.. Wen the unit dies again I will give it a shot.. Thanks so much.. I hope I provided you with something you can use to help me... My best! George

I hope you can read through my frustration and bad typing.

 

[mvl]

It sounds like you've done everything I can think of. I assume you mean app 8.083 because I don't know of any app 8.038. The fact that you get file-copy errors after a full format means there's still something physically wrong.

If you can try a different computer and different USB cord, that could rule anything but the Tomtom.

If it still says "error writing F:\(**anything**)" then that means you still aren't writing to the Tomtom reliably. Could be that you just got a unit with defective internal flash ram.

The Tomtom controller never reports "bad sectors" on its flash, it just shrinks the total available flash upon a format, so there's no way to tell if it's truly bad other than ruling out everything else.

Personally, if you still can't get things working after a quickformat and retrying with a new computer/usb cable, then I'd just call up Tomtom as they will probably warranty swap it for you.

 

[photoman2]

mvl, Yes app 8.083. I have tried two computers and have another one ready to go with the latest Home installed on it.. I will use that computer next time, it's a windows XP.. I have not tried another cable yet.. I have a few with the same connectors on both ends.. But I will use the tom tom cable on the other devices before putting there cable on the tom to first.. I don't want to damage the unit more them it is.. When the unit is writing a map file or an Explorer backup restore it does not continuously write there are many long write no write cycles showing on the tomtom.. is this normal? Thank you for all your help.. I also have a Program tom tom suggested called clear flash.. I will run that after my next attempt after formatting the unit..

But yes format APP, Map is how I have been doing the manual attempts so far.. At least it's running again.. the wife tells me to never connect it ti the computer again!! LOL!! Thanks so much for all you help.. George

 

[mvl]

When the unit is writing a map file or an Explorer backup restore it does not continuously write there are many long write no write cycles showing on the tomtom.. is this normal?

It doesn't have the long pauses for me. The long pauses were a telltale sign of the bad 5.5128 bootloader corrupting data, but went away with most people's 5.5136 bootloader.

So I'm pretty sure you have bad internal memory or a bad USB cord.

 

[photoman2]

mvl,
At least I have the latest boot-loader on my unit. That's one pulse.. Where is the boot-loader. I mean where does it come from, the App? When it's loaded? or is it flashed to memory in the unit? If it's flashed to memory where can I get a copy with reflashing info? I think that could help. Sounds right to me! Could the Clear flash program that was suggested to me by tomtom help with this? They said to clear flash it at least 3 times.. Maybe I'll give that a try too.. I have not used that program as of yet. I would have if I thought of it while I was into all of it the other day. Again it's running again for now so will wait till I have issues again..But I will try another cord too good suggestion!!! Also yes I have very long no writes when loading larger files like the Map or Explore restore.. If I had to say it does not write much longer they it writes cycle wise. Thank you again! George

 

[mvl]

Hope things work for you. Keep your receipt handy in case you need a warranty swap.

The bootloader is stored in a part of flash that isn't visible to a computer. When you install an app with a newer bootloader, the tomtom upgrades the bootloader to the one included in app. If older, the tomtom ignores the bootloader, so you can never "downgrade" a bootloader. Think of it like a computer bios.

 

[photoman2]

mvl,
Thanks for the explanation. I was thinking of it more line my SanDisk Fuze MP3 player.. so many firmware upgrades to correct bugs.. But I could reinstall older firmware "re-Flash" into it if I wanted too revert back for some reason. In the tomtom I was thinking of just re-flashing it with the same boot-loader version if I could.. But at least i know it's contained in the APP now and unless it's newer it won't get re flashed just because I reinstalled the APP 4 or 5 times.. Do I understand you right? I have sent my requested to tomtom begging them for a restore disk.. We'll see how that goes.. I'll keep you up to date.. Going to run it till it goes down .. Then play with it again. I'll try new usb cord, run that ClearFlash tool 3 times then try and reload the system using Home. Format, APP,Map, Voices, Quick-Fix! Sound like I got it right? I may not be back for a few week ,with any luck it will keep running and let me upgrade as needed.. Thanks for all your help with this.. George

I wanted to add! the oddest thing was formatting.. It not liking Fat 32 at the default unit allocation size of 4096 bytes.. I could get nothing into to it.. the I let windows just picked use default and windows picked Plain FAT with allocation units of 16 bytes.. the TomTom ran but slow and would not lock on and froze... The I finally picked Plain FAT with a allocation size of 32 Kilobytes and the app, voices, quick fix would zap right in.. map had issues but I think it was because of it's corrupt files.. In any case at that FAT it runs smooth Normal.. Strange! Don't you think? May have something to do with it being a late model and that Microsoft conflict tomtom was having with them..

Just found this about microsoft and tomtom..
Patent infringement lawsuit

In February 2009, MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...
filed a patent infringementPatent infringementPatent infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Permission may typically be granted in the form of a licence. The definition of patent infringement may vary by jurisdiction, but it typically includes using or...
lawsuit against TomTomTomTomTomTom NV is a Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems, including both stand-alone units and software for personal digital assistants and mobile telephones. It is the leading manufacturer of navigation systems in Europe...
alleging that the device maker's products infringe on patents related to FAT32 filesystem. As some TomTom products are based on LinuxLinuxLinux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed,...
, this marked the first time that Microsoft tried to enforce its patents against the Linux platform.. The lawsuit was settled out of court the following month with an agreement that Microsoft be given access to four of TomTom's patents, that TomTom will drop support for the FAT32 filesystem from its products, and that in return Microsoft not seek legal action against TomTom for the five year duration of the settlement agreement.

 

[mvl]

In the tomtom I was thinking of just re-flashing it with the same boot-loader version if I could.. But at least i know it's contained in the APP now and unless it's newer it won't get re flashed just because I reinstalled the APP 4 or 5 times.. Do I understand you right?

You're understanding the above correctly. I'm surprised they aren't offering you a warranty exchange when you ask for a restore disk.

The different format types is unusual. The Tomtom models I've seen seem pretty much indifferent to fat vs fat32 and allocation size. But the ultra-discount 325SE has given users problems (it has cheap hardware and outdated software), so I don't know whether you have a dud unit or your problems are just normal for that model.

 

[photoman2]

mvl,
Thank you for all your help!!! Our daughter got it for us for XMASS. She got it online, Black Friday sale at WalMart.com. So I know it was $89 bucks! Yes great price. She got herself a TomTom 130 S I think same price and features but smaller screen and so far hers works fine but then again she never hooked it up to her computer knowing I was having so many issues. I told her to hold off till I figure it all out.. Anyway there is a 90 day return policy and we can return it to our local WalMart so that's great.. I'll use it for a bit more and decide.. The wife and I really like but we are not in any position where we need to depend on it every day. It is cool to use though. We may take a cross country drive this summer because of the TomTom, we talked about that..What I 'm trying to say I guess is that we don't have to rely on it nor will we use it a great deal at least not with the same need and dependability some would.. Most of our driving is joy riding, it's or recreation. So I guess really if I didn't hook it up to the computer again for even a few years it would still be useful to us as long as it just keeps doing what it's doing. If new roads are built or some things change I'm assuming it will re-rout us as needed.. Time for us is not a factor 99% of the time..We also live in the sticks in Northern New Hampshire. Things on the most part stay the same..
Again Thank for all the help. it was a learning experience for sure! I'll keep ya posted on what we do! George

 

[mvl]

If you really like the Tomtom, I'd suggest an upgrade to a 335S. It's between $99 and $129 at Costco, depending on the week.

The 335S is built on Tomtom's 2009 platform, which adds IQroutes, Lane Guidance, and lots of POI. It continues to get the latest software, and is currently on the highest version Tomtom offers (9.026). It also adds Canada maps.

It has the same 5.5128 bootloader issue, but so far I've seen a 100% success rate with the application/bootloader update to 5.5136 on the 335S. You'll also get map 845 for free as it will come out in February within 30 days of your purchase.

 

[photoman2]

mvl,
Thanks for the suggestion on the TomTom.. The wife and I talked it over and being we will get back the $89 bucks if we return the one we have we are thinking of adding $100 to that if necessary to get a good unit that has a good track record.. So If we were looking for a unit priced up to say $189 bucks. What would the best most reliable unit? George

 

[mvl]

I've seen Tomtom's best reliability with the 140/335/340/540 line. Seems like Tomtom's made a deliberate attempt to improve the reliability of the software on their newer models, it shows on the whole 2009 model lineup.

So far the least complaints I've seen are on the XXL 540S.

 

[photoman2]

mvl,
Again thanks for your info! We'll checkout the XXL 540 and see how it runs price wise in our area. I know others have said good things about the 340 S too so we will be looking into those two units.. We had ours out today and it ran great through out the trip and back but then froze in the shut down mode with the green suitcase stuck on the screen after I went to shut it down.. A soft boot did clear it though..

Just one last question.. I loaded quick-Fix on my unit and right after I load it in I went into manage my XL in Home. I can see Quick-Fix program in it but if I let it say a few days or a week then plug it into home and go to manage my XL everything is there except Quick-Fix. It's gone. Is this normal or strange? So I have to download it and reinstall.. I think I was under the impression that once Quick-Fix was installed on the TomTom it would update it self as needed when plugged it into home each time.. Thanks you !! George