TomTom in Endless Loop - Throw Away ?

[ricky190]

Hi

I have been trying to get my TomTom XL IQ Routes to work for weeks

I have carried out lots of troubleshooting actions taken from advice I have seen on various TomTom forums but nothing works. The TomTom is currently stuck in an EndLess Loop.

1) If I switch on the TomTom I have to wait approx 10 Secs and then it says "Choose Language", I then select "English UK" and Select "YES"

2) It then brings up "Welcome! Before you Start .... Tap the screen anywhere to begin..."

3) I then select "Right-handed"

4) I then select "Miles" and the "Time Format"

5) Finally it asks me to "Set the Time" and when I press the "Done" button 20 Seconds goes by and the device seems to reset and go back to the Tom Tom splash screen and you start all over again.

Actions I have carried out:

The TomTom does connect to my computer OK and I have carried out the following actions:

1) Countless 20 Sec Resets of the Device

2) I have reformatted the TomTom memory card and reloaded the files I had from backup. But unfortunately I did the backup after the device started to play up

3) Deleted and re-installed ALL of the items I can see in the TomTomHome "Manage my ONE XL". But again same problem with EndLess Loop.

4) Deleted all of the root files (not folders) in the root of the TomToms memory card and then reboot and run TomTom Home on my PC. It seemed to reload and update the TomTom again. I then disconnected the device again and rebooted the TomTom and it is now stuck in the Endless Loop again!

5) One strange thing is the TomTom Internal Memory Card is 2GB but only 255Mb is being used up, so are there missing files ?

Should I chuck this TomTom away ?

 

[Berlingo]

Hi Ricky,

No don't throw your TT away!

I know how frustrating it feels when you get a problem with a TT. But on the two occasions over the past six or seven years when I have had a software problem (and one hardware problem on an older model) I have always found the TT helpline team extremely helpful and able to rectify even the most seemingly insumountable technical problems with it.

The SatNav, and particularly the TT, with its Live Traffic information and IQ Routes, is probably one of the greatest time-saving devices invented which enhances my travel and enjoyment of my journeys in the UK and Europe.

So while not offering you "hands on advice" I'd suggest phoning TomTom and speaking to somebody personally.

Hope this provides a morale boost for you!

Chris (Suffolk,UK).

 

[ricky190]

Many thanks Chris for your words of encouragement.

I will watch this thread closely and perform any actions people will recommend.

I think over the last few weeks I have tried almost everything but will certainly give it one last go

Thanks again.

Rick

 

[doctormstein1]

endless reboot

I don't recall all but when it happened to me I would go to tomtom home and then to operate my go where you can see your tomtom and whats is there Then I changed the name of one of your favorites that you see . Now try your tomtom and see if it reboots.

 

[ricky190]

OK Tried changing the favourites within the TomTom Home by going in and operating the TomTom.

It seemed to operate perfectly through the TomTom Home V9 using Operate my ONE XL.

It would allow me to go through past entering the Time and onto the main TomTom control window However after I changed the Favourite and then disconnected the device. I then tried the TomTom again and it was stuck on the TomTom splash screen.

I then performed a soft reset by pressing down on the Power Button for 20 secs or so.

When I switched on the TomTom it still remains stuck on the main TomTom splash screen. I hear the drum beat and I see the TomTom Logo but thats as far as it goes.

I can reconnect it to the TomTomHome application but unfortunately just trying the TomTom on its own goes no further tham the splash screen.

Any other ideas from anyone ?

 

[ricky190]

If no one has any other ideas which I can out then I will have to throw this TomTom out and by a new one as I need one for my travelling.
Thanks

 

[mvl]

Can you post the first 2 letters of the serial number on the bottom?

 

[ricky190]

There are a few numbers at the bottom of the TOMTOM XL N14644

Under the bar code: C_N0:RS6399
(4EM0.001.01)

I hope this helps.

 

[alfie67]

Ricky, your TomTom is XL IQ Routes / 340 - 2GB.

. . .5) One strange thing is the TomTom Internal Memory Card is 2GB but only 255Mb is being used up, so are there missing files ?

Yes it certainly appears that way. My 340-XL uses well over 1.8GB of its available memory when fully functional.

One thing I find missing in the "list" of things you have done is the use of the Clear Flash Tool. It may or may not help. Be sure you are fully disconnected from TomTom Home before running it three (3) times. See SuperMod Andy's steps HERE for detailed info on how to use it and where to get it.

Also, I would recommend re-checking what you have done with the list given by Andy just to make sure there isn't anything else you may have missed.

Good luck! FWIW, I have gone through the exact or at least a very similar situation many years ago with mine and was able to get it to work. I remember that it was important to get the order of events correct. Mine has been working great ever since.

 

[flashtoo]

If no one has any other ideas which I can out then I will have to throw this TomTom out and by a new one as I need one for my travelling.
Thanks

I also have an XL340 Live. This device has twice gotten caught in an endless reboot loop. The two incidents happened about a year apart. Both times I was in a mountainous area in dense forest going in and out of satellite coverage (I assume). In both cases, all of a sudden the device would reboot all by itself, then never recover. Both times I had to shut the device off and wait until I was at my laptop in order to fix it. Fortunately I still carry paper maps.

I still have my XL340 Live, but as a backup device only. My travel GPS device is now a Garmin.

 

[mvl]

There are a few numbers at the bottom of the TOMTOM XL N14644

Under the bar code: C_N0:RS6399
(4EM0.001.01)

I hope this helps.

Use winrar to open the file linked below, then extract the contents of it onto the Tomtom drive (overwriting if prompted). Then safely disconnect in windows, unplug the Tomtom, and let it start up.

http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/navcore/9.061.xl2009_plus.CAB-navcore-ONE_XL.cab

See if you get to a working device. If not, try the following:
- connect to the computer, and run a chkdsk /f on the Tomtom drive
- Then open home, update to the latest software under "update my XL" (should be 9.435), and then safely disconnect in HOME.
- Disconnect the device and see if it starts up now

If not, post back and we'll give some further troubleshooting steps

 

[ricky190]

Thanks for your latest advice.

I downloaded and unzip the contents of your "9.061.xl2009_plus.CAB-navcore-ONE_XL.cab" onto the Tomtoms drive and overwrote everything.

I then safely disconnected it from windows and rebooted the TomTom.

The device initially comes up with the Jungle Drums. A yellow progress bar then quickly runs along the bottom of the screen left to right. The TomTom then shows the usual splash logo and thats it. I does not go past the TomTom splash screen.

I then performed a chkdsk /f on the TomTom Drive and then openned Home to update to the latest software udpate "update my xl".

After a safe disconnect the device I tried to run up the TomTom again and I still get the Jungle Drums and it hanging on the TomTom splash logo.

I don't know if this helps but here is a list of the files and folders from the device:

16/09/2012 15:11 0 settings.dat
24/09/2012 11:30 2,864 ttgo.bif
24/09/2012 11:14 161 reflush.log
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> helpme
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> home images
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> itn
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> licences
08/03/2000 15:43 <DIR> logging
04/08/2012 11:49 <DIR> poi
04/08/2012 11:49 <DIR> raster
24/07/2009 14:59 <DIR> schemes
04/08/2012 11:49 <DIR> script
08/03/2000 15:43 <DIR> sounds
04/08/2012 11:49 <DIR> statdata
24/07/2009 14:59 <DIR> text
04/08/2012 11:49 <DIR> TomTom HOME Install.app
04/08/2012 11:49 <DIR> TomTom-Cfg
04/08/2012 11:54 <DIR> United_Kingdom_and_Republic_of_Ireland
04/08/2012 11:55 <DIR> voices
04/08/2012 11:55 <DIR> zip
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> art
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> cp
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> ephem
04/08/2012 11:56 <DIR> fuel_prices
16/09/2012 12:34 <DIR> bin
16/09/2012 12:35 <DIR> gns
16/09/2012 12:35 <DIR> LoquendoTTS
16/09/2012 12:35 <DIR> program
27/09/2010 16:31 391,736 antitheftw.bmp
18/08/2010 12:53 51 bootloaderversion.txt
27/09/2010 16:31 391,736 lowbatteryw.bmp
15/09/2010 21:40 7,953,172 PNDNavigator
16/09/2012 10:39 70,596 tomtom.ico
15/09/2010 21:41 137 install.bif
21/01/2010 09:46 228 mctx.dat
15/09/2010 17:32 11,559 signpost_li.txt
15/09/2010 21:41 4,212,715 ttsystem
22/09/2012 11:01 56 CurrentMap.dat
22/09/2012 11:01 68 userpatch.dat
17/09/2012 10:41 18 CurrentLocation.dat
22/09/2012 18:33 958 newsettings.dat
24/09/2012 11:30 50 tthome.bif
15/09/2010 17:32 5,934,941 data.chk
15/09/2010 17:32 1,373,748 data_im2.chk
15/09/2010 17:32 5,119,621 data_lim.chk
15/09/2010 17:32 67,472 data_ra.chk
15/09/2010 17:32 12,251 data_sp.chk
15/09/2010 17:32 347,573 data_ts.chk
18/08/2010 12:53 1,030,991 system

25 File(s) 26,922,702 bytes
25 Dir(s) 1,784,676,352 bytes free

 

[Andy_P]

I'm surprised no-one has yet suggested deleting the file called "MapSettings.cfg" or "mapsettings.cfg" from yourUK and Ireland map folder.

The trick of using Home's on-screen emulator to create a new Favourite or plan a new route (which you did do...) is intended to re-write that file to the correct format without losing it's contents. However it doesn't ALWAYS work in which case you just have to delete it and lose your favourites. A new copy of the file will get created on the next boot up.

I had to do that only this morning, on a Go940 that would not boot up after installing v895 maps. Works OK now.

 

[ricky190]

Hmmm... no joy in deleting the "mapsettings.cfg" file within the UK and Ireland map folder. I must admit I did try this one a few weeks ago but I thought I would give it another go.

After carrying out this deletion and disconnecting and rebooting the TomTom. It still remains stuck on the TomTom splash screen, which comes up after the yellow progress bar goes from left to right.

Strange thing is I can operate the TomTom using the "Operate my ONE XL" from the TomTom Home v2.9.2.2837 app. I can plan a route, store it etc.. but when I exit and disconnect the device. The TomTom won't go past the TomTom Splash Screen.

I have tried everything on the forums and I am pretty sure its beyond repair :sad:

 

[Andy_P]

Being able to use the device in the "Home" emulator even when it won't boot up itself is quite normal. That Go 940 I mentioned above was doing the self same thing.

I still don't think you should give up, but we're at a point where you've done so many things in various orders that it's hard to see the wood for the trees.

All I can say is that I've been in this situation before myself and it *is* recoverable from.

I'm sure there will be some combination of re-installing, reformatting, re-updating and/or stripping down of various files that will work, it's just finding it and doing it in the right order.

Here's another story....

Not long ago I had one model where it refused to boot up straight after a update to v895 maps, I'm SURE I must have checked it was working straight after the map had installed, but the next day I was off on a short holiday and it refused to get past the splash screen (or sometimes the legal screen) before it froze and re-booted.
This went on for about half an hour while I left it on the dashboard but then it suddenly got past the blockage and started to work!

All was fine for another week until (just to check the sequence of button presses to get to the "BIOS" info screen for a forum reply), I did a re-boot and I was thrown back to square one with it refusing to get past the splash screen.

I know the drill, so I tried the "new favourite in Home" trick - didn't work
I tried deleting MapSettings - this has worked for me 90% of times,. This time it didn't

I tried reverting to the old map from a backup - It worked
I put the new map back on from a backup - it stopped working
I reformatted the Go and put just the bare bones of the new map folder on - didn't work

I faffed around for hours, trying moving various files from one to the other, never got to the bottom of the problem.

Eventually, I put the old map back on, hid the new map that was on my PC so Home couldn't find it and then Home offered to re-download the new map from the servers again and reinstall.

Worked straight away and didn't lose my Favourites.

Sometimes it's just too hard to get your brain around what exact step of the process fixes something, but you get there in the end.

A thought... where abouts in London are you?

 

[mvl]

Have you tried adding a favorite in the Operate my XL?

If that doesn't help, quickformat the entire tomtom drive. Make sure it is formatted as fat32, not ntfs. Then keep running update my xl repeatedly until home has nothing else to offer for update.

 

[Andy_P]

Have you tried adding a favorite in the Operate my XL?

Back in post #5...

 

[ricky190]

Thanks guys for all the help and support you have given on this matter.

I'm going to reformat the device again and reload everything from the backup. I have not tried hiding the map that is on my PC so will give that a go to see if Home offers to re-download it.

I suspect it could be some corrupt file somewhere on the device which does not normally get corrupted so will have a nose around.

I wish I had another TomTom which was the exact same model which I could copy and transfer the files from to this device. Although I think I have to use my original maps as they are somehow encrypted to work only on this device.

Ha ho will keep at it and hopefully my endeavours will help other TomTom users get their devices working. Will immediately post if I manage to crack it !!

Signing out from soaking wet Devon

 

[mvl]

To be clear, I recommend restoring NOTHING from backup.

Reformat, and let Tomtom home download and reinstall everything from their servers.

 

[- et -]

To be clear, I recommend restoring NOTHING from backup.

Reformat, and let Tomtom home download and reinstall everything from their servers.

Doesn't he have to restore the maps? I didn't think that those could normally be downloaded from TomTom as a replacement.

With best wishes,
- Tom -