Advice for locked-up Tomtom please

[dragnil]

Hi,

All was going well using it in the car yesterday when it just changed to one of the set up screens and nothing I did would bring it back to Navigate mode. Did the obvious (switch off/on) without effect.

Now, if I switch on it is in Tomtom Services and showing the correct time and Traffic, Speed Cameras and Fuel Prices along with a Done button which has no effect. I think it's still navigating because it's telling me to turn around when possible and the time is correct but the device is unuseable.

Is there a "hard reset" anywhere? Is a reinstall necessary and if so can anyone point me at an idiot's guide for doing this?
Any help gratefully received.

Regards,

David

PD Should have said, it's an XL IQ Routes / 340 - 2GB about 2 years old.

 

[canderson]

Press and hold the power button for 20 seconds until you hear the drum beat. Immediately release the button. That should perform the necessary 'hard' reset.

 

[dragnil]

Thanks a million - that did the trick. I'd tried holding it down but not for long enough.:thumb:

 

[canderson]

Yeah, we have a few here who talk about 10 seconds or 15 seconds, but in all my experience with the ones that use the power button for a reset, it's been exactly 20 seconds!

 

[- et -]

Yeah, we have a few here who talk about 10 seconds or 15 seconds, but in all my experience with the ones that use the power button for a reset, it's been exactly 20 seconds!

I have always needed 20 seconds for a "drum-beat" reboot, and could never understand why some people kept saying 15 seconds, which was obviously wrong.

Last week I did a "drum-beat" reboot that took (you guessed it!) 15 seconds - and on the same GPS that has needed 20 seconds in the past.

I am starting to think that all this reboot stuff is done with smoke and mirrors . . .

With best wishes,
- Tom -

 

[Andy_P]

Yeah, we have a few here who talk about 10 seconds or 15 seconds, but in all my experience with the ones that use the power button for a reset, it's been exactly 20 seconds!

I used to be able to do a REAL pin reset (with a bent paper clip) even while driving.

Trying to hold that damn button in for 20 seconds while driving is a complete no-no!

 

[dragnil]

Andy, I was actually half-expecting to use the bent paper clip. I was wondering whether to remove the label to find it - can I take it that there is no such thing on my model and that the power reset replaces that method?
Finally, mods, I did read the FAQs (honest!) and I couldn't find any mention of a reset, if I'm dull and missed it then so be it, but if I'm not, might I suggest this as an addition to FAQ?

 

[dhn]

See here:

http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6965

 

[dragnil]

OK, but why go to Tomtom support when there is this forum?

Seriously, though, the problem is recurring and almost a daily thing now. Do you think I have a hardware failure or is there something I can do to restore stability. I do have backups, even one I did yesterday but might that one just carry on with the problem if it is file related?

Even more seriously, my first sentence was a compliment, this is a great forum, keep up the good work.

 

[canderson]

If it's going video-brain-dead daily, it might be worth your while to do a bit of a 'clean start' on your unit. The least painful approach (a first step, really, to see if you can avoid doing more) is to create a full backup of your unit, kill off your existing firmware, and let Home restore a fresh copy of new firmware for you.

Backup procedure can be found here: https://www.tomtomforums.com/t17864-how-backup-contents-your-unit-computer-how-restore.html

Once you have completed that important step, you can delete all of the loose files from the root of your unit (Do NOT delete any folders). Disconnect properly and then reconnect. Home will offer you new firmware for your unit when it discovers that it is missing. Go ahead and install firmware as requested. It may not bring you all the way up to the current level on the first pass, so unless it takes you directly to a version 9.4XX right away, properly disconnect and reconnect and allow it to upgrade whatever it gave you the first time.

Then see how that works for you for a day or two and report back.

 

[Andy_P]

How to do that clean up and re-loading of fresh of software is also described here: Old-style TomTom Acting Up? - Part 2 - How To reinstall *fresh* Software using Home.

 

[dragnil]

Thanks for the easy to understand steps. I'll do it as soon as I have a chance but am visiting hospital every day at the moment so time is a bit short. I will report when it's done, it's just that it might not be today! ;-)