Flashing Red X

[JimDoolittle]

I have a TomTom One XL S, and I you think I would have learned by now...never email tech support....the unofficial internet forums always know what's going on, and tech support is generally full of morons. This seems to be common of any high tech gadget.

Let me back up. About a month ago, my TomTom stopping speaking to me. I now know that this was due to a buggy application update....but I sent an email off to tech support. They made no mention of any buggy software, despite me telling them what version I had installed, and what model of TT I had. Their top suggestion was to due a hard reset to the machine, and/or try re-updating the application. Since I had already tried to update the app, I went directly to the hard reset. After resetting the machine, all I can get out of it now is the flashing red X. No amount of deleting the application via the Home software and reinstalling it will work. I have also tried the flash reset application recommended by posters here. No luck. I have bricked my TomTom.

I have seen some posts here that say they have had luck unbricking a machine by reformatting it as if it were a hard drive. I have a Macintosh, and Disk Utility is perfectly willing to reformat the TomTom, but will this actually work...seems pretty extreme. I have a backup, but I'm not sure of it's quality. Anyone who's actually done this have suggestions? Or should I just call tech support and resign myself to hours of waiting?

 

[Birdman]

I have a TomTom One XL S, and I you think I would have learned by now...never email tech support....the unofficial internet forums always know what's going on, and tech support is generally full of morons. This seems to be common of any high tech gadget.

Let me back up. About a month ago, my TomTom stopping speaking to me. I now know that this was due to a buggy application update....but I sent an email off to tech support. They made no mention of any buggy software, despite me telling them what version I had installed, and what model of TT I had. Their top suggestion was to due a hard reset to the machine, and/or try re-updating the application. Since I had already tried to update the app, I went directly to the hard reset. After resetting the machine, all I can get out of it now is the flashing red X. No amount of deleting the application via the Home software and reinstalling it will work. I have also tried the flash reset application recommended by posters here. No luck. I have bricked my TomTom.

I have seen some posts here that say they have had luck unbricking a machine by reformatting it as if it were a hard drive. I have a Macintosh, and Disk Utility is perfectly willing to reformat the TomTom, but will this actually work...seems pretty extreme. I have a backup, but I'm not sure of it's quality. Anyone who's actually done this have suggestions? Or should I just call tech support and resign myself to hours of waiting?

The device is simply another 'hard drive' to Windows. You can simply drag and and drop/copy and paste files. I would do the following:
1) Create a temporary folder in windows for storing the contents of your TomTOm
2) Copy everything on you TomTom into that new folder
3) Once this new backup is done, reformat the TomTom using FAT16 (called just FAT in windows XP)
4) Once it is formatted you'll want to copy everything from your original backup on to the Tomtom (NOT the backup I just had you make, but the backup from TomTOm home that you mentioned you made earlier)

Your previous backup should be in the following folder in windows:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\TomTom\HOME\Backup\GO\Backup01\


Once you've done that, you should have your TomTom back to your backup config.

 

[SShadow]

I have a Macintosh, and Disk Utility is perfectly willing to reformat the TomTom, but will this actually work...seems pretty extreme. I have a backup, but I'm not sure of it's quality. Anyone who's actually done this have suggestions? Or should I just call tech support and resign myself to hours of waiting?

Be careful there... He's got a Mac, Birdman... I've not worked on a MAC, so I don't know if those directions are valid or not...

 

[Birdman]

Be careful there... He's got a Mac, Birdman... I've not worked on a MAC, so I don't know if those directions are valid or not...

VERY good point! My instructions were definitely for a PC with Windows...we'll need to find someone with MAC experience to claim or deny my procedure.

Thanks for catching that!

 

[SShadow]

I've got my eye on you... Gotta keep you on the straight and narrow!

Just kidding. I just realized it because I was going to close off the thread when I saw MAC (I'm useless when it comes to MACs, the latest MAC I've used was a IIe back in Junior High...) Then I saw your instructions...

 

[JimDoolittle]

I'm not feeling too brave about being a guinea pig, so I may just tote the thing to work and try it on my PC there. Thanks for the advice.

 

[r028806]

The device is simply another 'hard drive' to Windows. You can simply drag and and drop/copy and paste files. I would do the following:
1) Create a temporary folder in windows for storing the contents of your TomTOm
2) Copy everything on you TomTom into that new folder
3) Once this new backup is done, reformat the TomTom using FAT16 (called just FAT in windows XP)
4) Once it is formatted you'll want to copy everything from your original backup on to the Tomtom (NOT the backup I just had you make, but the backup from TomTOm home that you mentioned you made earlier)

Your previous backup should be in the following folder in windows:
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\TomTom\HOME\Backup\GO\Backup01\


Once you've done that, you should have your TomTom back to your backup config.

FYI Formating a TomTom must be done in FAT32, not FAT16.

 

[r028806]

I have a TomTom One XL S, and I you think I would have learned by now...never email tech support....the unofficial internet forums always know what's going on, and tech support is generally full of morons. This seems to be common of any high tech gadget.

Let me back up. About a month ago, my TomTom stopping speaking to me. I now know that this was due to a buggy application update....but I sent an email off to tech support. They made no mention of any buggy software, despite me telling them what version I had installed, and what model of TT I had. Their top suggestion was to due a hard reset to the machine, and/or try re-updating the application. Since I had already tried to update the app, I went directly to the hard reset. After resetting the machine, all I can get out of it now is the flashing red X. No amount of deleting the application via the Home software and reinstalling it will work. I have also tried the flash reset application recommended by posters here. No luck. I have bricked my TomTom.

I have seen some posts here that say they have had luck unbricking a machine by reformatting it as if it were a hard drive. I have a Macintosh, and Disk Utility is perfectly willing to reformat the TomTom, but will this actually work...seems pretty extreme. I have a backup, but I'm not sure of it's quality. Anyone who's actually done this have suggestions? Or should I just call tech support and resign myself to hours of waiting?

What you need to do is call TT Tech support and have them down grade your application to ver. 7.120, and your sound will work.

 

[jcarroll]

My unit (G920) does the same thing. After approx 10 day working the TOMTOM tech support, I was informed my unit is out of warranty and they do not do repairs. One of their techs hung up on me, guess he ran out of ideas.

If they really want my business they should have offered my a new or refurbished one at a reduced rate in exchange for mine.

Never again will i buy or recommend a TOMTOM. I loved my unit but it cost way too much to just throw out after 18 months.

 

[dhn]

What exactly is it that your 920 is doing (incorrectly)?

 

[jcarroll]

After the TOMTOM splash screen, Red circle with white X. Stops there with a little icon of a hard drive missing.
Computer will recognize the drive but all information is 0. Unable to format it or do anything.
Looks like it would boot up on the SD drive but not sure if I could run the TOMTOM off the SD.

 

[dhn]

See if anything here helps.

Or here