Multiple Tomtoms Problem

[allstar64]

For My Job I need to devise specific routes through a city using Itinerary planning. Then in theory we can move the information onto other tomtoms for other coworkers to use. However I've encountered several problems along the way.

My original Tomtom was working fine but ever since transferring the itineraries to another test Tomtom and downloading some updates, whenever I connect to TomtomHome and access my Tomtom through the computer the Itinerary planning button dissapears and I can't access it. It still works when it's not connected to the computer but this is a big problem for me cause its faster and easier to use it on the computer.

The test Tomtom that I downloaded all the file too has the exact opposite problem. When I connect it to the computer the itinerary planning button appears twice.

Both Tomtoms work fine when not connected to Home but its still a problem for me.
Does anyone know what might be causing Tomtom home to get so confused? anyone else experience the mysterious dissapearing/cloning button?

 

[dhn]

You could try uninstalling and reinstalling the Home application.

 

[allstar64]

Thanks but I have been trying that. Many times actually since the Tomtom home that comes with the GPS and the New version on Tomtom home that can be downloaded are different and can't be installed at the same time. Between the 2 I've probably installed and uninstalled each about 7 times.

 

[will381796]

You could create itineraries using a third party software known as Tyre. I actually prefer it over the TomTom interface as it utilizes google maps. You create the software in Tyre (so you don't even need to have the TomTom plugged in at that very moment), create your itinerary and then save it to the computer. You can then transfer to TomTom in a snap.

 

[allstar64]

Thanks, I'll look into that. Both Tomtoms work while not plugged in. Its only when they are attached to home that things get weird.

edit: I downloaded it and experimented with it. It seems to work great which is really good news for me. The main problem I faced was that The loading and calculations are about 5 times faster on Tomtom home that the Tomtom itself so losing the ability to do it on home posed a pretty annoying problem to me. With this I no longer need to rely on that since the Tomtoms both work fine on their own.

 

[GAW]

I would still clear out all instances of TomTom Home (use windows explorer and look for all the files and delete them also after first uninstalling them with windows).

It is possible that by installing both versions (probably with overlapping files) several times, that your installation is messed up. Do not use the one that came with you unit - use the current download one after you clean everything up.

It is possible by switching between two devices connected to TomTom Home, tere may be some issues, although I have done so with a 910 and 720 and have not had any problems. it is probably you Home installation.

 

[pianoCM]

This just happened on one of my GO920 last night.
Upgrading from 7.481 to 8.010, something bad so I DELETED everything in the Tomtom drive (normally F:\) then did a full-restore again.
On the unit itself, everything seems to be OK (up to now) but when using computer (Tomtom Emulator) there are several icons were missing or greyed out such Brightness Preference, Bluetooth, Set Clock, Factory Resetting (greyed out), Tomtom Player, Tomtom Jukebox, and Susan Computer Voice (missing).
As said above, everything is there on the unit.
I deleted everything in the xxx\Tomtom\Home\xxx.default\extensions\ folder and let TTHome downloaded new files again, but still.
Just weird, though.

 

[dhn]

Certain functions on the unit are not enabled (or even seen) on the emulator -- regardless of Home version. I think you just listed a bunch of them.

(The losing of 'Susan' IS a software glitch, though ... )

 

[allstar64]

Above where he says he deleted everything on the Tomtom do you mean absolutely everything on the drive or some select files? I already turned one of my tomtom's into a brick by trying to copy over a bunch of files from one to the other. Since then I've been a little scared to delete files on the Tomtom for fear of Bricking a second one.

 

[dhn]

Above where he says he deleted everything on the Tomtom do you mean absolutely everything on the drive or some select files? I already turned one of my tomtom's into a brick by trying to copy over a bunch of files from one to the other. Since then I've been a little scared to delete files on the Tomtom for fear of Bricking a second one.

I suspect he meant that he completely deleted everything (files & folders) from the unit and did a restore from a backup.

 

[pianoCM]

R you guys refer "he" to me?
If so, the answer is YES, EVERYTHING on the drive.
However, as said b4, after full-restored, it doesn't behave properly using Emulator, but thanks Lords, it works fine on the unit itself.

 

[GAW]

Above where he says he deleted everything on the Tomtom do you mean absolutely everything on the drive or some select files? I already turned one of my tomtom's into a brick by trying to copy over a bunch of files from one to the other. Since then I've been a little scared to delete files on the Tomtom for fear of Bricking a second one.

I am surprised that you were able to totally "brick it" by deleting and coping only. I can see that it would get pretty messed up with copying from one unit to another - especially if they were of different model series.

But if you connect it to the computer, and it is visible and accessible as a device (hard drive or whatever), then you should be able to recover it. If you do not have a backup of your maps, you might have to buy a new one though.

You could try a clean install (if, per the above, it is accessible as a device) by formatting it (FAT 32) and then letting TomTom Home install the current application for your unit. You would hook it up and open TT Home (2.3) after formatting and it would check updates, and after seeing no app on your unit, it should offer to download the current one (or possible one version before the current one, which it would offer to update at the next logon).

If you have a backup of youir old unit, Home should be able to see it now (which it probably could not do when it was all messed up). If not (but you have a backup), you could open it up and cut-and-paste the backup files. If you do the latter, if it does not start up OK, you could re-install the application to get it working.

If you do not have a backup, you will have a working TomTom but with no Map.

If you had purchased and downloaded a map online in the previous 12 months through TT Home and using a TomTom account (email address, password), if you log on to that account while connected to Home, it will offer to re-download that map.

Again, if you unit is visible on the computer - you can recover it.

I spent a lot of time recently loading different Applications (not maps) for different devices to try to get VR working, and reformatted and did several clean installs. I was worried about bricking it by using the reset button a lot, but software only should not brick it.

 

[allstar64]

They were both Go 720s but might have been different versions cause on closer inspection I realized that there were some differences between the two. I carelessly disconnected it from the computer after trying to copy all the files over and it got stuck on the start up screen. There wasn't anything (as far as I knew) I could do to get it past that and since I couldn't get to the "connect to you're computer? yes/no" screen I couldn't load the backup I had made in case something went wrong mad: ). So I was given a new one to use instead (work related).

 

[GAW]

Since it isn't yours, then you might not want to mess with it anymore.

I am surprised you do not at least get to the "connect to computer" prompt. Have you done a pin reset on it? Also, is it visible as a device in Windows "My Computer" ? If so, you could still recover it by re-formatting it and copying over the original files from you backup file manually.

If not, try plugging it into a different USB port. If you still can't see it, maybe the USB connection went out on the 720 - this happened to my original 910.

In that case, your Company can decide if it wants to see if TomTom would repair (read that as exchange for a refurb) the unit.


Make sure you do a complete copy of your new unit with windows explorer, and be careful when you disconnect it if you are "operating your device" in TT Home. In Home 2.2 - 2.3, click on "Done" and wait until the menu pops up before doing so.

 

[allstar64]

The company gives out a lot of GPS's to their employees so they already gave me anew one and took the old one for its warranty. I usually have both usb's from both tomtoms plugged in and neither would detect the bricked tomtom. The bricked tomtom was stuck on the starting screen and would not go past that. Pin reseting didn't help when I tried. Just to make things clear The bricked tomtom is not one of the tomtoms with problems from my initial post.

List of GPS's I've had in the pas month
1. Tomtom go 720 (still have but has the tomtom home issues I mentioned before)
2. Not a tomtom, don't care.
3. Tomtom one 130 (can't do itinerary planning, useless)
4. Tomtom go 720 (bricked it the day I got it. No longer have it. Turned it in for a new one)
5. Tomtom go 720 (The new one. Currently still have this one and successfully transferred itineraries but has the issues with tomtom home mentioned before)

 

[dhn]

If Home isn't recognizing the 'good' 720, you can try uninstalling TTHome itself, downloading another copy from TT's website and reinstalling the application.

 

[GAW]

And as I suggested earlier, before downloading and installing Home again (per dhn), make sure you have entirely cleaned out all the old ones (you might even find more then one showing up in Windows (XP or Vista) control panel menu item for removing programs). With a number of Home versions and a number of devices that have been connected, you could probably use a clean start with 2.3.

Also make sure you do a complete windows backup of your unit to a folder on you hard drive first, as after you clean house of all TT program and document folders that have been created by Home, this will include all your old backups (unless you move them manually to a different folder first).

I think after you clean house and get a fresh start with Home 2.3, your Home issues will most likely clear up (but don't forget dhn's earlier post that many of the grayed-out icons are normal in home, as they only work with when the device is not connected to the computer).

 

[allstar64]

Final Verse

Seems the bricked tomtom after some time regained its ability to connect to the computer. Not sure how it did but my boss told me it did. I'm restoring it right now so I hope it works.

The others still act funny while plugged into the computer so if the restoration works I'll have

1 tomtom that displays Itinerary planning twice
1 tomtom that displays Itinerary planning once
and 1 tomtom that doesn't display Itinerary planning at all

when plugged into the computer.

 

[GAW]

Again, the installing and re-installing of TomTom Home, plus managing several devices within this environment on the same Home installation might have something to do with it. I have managed a 510, 910, and a 720 on the same Home installation, but they all had different applications and maps, and the home was a clean install, so I did not have these issues - but this might be causing yours.

If you could move them to different Home/Computers, you might see them settle down.

 

[allstar64]

Finale

Alright deleting everything and restoring the backups finnally fixed all the tomtoms. I have 3 tomtoms 720 in working order. Thanks for the advice and time.