not enough space to update maps - please help

[whoistomtom]

Hi

I just bought a second hand tomtom go 710 that was never used. I want to update the maps as there have been 20 releases since it was released.

I have an sd card that came with it but its not big enough.

Is it possible to overwrite the maps already installed or is it possible to store the new updates to the device itself?

I really don't want to purchase another sd card if at all possible.

thanks.

 

[dhn]

What's the size of the sd card?

 

[whoistomtom]

What's the size of the sd card?

Hi dhn thanks for helping

I think its a 1GB sd card > it doesn't say on the card what size it is but when i click on my computer it says 14mb free of 966mb

I tried to uninstall the map that was on the tomtom there a few mins ago and download the latest map but there was an error so I am currently doing a restore hoping I get back the out of date maps that were already on it.

I have been working on this tomtom for the past four hours straight and have gotten nowhere.

when i tried to use the maps that were on it, it said the maps were out of date and not supported and it wouldnt even give me directions.

*edit* just finished doing a restore so its back to the way it was before but it still gives error messages such as "no usable locations near gps position"

will I have to buy another sd card or is there any other way around the map update issue...I paid €75 for the maps

 

[dhn]

When you turn on the unit, do you get to the normal screen?

When you look at the contents of the unit (or sd card) using Explorer and look at the contents of the specific map folder on it, you'll see a file called <mapname>.pna. If you open it with Notepad, what does the map name say AND what version is showing at the end of the first line?

 

[whoistomtom]

When you turn on the unit, do you get to the normal screen?

When you look at the contents of the unit (or sd card) using Explorer and look at the contents of the specific map folder on it, you'll see a file called <mapname>.pna. If you open it with Notepad, what does the map name say AND what version is showing at the end of the first line?

Yes it shows what I suspect as a normal screen, seeing as though this is my first tom tom or any sat nav for that matter I am unsure.....

First the tomtom logo pops up then it finds my position on the map (which is correct) but if I try and type in an address it shows "no usable locations near gps" I even went for a drive on the main road/highway and it still gave the same error when trying to type in an address to find...also it cannot find my local town/city

The details you asked for are as follows...I just copied the whole lot for you

ID=Western_Europe.pna
825045440
650
build=1047
id=38915

 

[dhn]

Yeah, that map is about 5 years old. If you tap the satellite bars on the screen, you'll see on the next screen the version number of the application installed on the unit. If it is 6.x something, you need an older version (1.6) of Home initially. If you go to tomtom.com/home, you'll see the Windows symbol on the left side and beneath the 'download' button, you'll see a link to Home 1.6.

If the application is 7X or higher, you'll need Home 2 (click the 'download' button).

Once it's installed, connect the unit to Home and create a user name (email address) and password for the unit. Update the application offered. Disconnect properly from Home (wait till the data is written to the flash drive). Reconnect the unit since you may be offered a further update. Keep at it till no more applications are offered.

Now to the map......

The best you can hope for, I think, is this:
https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/shop/maps/#deviceSelected=19499&mapSelected=United%20Kingdom%20&%20Republic%20of%20Ireland

The Western_Europe maps are now > 2 gb in size.

 

[whoistomtom]

Hi again and thanks for the reply...

My tomtom version number is 7.903 and I am using home 2

I have all updates installed except the maps I have paid for.
I will go and purchase a 4GB SD card tomorrow and hopefully I can install the maps I paid for?

If I enter a new card will the map updates I bought go straight into it? I am worried that it will not work?

Will I have to copy the existing maps on the tomtom to the new SD card before updating or can I just forget about the card thats in it?

Also will the new maps get rid of the error " "no usable locations near gps position" as currently the mapping of Ireland in the version I have is extremely poor.

Sorry for all the questions but I hope you have the patience to answer them

 

[dhn]

Not only the new map but everything (application and all other files/folders on the original SD go on the new card.

 

[whoistomtom]

Not only the new map but everything (application and all other files/folders on the original SD go on the new card.

So do I have to copy all the existing stuff on my current card to my computer before transferring to the new card? How do I do that?

 

[dhn]

Use Explorer to copy everything from the existing card to a temporary folder on your computer. Then copy insert the new card in the unit and it should show as a removable drive in My Computer.

Use Explorer to copy everything from the temorary folder to the new sd card.

(or, if you have a card reader, use that for the new sd card and copy from the existing card to that one. Then switch cards, new for old, in the unit and restart it.

 

[whoistomtom]

Thank you dhn!

I'm not very good with computers or sat navs as you probably can tell

Thanks for all your help today.
Hope you have a good evening...slán

 

[Andy_P]

Warning! you will need a 4GB STANDARD SD card, not HDSC. These are very hard to find.

You may find it easier to get a 2GB card (again it needs to be STANDARD SD, not SDHC but these are much more readily available) and use one of the Europe "Zoned" maps. You buy the whole of Europe but it is split into 5 partial maps and you just install one at a time.

 

[Lupus]

Hi,

in this case I recommend either creating backups using Explorer of each installation so you'll only need to restore one installation without the need of connecting to HOME if you need more than one zone for a journey.

How to create a Backup of your device (hyperlink)

Another possibility would be to get multiple SD cards with 2GB capacity and install one map zone to each of the cards. Then you'd only need to swap the memory cards when crossing a zone's border.


Regards
Lars.

 

[Andy_P]

If required ..... I bet many people who moaned about the introduction of the zoned maps of Europe never need to travel further than one zone!

 

[whoistomtom]

Warning! you will need a 4GB STANDARD SD card, not HDSC. These are very hard to find.

You may find it easier to get a 2GB card (again it needs to be STANDARD SD, not SDHC but these are much more readily available) and use one of the Europe "Zoned" maps. You buy the whole of Europe but it is split into 5 partial maps and you just install one at a time.

Hi Andy

Thanks for the reply. The problem I have is I already purchased a yearly update to my maps before I came on these forums with my problem yesterday



To be honest I only need maps of Ireland and the U.K but I didn't know at the time that I could have just bought those on their own. I don't want to lose out on €75 so what could I do to avoid this? The map pack I bought seems to be an update to the maps already on the device and I assume I can't install them unless I have the old map pack on the new SD ? I notice tomtom sells 4GB cards but not for my device, I just don't know what to do.

Hi,

in this case I recommend either creating backups using Explorer of each installation so you'll only need to restore one installation without the need of connecting to HOME if you need more than one zone for a journey.

How to create a Backup of your device (hyperlink)

Another possibility would be to get multiple SD cards with 2GB capacity and install one map zone to each of the cards. Then you'd only need to swap the memory cards when crossing a zone's border.


Regards
Lars.

Thanks Lars, I didn't realise it was a bad idea to back up using home..I will do it the way you suggested when the time comes.

 

[whoistomtom]

Couldn't edit my above post...

What about this card on amazon Andy, would it work?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Platinum-177106-Secure-Digital-Card/dp/B000BR9ZRG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

[Lupus]

Hi,

that card won't work unfortunately as it is a SDHC card as well as you can see in the product description which says the following:

Platinum SDHC 4gb Card

If you only need the UK&ROI map I recommend using a 2GB SD card and selecting the map zone which includes the UK and ROI. You'll have the same map for those countries as with the complete Western Europe map or if only purchasing a single UK&ROI map.

If you travel to a country not being in your chosen zone you'll be able to just switch the zone to get the other zone on your device or to use the way of using multiple SD cards which will only need to be swapped when crossing a zone's border.


Regards
Lars.

 

[whoistomtom]

It just says SD on the card though Lars and when I went and looked at the reviews plenty of people actually bought it to work with older tomtom's and garmins and say it worked flawless.

Maybe the product description is wrong?

Also I need this question answered....The maps I "already bought" are already divided into three zones...All I need is western Europe...Western Europe is just under 2GB thats fine BUT do I need to transfer the maps from my CURRENT SD card before installing the new maps? Does the update need the old maps to write over?

 

[Andy_P]

....use one of the Europe "Zoned" maps. You buy the whole of Europe but it is split into 5 partial maps and you just install one at a time.

Hi Andy

Thanks for the reply. The problem I have is I already purchased a yearly update to my maps before I came on these forums with my problem yesterday

Don't worry... it's not a problem.

It all happens automatically.... If you want Europe, you always have to buy the whole of Europe, but if Home realises you don't have enough space to install it, then you are offered the five zones instead.

 

[Andy_P]

It just says SD on the card though Lars and when I went and looked at the reviews plenty of people actually bought it to work with older tomtom's and garmins and say it worked flawless.

Maybe the product description is wrong?

That's the problem with Amazon and eBay. Often they just use any old generic picture to illustrate a product. It needs a bit of detective work! An email to the seller should resolve any doubts, but maybe even THEY don't really know.
If you ask them to actually LOOK at one and it doesn't say "HC" on the label, it should be OK.

From the picture and the reviews, I THINK it will be fine. No promises though!

Also I need this question answered....The maps I "already bought" are already divided into three zones...All I need is western Europe...Western Europe is just under 2GB thats fine BUT do I need to transfer the maps from my CURRENT SD card before installing the new maps? Does the update need the old maps to write over?

There are several ways of doing it. If you already have an older map on the destination card, then Home SHOULD remove the old map first and then install the new one.

But if you have already moved the map off it (or in your case it's a new map and it was never on that card) then Home will just add the new map.

But if you had added any of your own POI files onto the old map, Home won't be able to transfer them across to the new one if the old one's not there. It SHOULD move your settings (Home location etc.) across too, but it often messes that up and you have to enter them again anyway.

Personally, I WOULD move the old map (or everything) across to the new card first, just so you can check everything works before you do the update.

And to repeat... so long as you have that Windows-created backup, you should be able to recover from any disasters!