TomTom XXL: 540 Cannot Format

[4ubest]

Something happened with my TomTom 540 and when I try to format it says I do not have sufficient rights...so of course format goes nowhere and my TT is dead...

Also I backed up TT to my harddrive a while ago but I cannot find the backup... is there a file name I can search for with my search software to find out where the backup is on several of my HD ? Of course this is important, but right now I cannot format my TomTom and TomTomHome says not connected...

 

[Andy_P]

VITAL!

If you cannot find your backup DO NOT format the device until you have attempted to make a fresh backup.
If you format it you will lose any original maps on it forever with no chance to recover them without buying fresh ones.​

 

[Andy_P]

OK, now I've said that, we can take things a bit slower....

Irrespective of any old backups you may have, please make another backup of the device as it stands now, even if it is not working properly, using Windows Explorer, not TomTom "Home".. Instructions to do that are in our "Articles" section.

-------------------------------------------

In order to suggest a file name to help find an old backup depends on how that one was made. Did you use Windows Explorer or TomTom Home?

-------------------------------------------

Next, why do you want or need to format the device, what's wrong with it?

 

[4ubest]

I used windows explorer... I cannot connect to tomtomhome... and the device does nothing after I disconnect I heard the drum sound and then it goes to a screen and lock there..

I cannot connect to TTHome..

 

[4ubest]

screen on TT now shows a large red/white flashing X when I turn it on.

 

[Andy_P]

Before we go any further, are you able to make that new backup?
Once you've made it, give us an idea of what files and folders it has in it. Especially look for a folder called "North America" or something similar.

That map folder is probably the best thing to search for when looking for your old backup too. You could also look for a file called "cline.dat" as that will always be present on any machine with a map.

Have you tried a 20-second press on the power switch to reset the device? Hold it firmly until you hear the drum sounds and then release straight away.

If that doesn't work, the next thing to try is to connect to Windows Explorer again and delete the file called MapSettings.cfg which will be in the North America (or similar) map folder. Does that help?

EDIT: Sorry our posts crossed.
Have you made that backup?????

Your new symptoms mean you need to start on these articles:
Tomtom Acting Up? -Part 1 - First Steps In System Recovery
Tomtom Acting Up? - Part 2 - How To reinstall *fresh* Software using Home

(By now you probably need to get straight to the second one, but try everything in order).

 

[4ubest]

I found the backup from 30 Aug 2010 1.79GB 547 files 44 folders BUT I do not know what good it will do if I cannot even get the device recognized by computer ..

 

[4ubest]

How long does it take to format as it says for last 65+ minutes Formatting TomTomXXL E: yet volume label is blank....http://screencast.com/t/OxnazhVl8M

 

[Andy_P]

Sorry, I'm having real trouble keeping up with you!

You haven't said before now that you could not get the device recognised by the computer, you only said that you had insufficient rights to format it.

Now you say it in the last but one post that it cannot be recognised by the PC

Then you say in the last post you are in the middle of formatting it. and the PC sees it as drive E.

You still haven't said if you made a new backup , or were even able to attempt it.

I can't remember how long a full format takes, probably quite a while.
The XXL only has USB! connection, which is FAR slower than USB2 for file copying, I don't know if that makes a difference for formatting too.
The volume label is whatever you write in the box before you start.

 

[4ubest]

OK update.. it did not even move 5% in 2 hours on the format so I did a quick format and it was a couple of seconds... Computer then recognized the device as the XXL and I did a restore of the saved backup from 2010. (I had not used the unit since then because I got a Garmin 1690 which had the Google and BlueTooth) so my map was old.

I just got a 1605 VIA and apart from the very fast routing and larger size, I really see nothing that I like about it as it seems that mytomtom is really crippled.

I have many email addresses and 3 TT units and to be honest I really did not remember which email address was affilitated with each TT so I am sure I messed up the 540 that way.. Now it will not let me upgrade the map as it gives an error but the unit seems to be working otherwise.. Now to get the map error resolved..

 

[4ubest]

Just got off phone with TT support.. they reset my devices and now I am up to map 895

 

[Andy_P]

They reset your devices? Or your accounts?

 

[4ubest]

No they reset the account as I had it all set with map 890 but since the code was used before with a previous email address of mine, they checked the number and saw it was one of my email addresses I gave them and she reset my account so I am fine now and have map 895, and several of its features not on the 1605.