Warning: xl325se + Home = Brick

[fotyfoe]

Hooked up my new xl325se first time to home to update and bam it's toast. Unit continues to reset itself about every 5 minutes or so going back to original setup screen ( choose language, preference, etc.) then flashes a red circle with a white X in the center continuously. Been on phone with cust service off/on for two days now, they still can't come up with a fix. I'm very very dissappointed with this unit. Should have got a Garmin instead.

Also at first, when running the LMG, it said this unit was up to date with current map. Wrong, device had map v835.2423 which is NOT the latest.

 

[dhn]

Connect your unit to Home. Start the emulator. (Operate My Unit) Select to Manage Favourites. Add 1 Favourite. Disconnect the unit properly from the computer. Use Home's Device Disconnect.

Working now? If so, make a complete Explorer, not Home, backup of the unit's contents. Also, while in home, see if you are offered an application update, if so dl and install.

Try the LMG again. If it still says you have the latest, call 866-486-6866 and they'll fix the situation so that you get the 840. Then make another Explorer backup.

 

[fotyfoe]

I can't even get to that now. On the Home screen, the "Back up & Restore" and "Operate my XL" are not even selectable now ( greyed out ). It says beside them, "feature cannot be used. Not supported by your device". And the device continues to flash this red circle with the white X. Cust Serv can't seem to resolve this issue. I just want a unit that works or my money back.

 

[mikealder]

Connect it to the computer and use Windows Explorer to view the contents of the drive letter associated with the TomTom, can you see any files or folders? - Mike

 

[dhn]

Mike, I'm with you.........I don't remember seeing as many users with screwed up units after a map update as with this 840, and not just one model.....

Don't remember as many complaints at PGPSW.

 

[fotyfoe]

Connect it to the computer and use Windows Explorer to view the contents of the drive letter associated with the TomTom, can you see any files or folders? - Mike

Yes around 20 folders ( not including subs ) using 848 / 979MB.

 

[mvl]

Go to the USA folder, and rename the file "mapsettings.cfg" to "mapsettings.old". Does it work now?

I've seen all tons of HOME-upgrade problems with the 325SE. Anyone been successfuly in upgrading their 325SE? Or has it crashed everyone's unit?

 

[dhn]

Is one of the folders called United States or USA_Canada and are there a bunch of files in that?

Besides the folders you see, do you see a bunch of loose files in the root of the unit not in any folder such as ttsystem, splash.bmp, stuff like that?

 

[fotyfoe]

Go to the USA folder, and rename the file "mapsettings.cfg" to "mapsettings.old". Does it work now?

I've seen all tons of HOME-upgrade problems with the 325SE. Anyone been successfuly in upgrading their 325SE? Or has it crashed everyone's unit?

I will try that in a minute. Cust Service has me running the disk check tool on the TomTom drive folder. It's taking forever. They still haven't figured out what has gone wrong. This is just getting more and more frustrating. But I do appreciate all of you who are offering assistance.

 

[fotyfoe]

Is one of the folders called United States or USA_Canada and are there a bunch of files in that?

Besides the folders you see, do you see a bunch of loose files in the root of the unit not in any folder such as ttsystem, splash.bmp, stuff like that?

There is a United_States folder containing 111 files.

Yes there are 16 "loose" files (not in folder) in the root TomTom directory.

 

[fotyfoe]

Go to the USA folder, and rename the file "mapsettings.cfg" to "mapsettings.old". Does it work now?

Did this. No change. Device just flashes red circle with X. I wish I would have never hooked this up to update now.

 

[dhn]

Try mvl's suggestion regarding the renaming of mapsettings.cfg to mapsettings.old. This will cause the application to rebuild the file when you next turn on the unit and may cure your issue. It certainly appears as if all the required folders/files are in place.

If the unit does work after the file renaming, then don't forget to make your Explorer backup.

 

[dhn]

okay, posting when you replied.

See if anything here helps, including the link at the bottom regarding the flashing red 'x'

 

[fotyfoe]

FINAL SOLUTION After 2 days and multiple cs reps, they have concluded that this device has indeed bricked from this update and is not-recoverable. They are advising me to take it back to the store and return for another. Probem- this was a Wal-Mart exclusive Black Friday special. All stores are out of stock in my area and even shows stock is out online. There other option is for me to send my device back to them first, then wait 2 weeks for them to send me a new one. FAIL!!! They should FedEx me a new one today! I'm going to chock this up as a learning experience and probably eat the money for this, but I am buying a Garmin and will never return to TomTom again.

Again I appreciate all those on this board who tried to help. Thank you. But I would like to warn others who have this model, get ready for a huge headache if you try to hook this up for an update.

 

[hifilistener]

I remember seeing a post somewhere that said that the new device application was not yet compatible with the SE versions that WalMart was selling. Call CS and ask if they can send the old app for you to install. That said; however, it seems like TomTom sure does have problems with releasing software and updates that are not fully tested. They also don't seem to give the latest information to the CS reps.

 

[mikealder]

Ask TomTom Support to e-mail you a direct link to their server URL that contains the specific Navcore software required for your device, once you get this we can easily take you through installing it and repairing the unit, we know a great many direct download links but these "special" one off models are getting difficult as we have no visability of the server URL to point users who are in trouble at.
This is something we might need to ask of TT due to the increased numbers of "new" "special" devices as their support isn't getting the issue fixed, but neither can we, which is very frustrating - Mike

 

[mvl]

So far, this was the only post of a member successfully able to revive a HOME-bricked 325SE.

Summarizing his steps (at least I think this is what he did):
1) backup everything per these steps
2) format the Tomtom as fat32 with quickformat disabled, if you get any errors repeat this step
3) disconnect the Tomtom and power off, then back on (you'll see a red X)
4) reconnect to the computer, copy the USA folder back to the tomtom
5) on the Tomtom delete mapsettings.cfg in the USA folder
6) open HOME, run "update my XL", and add the application/voices as offerred

Let us know if this works/doesn't work for you. And if it doesn't, where it fails. With all the 325se brick reports, we'd love to be able to find a procedure that can revive them.

 

[fotyfoe]

Ask TomTom Support to e-mail you a direct link to their server URL that contains the specific Navcore software required for your device, once you get this we can easily take you through installing it and repairing the unit

They emailed me a window cabinet file called "8.083.one2008_t.CAB-navcore-ONE.cab" which was supposed to be the latest and greatest. Had me wipe the device and try to reinstall all this new software. When this failed, is when they decided to call this device dead, and attempt to return it for a new one. So much for a device that they claim "works right out of the box"!

 

[dhn]

Investigations into this problem with the model are going on at this precise time at TomTom's headquarters in Europe.

 

[mikealder]

Many thanks "fotyfoe" for posting that information as it might just assist others in the same boat as from the information you have posted we can work out a direct download for the Navcore from the TomTom server and bypass the Home software, for a direct download click Here then extract the files directly to the device using WinRar - Mike