Won't format, any suggestions?

[pjigglez]

Hey All! Would really appreciate some help on this.

So I got a "could not delete data.chk" error. Did some research, tried to reformat in FAT with default settings. Progress went halfway then stopped. Now the reformat won't even start. I've left it going for an hour with no luck. Tried a bunch of other times, with different formats and sizes(FAT32), and even tried quick format. I really hope that I can still fix this TomTom, it's helped me through many a journey.

I even tried switching the usb to a different port.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[canderson]

I see it's your first post, so we could use some additional information.

What model are you trying to format? WHY are you trying to format it? Do you have backup copies of your original 'situation' (especially the map folder) on your PC already?

FWIW: the nominal format method is FAT32, NOT using QuickFormat, and be advised that none of the *.chk files on a TomTom are what Windows thinks they are. They're actually data files that happen to share the *.chk extension with Windows' way of naming file fragments it finds during chkdsk operations.

Speaking of chkdsk ... it's time to run that on your TomTom (as soon as we know which one it is).

 

[pjigglez]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I have a TomTom XXL IQ Routes edition.

It all started when I installed TomTom Home, tried to update, got the "couldn't delete data.chk" error. Then I began having the flashing red circle white x upon startup. Figured formatting would help. I ran chkdsk and all that.

 

[canderson]

Ugh. One of my primary questions remains unanswered: what kind of backup do you have of your unit while it was still operational? PLEASE tell us you have a backup of your map folder somewhere.

 

[pjigglez]

Sigh, my computer crashed, along with all the memory in it. I guess the TomTom is reduced to being a brick.

 

[Andy_P]

Not necessarily...

As you say it's an 'XXL IQ Routes' that sounds like you're from the UK?

If so, you could send it back to TomTom for repair, as they seem more amenable to providing a repair service than TTdo in the States.

Or you could continue trying to format it yourself (did you ever manage that?)
We can then advise how to get everything else apart from the map back onto it via downloads from TomTom.

But without a backup (unless you've bought a new map for it online in the last 12 months) you'll have to buy a new map.