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Zumo 396 won't show on laptop (Windows)

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:47 am
by Franck
Hello all,

There was a similar topic here: https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/viewto ... 8&start=10
Everything was fine until this morning, for unknown reason.

New GPS 396 (received a month ago)
Updated.
Works on Wifi.
Was working fine on laptop (Basecamp, Garmin express and file explorer).

Since this morning, GPS 396 is not showing up on my laptop.
I tried:
- rebooting laptop
- different USB cables
- with another laptop
- with my previous 395LM (works just fine, same laptop, same USB cable, same port)
- rebooting GPS multiple times
- factory reset multiple times (holding bottom right corner and turn ON, until erase and factory reset)
- I tried the MASS storage solution as per @jfheath , same issue
- I removed the micro SD card
- I formatted the micro SD card
- holding the power button for 30 sec (and more...)

When I plug the GPS to the laptop:
- it shows USB connection detected, and count to 0 to show the GPS and PC connected
- then after a while, change to GPS and PC connected but with the charging battery on top corner right
- reboot itself to go on navigation mode

I am running out of solution and patience.
And I am leaving Friday next week on a 2 weeks road trip in USA/Mexico!

Thanks for your help.

Re: Zumo 396 won't show on laptop (Windows)

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 7:31 pm
by jfheath
I've been looking at this in the other thread that it was posted in. Good idea to start a new thread !

So you connect the USB cable to the computer and to the rear of the Zumo and it connects according to the Zumo screen

So the laptop never shows the Internal Storage or SD card in File Explorer on your laptop ?

I am thinking that possibly the Zumo has not got a full charge in its battery. When you plug in the USB cable it can be used for charging - but if the Zumo is turned on, then there is more battery power being used than the power source can provide. This caught me by surprise a couple fo months ago. My 590 had been plugged into the wall socket for most of the day, and late in the afternoon it shut down.

If you have it hard wired to your bike plug it into the cradle and let the bike power it. (Don't do this for too long, your bike batteyr will go flat, unless you run the engine). Take your laptop to the bike and plug the USB cable from the Zumo into your laptop. See if that gives you a better result. The bike will be powering it through the cradle. That leaves the USB cable with enough power to communicate.

If that is what it is - you need to leave your Zumo plugged into the charger / usb lead with the Zumo in standby mode and leave it to charge 18hours- 24 hours.

I have a 590 and a 595. It is well known that the battery is pretty useless on these. A few minutes at the most - and both are now pretty old and do not get used much - so they are not regularly fully charged.

Now - whenever I plug them in I can use them for a few minutes. If I try to use them when the cable has just been plugged in, then it will start to connect and then shut down.

Beyond that, I'm out of ideas I am afraid.

Re: Zumo 396 won't show on laptop (Windows)

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 8:14 pm
by Franck
Thanks @jfheath .
But with a 396/395 we can not connect both USB charger and put it in the cradle (unless you cut the cradle to leave a slot for the USB cable).
My GPS was showing on laptop the very same morning, fully charged. It is just after I deleted some favorites, and wanted to edit them on BaseCamp and load them back, that the GPS didn't show up anymore.

I called GARMIN support, went to the same process, Reset, change MST storage, keep power button on hold for 30 secondes, tried on a different laptop, different cable, they can't find a solution.
I bought the GPS 20 days ago, so the store where I purchased it will do a RMA.

Thank you all!
Franck