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Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 5:56 pm
by bonstetten
I've a quite new Montana 750i.
I just registred the device for GeocachingLive and installed one .ggz-file with geocaches.
--> Worked.

Today I wanted do to some tests without loaded geocaches. I removed the one and only .ggz-File.
--> The Montana does not started. It hanged while displaying the white progress bar "Loading waypoints, tracks and routes..."
--> "Forced USB Mass Storage Mode" --> ggz-file was really deleted. Also now deleted all files in /gpx
--> The Montana does not started. It hanged while displaying the white progress bar "Loading waypoints, tracks and routes..."
waited, waited, waited (ca. 6...12 Min) --> GPS started.

What takes so long to start if no file exists to load!

Montana 750i
FW-Version: 5.3
GPS: 2.80

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:29 pm
by GPSrChive
The GPX or GGZ file is just for 'reference'.

Each time the GPSr powers on, it checks for any file additions, deletions, or modifications in both internal and external memory.

For every change in every file added, removed, or edited, the GPSr must find the original entry in the device internal database and update as required.

If you add a GGZ file with 30K geocache entries, the next power on will require time to update the internal database for each and every geocache from that GGZ file.

Similarly, if you remove a GGZ file with 30K geocache entries, the next power cycle will also require time to remove all of those entries from the internal database.

For smaller files, this process is almost imperceptible.

For larger files, this can require a substantial period of time to complete.

My suggestion is to connect the device to external power (when available) and find something else to do while the tasks are performed.

One alternative option, when making large database changes, is to delete the \Garmin\SQL\ directory, which can speed the process up at the risk of potential data loss. The GPSr will rebuild a new SQL directory for all data currently loaded at the next power on event.

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:20 pm
by bonstetten
Thanks for the detailed explanation. Yes, there are about 30k Geocaches in the file. I just was suprised, because loading the new file was much faster.
What could be improved is the progess bar: Because it was remaining a "zero" (no progress visible), you can have the impression that the device freezed.

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:31 pm
by rgschmidt
The quickest way is to remove /SQL/userdata.sqlite3 file after removing and/or adding GPX/GGZ files. Then restart the device. This speeds up the reboot significantly.

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:49 pm
by GPSrChive
rgschmidt wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:31 pm The quickest way is to remove /SQL/userdata.sqlite3 file after removing and/or adding GPX/GGZ files. Then restart the device. This speeds up the reboot significantly.
The user should be aware this process can result in semi-permanent data loss in some scenarios.

For example, GCLive data previously loaded to the device will no longer be available and must be manually downloaded again.

:?

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 10:19 am
by rgschmidt
You are right, always use this with care! I’ve done so with all my Garmin GPSrs in de past years.

On the 750i I noticed every now and then ‘empty’ Geoaches in the Geocache list (there is an entry for the Geocache but the description is missing). Removing the sqlite database solves this issue too.

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2020 2:01 pm
by Catch
I have noticed that every two or three times I load an updated GPX file to the unit, during startup, the message Loading waypoint, routes and tracks, the green progress bar goes from "0 to 100" several times, before some more messages flashes and finally the map are shown.
FW 6.40

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2020 3:27 pm
by rgschmidt
I noticed the same effect since FW 6.30. The progress bar seems to restart more that 4 times for a pocket query. Don't know what is going on but everythings loads ok with Geocaches.

Not sure if the load times differ from FW 5.30

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2020 2:26 pm
by Catch
After updating the GGZ/GPX files twice today, I counted the number of cycles: "Loading waypoints, tracks, and routes...", before the Montana 700 started up:
19 and 20 cycles each apx 64 seconds.

GGZ: 22K Geocaches 31,5 MB
GPX: 3,2K Child waypoints 1,2 MB
POI: 29,1 MB
POI_Stash: 1,5 MB

I have a feeling that the number of cycles increases each time I am updating the GGZ/GPX files.

I also tested the Oregon 700 once with the same updated files, and it started up after 3 cycles each apx 45 seconds.

Re: Very long startup-time [Bug 41]

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2020 5:36 pm
by Catch
Catch wrote: Tue Nov 03, 2020 2:26 pm After updating the GGZ/GPX files twice today, I counted the number of cycles: "Loading waypoints, tracks, and routes...", before the Montana 700 started up:
19 and 20 cycles each apx 64 seconds.

GGZ: 22K Geocaches 31,5 MB
GPX: 3,2K Child waypoints 1,2 MB
POI: 29,1 MB
POI_Stash: 1,5 MB

I have a feeling that the number of cycles increases each time I am updating the GGZ/GPX files.

I also tested the Oregon 700 once with the same updated files, and it started up after 3 cycles each apx 45 seconds.
One additional test:
Deleting all GGZ, GPX and POI files and start up again. Equal number of cycles (apx 20)
Loaded updated GGZ, GPX and POI files: The GPS started up after 1 cycle.