Bricked O750t after PC connection

Discussion related to the Garmin Oregon 7x0 series GPSr
Post Reply
User avatar
mity!
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:32 pm

Bricked O750t after PC connection

Unread post by mity! »

After two years of daily use and frequent PC connections I bricked my O750t last month. :cry:

After a PC connection (mass storage mode under Win 7 with Garmin Express, GSAK and Explorer) when I synched the device, downloaded tracks (for heaven's sake!), uploaded a GGZ with geocaches and finally ejected the GPSr properly, the O750t (FW 4.00) refused to boot. It stopped at the Garmin logo (before the copyright information appears) and didn't react to any button. I removed batteries and SD card, I tried to enter the enforced mass storage mode with connected USB, I tried a soft reset but nothing helped.

The Garmin service replaced my two years old unit. (Contact with the service by phone was perfect and the new O750t arrived 5 days after I sent the bricked one to them. Perfect!)

Unfortunately the first thing that the new unit did after I configured WLAN was an automatic update to FW 4.00 again (which I don't "like" because of the chirp bug).

Three weeks later the same fault! :o After PC connection (and proper eject) the unit refused to boot. Removal of SD card and trying a soft reset didn't help. I alreay contacted the Garmin support again (this time by email). But then I tried to enter the enforced mass storage mode (this time without battieries). As before when connecting USB my PC gave its "device connected" sound (but without already having access to the "drive"). I continued to press the power-on button. After about 20s the PC gave its "device disconnected" sound (same as with my former unit) but then after the 30s for the soft reset the unit sounded a "beep" and connected to the PC again. The soft reset worked!

As I had to reconfigure the reset GPSr anyway, I decided to fall back to FW 3.90.

Here are some evidents I noticed:
  • both units ran with FW 4.00
  • both times another external drive was connected simulateously to the PC (but not for the first time)
  • both times my backup software (Acronis True Image) ran shortly before I connected the unit
At the second unit I could see that an update of the internal topo active map (v4.0) that Garmin Express did some days before seemed to have failed. I could remember that Garmin Express told me that the update was successful. But the files of the second map (europe east or west, I don't know) were too small (biggest just about 49MB) and there were several temporary files on the unit seeming to have the correct size.

I am quite "frightened" because I do not know if I did something wrong or what the root cause for the failure might be.
User avatar
GPSrChive
Site Admin
Posts: 3881
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:29 pm

Re: Bricked O750t after PC connection

Unread post by GPSrChive »

I suspect you are likely experiencing a firmware v4.00 issue.

Were you using a custom made profile when this happened on each device?

I have witnessed similar behavior with my 750t running 4.00, and when I was finally able to get into the device, I turned chirp off in all profiles, deleted the custom profile I had been using when the issue occurred, and started again from scratch with a new profile.
User avatar
mity!
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:32 pm

Re: Bricked O750t after PC connection

Unread post by mity! »

I can't answer for sure but it is possible that a self created profile was active. In general I use the 'geocaching' profile (or "activity") which is the base profile that I slightly changed. But I have also one or two profiles that I created myself (I think based on the 'hiking' profile) and it is possible that one of them was acitve when connected to the PC.

BTW: One more evidence... I use the classical mode instead of the activity mode.

At least I'm quite lucky that I could bring my new unit back to life...
User avatar
mity!
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:32 pm

Re: Bricked O750t after PC connection

Unread post by mity! »

Perhaps one question without opening a new thread...

As I mentioned I fall back to FW 3.90. And now I've got a lot to do to avoid the installation of FW 4.00. :roll: Garmin Express already sent the GCD-File twice to the unit.

But my question: There is a new Garmin Topo Active 4.0 for download in my Garmin Express. But the release notes say that a "current unit software" will be also installed. Does it come with a own GCD-File (which I could delete)? Does the map v4 work with FW 3.90? I have now on the unit a Garmin Topo Active v3 (Europe East and Europe West) that was part of the unit's software (as it is a 't' model).
User avatar
GPSrChive
Site Admin
Posts: 3881
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:29 pm

Re: Bricked O750t after PC connection

Unread post by GPSrChive »

Maybe you could load the 390 gcd to the unit, rename it Gupdate.gcd, then see if Express overwrites it? If yes, try again but make the gcd read only....
Dainis
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 7:50 pm

Re: Bricked O750t after PC connection

Unread post by Dainis »

For me, Oregon 750 has already lost its firmware 4 times, 3 times after disconnecting from PC (Versions 3.6, 3.7, 3.9) and Version 4.0 by simply turning it off and on.
After 3 times warranty repair, Oregon warranty exchange, against a new one.

I can not restore myself anymore because updater.exe is no longer working with Oregon 750 :(

Looking for a newer version of updater.exe (Old version v2.7 from 2004 year, some versions are named v2.8, but it is the same old)
This version is no longer working with Garmin Oregon 750, tested on two devices
It is possible that Oregon 750 has different memory mapping (more RAM).
Post Reply

Return to “Oregon 7x0”