Garmin GPSMap 62S Shutdown

[+The Leprechauns]

I'm out of town on a Geo-vacation. Last night, my Garmin GPSMap 62S worked fine in navigating me from the airport to my hotel. And, it worked fine on my last geocaching trip where I loaded caches and found them.

 

But this morning, when I went to load the day's waypoints in my hotel room, I'm now encountering a problem. When I switch on the unit, it says "Loading waypoints, tracks and routes." The progress bar quits at half way, and the unit abruptly powers down. The same thing happens with fresh batteries and when the unit is plugged into my laptop computer with its USB cord.

 

Any advice on how to prevent the shutdowns? And how can I force the unit to power up in "mass storage" mode?

 

Any help would greatly improve my vacation week. Thanks.

Edited August 11, 2014 by The Leprechauns

[+MtnShasta]

I have experienced this same problem a number of times. In my case it is usually due to a corrupted GPX file. The following procedure seems to work for most people.

 

Follow these steps to recover

1. Press and hold the "Up" arrow on the 4-way button

2. Attach the GPSMAP to your computer via USB cable while continuing to press "Up"

3. Continue to hold down the "Up" button for 30 seconds while the GPSMAP boots.

4. The GPSMAP should enter USB mass storage mode

5. From your computer remove or rename any gpx, map files (.img or .kmz) files that were recently added

6. Unplug the GPSMAP and power on to see if this remedies the problem

[+The Leprechauns]

Thanks so much for your helpful post! Using the "up arrow" trick, I was able to boot into mass storage mode. I successfully removed all the GPX files I'd added to the Garmin internal memory, and I removed the OpenStreetMap file that I added to the Micro SD card I installed. So, it's an essentially blank unit, in terms of user data.

 

But, I am still seeing the quick shutdown behavior after all this. It just happens faster, because there are no files to load. It still happens regardless of whether I'm running the unit on battery power or by connecting it to my laptop.

 

Suggestions?

[+Red90]

Next step then is to do a hard reset.

 

https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId=%7B94841fa0-ca0c-11e0-cf56-000000000000%7D

 

To perform a master reset:

 

Ensure the device is powered off

Press and hold Page and Enter simultaneously

Power on the GPS while continuing to press both buttons

NOTE: Immediately release the power button once the GPS powers on

Release on the buttons once the Do you really want to erase all user data? message appears

Select Yes

The device is now reset. You will want to leave the device outside with a clear view of the sky for a minimum of 20 minutes to acquire satellite data.

 

*User data consists of waypoints, routes, tracks and geocaches

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Next step then is to do a hard reset.

 

https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId=%7B94841fa0-ca0c-11e0-cf56-000000000000%7D

 

To perform a master reset:

 

Ensure the device is powered off

Press and hold Page and Enter simultaneously

Power on the GPS while continuing to press both buttons

NOTE: Immediately release the power button once the GPS powers on

Release on the buttons once the Do you really want to erase all user data? message appears

Select Yes

The device is now reset. You will want to leave the device outside with a clear view of the sky for a minimum of 20 minutes to acquire satellite data.

 

*User data consists of waypoints, routes, tracks and geocaches

 

Correct.....once or twice one of my 62S units and my Oregon 450 exhibited the same behavior ( once at the same time ) and this fixed it. I think its a GPX file issue as the only map I use is City Nav on a SD card.

[+The Leprechauns]

I've tried deleting all GPX files from the unit, deleting the OpenStreetMap file, and even removing my Micro SD card completely. I've tried using my car's USB power cord, rather than batteries or my laptop USB power cord, since the device last functioned when driving in my rental car to the hotel last evening. In ALL cases, the unit powers down when it tries to load waypoints, tracks and routes.

 

So, I tried a master reset. I find that I'm unable to perform a master reset. I get to the screen that asks if I want to erase all user data, and it is defaulted to "no." When I press any button to change the answer to "yes," nothing happens. When I press enter to accept the "no" option, the unit powers off. (Again, all actions performed with fresh batteries, validated as functional by testing them in a flashlight.)

[+Red90]

http://garmingpsmap.wikispaces.com/Miscellaneous

 

Try this one:

Recovery Method #4 (Sometime useful if the GPS won't boot)

 

There is also a way to do a "hard re-set". Doing this basically brings the unit back to where it was when you first powered it up and had to enter your language preference. Follow these steps:

 

Have the GPSMAP 62 (not sure if this works on 78) turned off.

Press and hold both the "Quit", "Out" and the "Menu" buttons

Press and release the power button

Release "Quit", "Out" and "Menu" buttons after about 5 seconds

 

If that does not work, you need to go to method #2.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Red90

[+Timpat]

Just a thought. If you can get it back into USB mode use WebUpdater to force a firmware update even it has the latest version. Click on "Reinstall the same version".

[+The Leprechauns]

Thank you, Red90, for recommending recovery option #4. That worked, and the unit is currently acquiring satellites. Crossing my fingers that I will be able to restore maps and GPX files, then commence my GeoVacation.

[+Red90]

....Crossing my fingers that I will be able to restore maps and GPX files, then commence my GeoVacation.

 

Most likely it is one GPX file that is causing the problem.... So be careful putting any back on. I would put the map and card back first and then look at GPX files.

[+MtnShasta]

Just for thought and future actions. I went back an reviewed some notes from previous experience with this symptom.I had the same problem as yours on several occasions and found it to be a corrupt GPX file or user data file. I used the procedure noted above to clean out the possible corrupted file(s) All gpx files and the userdata file). A Master Reset is pretty harsh and requires way to much setup to get back to where you were. To avoid the pain, once I get a clean system, I make copies of the 62s SD and 62s E drives and use them to restore by system back to its custom setup. Also, since I started deleting my gpx files after using them, I have not had this problem. I also limit the size of my gpx file size to 1500 per file since I have read that others have encountered problems.

[+The Leprechauns]

So, with the help given here, I got back up and running. I was able to find 40 caches over the past two days without issue.

 

But today, when I tried loading caches in a new, cache-dense area, my GPS started shutting down and refusing to load waypoints. I cut back on the caches I was loading to the unit, adding the files for one county at a time. It worked when I loaded just two counties, with just over 6000 caches. For the first time I received an error saying that I'd exceeded the maximum number of geocaches.

 

What is the limit for how many caches can be loaded in GPX files onto a 62S? Could this have been causing my problem?

[+Timpat]

The 62s is limited to 5000 caches. I keep the total around 4000. The shutdown issue you experienced earlier was not due to hitting the limit, but due to reasons outlined above.

[+Lieblweb]

How many geocaches are you loading into the unit??

 

We have both 62s and Oregon 450. When we first bought them, I honestly can't remember the amount they claimed they could hold...5000? We had all sorts of problems with both of them locking up, etc.

 

We've since dramatically dropped the amount of geocaches/waypoints we put in it.... and life has been a lot less frustrating.

 

If you go to the Garmin website now - it claims they'll only hold 2000.

 

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-trail/discontinued/oregon-450/prod63349.html

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-trail/handhelds/gpsmap-62s/prod63801.html

Edited August 13, 2014 by Lieblweb

[+BlackRose67]

From http://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={0b02f820-03db-11e0-e050-000000000000}

 

Oregon 450(t) or 550(t)

 

2,000 GPX files

2,000 waypoints

5,000 geocaches

200 routes, 250 points per route

200 saved tracks

2,000 archive tracks*

10,000 points per track

100 custom map tiles

250 BirdsEye Imagery files

Mapping segments vary by model:

Oregon 450, 550: approximately 4,000

Oregon 450t, 550t: approximately 3,500 (due to internal mapping)

 

GPSMAP 62 / 78 (series)

 

2,000 GPX files

2,000 waypoints

5,000 geocaches

200 routes, 250 points per route

200 saved tracks

2,000 archive tracks*

10,000 points per track

100 custom map tiles

250 BirdsEye Imagery files

Approximately 3,000 mapping segments

[+Timpat]

I'm out of town on a Geo-vacation. Last night, my Garmin GPSMap 62S worked fine in navigating me from the airport to my hotel. And, it worked fine on my last geocaching trip where I loaded caches and found them.

 

But this morning, when I went to load the day's waypoints in my hotel room, I'm now encountering a problem. When I switch on the unit, it says "Loading waypoints, tracks and routes." The progress bar quits at half way, and the unit abruptly powers down. The same thing happens with fresh batteries and when the unit is plugged into my laptop computer with its USB cord.

 

Any advice on how to prevent the shutdowns? And how can I force the unit to power up in "mass storage" mode?

 

Any help would greatly improve my vacation week. Thanks.

I inadvertently discovered the solution to our problem of the unit shutting down at the halfway point after a large upload of cache .gpx files. I think ... At least for my method of loading cache files and having this problem. I use GSAK to combine and filter a weekly collection of 5 PQs, then export out a single .gpx file of about 4500 caches to load.

 

If you have this shutdown happen, power it up a second time, but when the bar begins progressing and Before it hangs at the halfway point, Press and Hold the power button to turn it off, interrupting the complete startup.

 

When starting the third time it will load successfully. At least it has done this for me 3 times now.

[+pulmonaryhip]

This happens to me every 3-6 months - usually at the most inconvenient times. Why can't garmin fix it?

[alandb]

I'm out of town on a Geo-vacation. Last night, my Garmin GPSMap 62S worked fine in navigating me from the airport to my hotel. And, it worked fine on my last geocaching trip where I loaded caches and found them.

 

But this morning, when I went to load the day's waypoints in my hotel room, I'm now encountering a problem. When I switch on the unit, it says "Loading waypoints, tracks and routes." The progress bar quits at half way, and the unit abruptly powers down. The same thing happens with fresh batteries and when the unit is plugged into my laptop computer with its USB cord.

 

Any advice on how to prevent the shutdowns? And how can I force the unit to power up in "mass storage" mode?

 

Any help would greatly improve my vacation week. Thanks.

I inadvertently discovered the solution to our problem of the unit shutting down at the halfway point after a large upload of cache .gpx files. I think ... At least for my method of loading cache files and having this problem. I use GSAK to combine and filter a weekly collection of 5 PQs, then export out a single .gpx file of about 4500 caches to load.

 

If you have this shutdown happen, power it up a second time, but when the bar begins progressing and Before it hangs at the halfway point, Press and Hold the power button to turn it off, interrupting the complete startup.

 

When starting the third time it will load successfully. At least it has done this for me 3 times now.

My Oregon 550T started doing this after I loaded the BirdsEye V2 .jnx files on it. I just tried Timpat's method to get it to boot up, and to my surprise, it worked. I had also found another workaround and that was to hold the upper left corner of the screen as it is booting (the system reset method). When you get the prompt to erase user data, select "No" and it will complete the boot to normal operation mode. Neither method seems to work every time ... it sometimes takes multiple tries to get it booted up. It is very annoying. I don't think the files are corrupted because once I get it booted up, all BirdsEye images and all GPX file data are there.

[+PeoriaBill]

I have returned 3 62S GPS units that were exhibiting the "shutdown on start" problem. I purchased a 62st and 62stc and neither unit has had this problem. Why these work and the 62s has problems, I cannot tell you. This is simply my experience based on my small sample. I have no confidence that I could start on an outing with the 62s and successfully complete it. My unit had the problem for the first time in Nevada out in the desert. I am glad there some recovery steps that you can take that seem to fix the problem. However, this is a Garmin problem that they need to resolve. If your car acted like your 62s, what would you do? ...Exactly!