[passdump]

I have a Garmin Venture CX, firmware v3.10. I recently changed from a Dell windows XP to my first mac, an iMac. So I am an OSX newbie.

The problem: After switching off my VentureCx it stays beeping until I remove the baterries. Also it is crashing and freezing while in use.

I thought this was as a result of upgrading to firmware 3.10 so I reverted to 2.80 but problem persisted.

I got onto Garmin and they wanted me to return the unit presuming it was a firmware issue. Just as I was about to return it I tried a different microSD card in the GPS unit and the problem was gone. Happy days. For some reason I was wary of using the GPS unit with my mac. So, for the past while I only used it with the Dell.

Then more recently I decided that I will eventually have to use it with the mac and so I tried to copy a .GPX file from the GPS using my mac. And straight away the problem returned. My Dell is set up to show hidden folders and I noticed 4 hidden files and folders that the mac had placed on my GPS:
._.Trashes
.fseventsd
.Spotlight-V100
.Trashes

I had my suspicions (I don't know why) that those hidden OSX folders might be the problem.When I removed all of those hidden OSX files and folders the problem went away.

So after some trial and error I have narrowed down the problem folder to the ".Spotlight-V100" folder. So I thought if OSX Spotlight is the problem I should just stop Spotlight from indexing the GPS unit. So I did that (System Preferences/Spotlight/Privacy) but the problem still happens.(Just to clarify, even when Spotlight is set to not search the GPS, it still leaves the .Spotlight-V100 folder, but with different contents)

I also thought a VentureCx driver for for OSX may solve the issue it but there dosen't seem to be one.

I suppose my question is what do I do now? Has any one else had a similar problem? Any help is appreciated. Cheers.

I know the simple answer is don't use the GPS unit with the mac but I want to use it with my mac.

This post has been edited by passdump: 19 October 2009 - 09:07 AM

[user13371]

This will let you keep your non-Mac volumes clean of Mac-specific hidden files: http://zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/

While that should work around it for you, this is not a "Mac problem" for Apple to fix -- Garmin needs to fix this. There's no reason for the GPS to choke on those (or any other) hidden files.

This post has been edited by lee_rimar: 19 October 2009 - 09:12 AM

[Red90]

lee_rimar, on Oct 19 2009, 11:10 AM, said:

While that should work around it for you, this is not a "Mac problem" for Apple to fix -- Garmin needs to fix this. There's no reason for the GPS to choke on those (or any other) hidden files.

True, but the chances of Garmin fixing the firmware on a discontinued unit are slim to nil, so it is best to use a workaround...

[user13371]

I didn't even realize it was discontinued until you mentioned it.

But the latest firmware for it (which is a common code base across a few models) is 3.30, updated in Sep'09. Garmin isn't as fast to abandon support for discontinued products as some companies are.

[passdump]

lee_rimar, on Oct 19 2009, 09:10 AM, said:

This will let you keep your non-Mac volumes clean of Mac-specific hidden files: http://zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/

While that should work around it for you, this is not a "Mac problem" for Apple to fix -- Garmin needs to fix this. There's no reason for the GPS to choke on those (or any other) hidden files.

Thanks for that tip, that looks very interesting. Unfortunately, the piece of software costs and I cant buy software online after I was forced to take a scissors to my credit card recently.

lee_rimar, on Oct 19 2009, 10:00 AM, said:

But the latest firmware for it (which is a common code base across a few models) is 3.30, updated in Sep'09.

Thanks for that, I thought I had the most up-to-date firmware but I was wrong. I'll update and see if that fixes the issue.

I saw an interesting post here and it said to "create files called .Trashes and .Spotlight-V100

To be sure, do this from a Windows PC and make the files read-only. Just be careful that they don't get deleted.

When you try to delete files now, OS X will tell you they must be deleted immediately instead of moving them to the trash."

That seemed promising, so i tried that but Windows XP wont let me create a file thats just an extension (without a filename) like .Spotlight-V100. I tried using a copy of the problem folder, by removing all its contents and setting it to "read only" but OSX disregarded the "read only" tag and wrote to the folder any way. Perhaps thats why the post said to "create files called .Trashes and .Spotlight-V100" with files in bold.

Don't suppose any one knows how to create a file without a file name in Windows?

I am surprised that other Garmin/Mac users haven't had similar issues regarding OSX hidden files causing problems?

Thanks for your help guys. Cheers .

This post has been edited by passdump: 20 October 2009 - 08:26 AM

[allory]

It did get quite a bit of discussion when the firmware update was first released. I have both the Venture Cx and the Vista HCx. In my case the problem occurs only with the Vista. Anyway, if you launch the terminal app on your mac you can delete the problem files (for free).

Check the discussion at: http://forums.Ground...howtopic=221591

[passdump]

allory, on Oct 20 2009, 08:41 AM, said:

It did get quite a bit of discussion when the firmware update was first released. I have both the Venture Cx and the Vista HCx. In my case the problem occurs only with the Vista. Anyway, if you launch the terminal app on your mac you can delete the problem files (for free).

Check the discussion at: http://forums.Ground...howtopic=221591

Bingo! Allory... you're a star. I completely missed that. Thank you.

The discussion covers all of the points I raised and it does provide the terminal workaround however it doesn't come to any "proper" resolution of the bug. The discussion stops at the start of August. Do you know if there is any sign of a proper fix from Garmin?

Thanks again Allory, its great to know its not just my VenturCX/Mac combination that's at fault.

[allory]

What I do know about an official fix is that when I mentioned it to Garmin it was news to them. I sent them the link to the discussion here and they indicated they would look into it.
Since I swap cards between my Vista HCx and my Venture Cx and only the Vista has a problem it may be hard to track down.

[RRLover]

allory, on Oct 20 2009, 01:15 PM, said:

What I do know about an official fix is that when I mentioned it to Garmin it was news to them. I sent them the link to the discussion here and they indicated they would look into it.
Since I swap cards between my Vista HCx and my Venture Cx and only the Vista has a problem it may be hard to track down.

I recall early discussions regarding the Colorado series that after deleting files one had to empty the trash
before disconnecting the device, might that issue still be live? I don't know, didn't "go Garmin", and started
paying less attention to 'G' topics. Pretty much just waitin' for someone to get the Mac "Done Right"!

Norm

[robertlipe]

Many of their units are affected by this defect. It's pretty well known to regular forum readers and has been for a long time. I haven't checked the latest firmware, but I know m 60CSx was affected by this after I'd attached it to a Mac in mass storage mode, thought he cause/effect was hardly obvious at the time.

[passdump]

(deleted duplicate post)

This post has been edited by passdump: 22 October 2009 - 02:22 AM

[passdump]

It looks like firmware version 3.30 may have fixed it!

I attached it to my mac in USB mass storage mode (after updating the firmware to 3.30) and then removed the GPS from the mac and switched it on and off 5 or 6 times. Usually the beep-with-power-off would have arisen by then.

I reattached it to the mac and this time to make sure, I copied a GPX file from the SD card and then removed the GPS unit. I switched it on and off 5 or 6 times again and the bug hasn't appeared!

Usually the problem would easily have shown up in those 10 -12 power on-off cycles. So it looks like the bug may have been officially fixed by Garmin.

Out of curiosity I took a look for the hidden folders on Windows XP and .fseventsd folder is now gone. So perhaps that was what was cauing the issue all along? The others are still there:
._.Trashes
.Spotlight-V100
.Trashes

Maybe someone else suffering from this might update to 3.30 and report back if it fixes their units?

This post has been edited by passdump: 22 October 2009 - 02:24 AM

[Travelin Two]

passdump, on Oct 21 2009, 03:39 AM, said:

It looks like firmware version 3.30 may have fixed it!

I attached it to my mac in USB mass storage mode (after updating the firmware to 3.30) and then removed the GPS from the mac and switched it on and off 5 or 6 times. Usually the beep-with-power-off would have arisen by then.

I reattached it to the mac and this time to make sure, I copied a GPX file from the SD card and then removed the GPS unit. I switched it on and off 5 or 6 times again and the bug hasn't appeared!

Usually the problem would easily have shown up in those 10 -12 power on-off cycles. So it looks like the bug may have been officially fixed by Garmin.

Out of curiosity I took a look for the hidden folders on Windows XP and .fseventsd folder is now gone. So perhaps that was what was cauing the issue all along? The others are still there:
._.Trashes
.Spotlight-V100
.Trashes

Maybe someone else suffering from this might update to 3.30 and report back if it fixes their units?

When I attached my 60CSx with Software Version 4.00 and GPS SW Version 3.00s to my Macbook, I now have "the tone". What is the fix?

This post has been edited by Travelin Two: 11 May 2010 - 07:12 PM

[geojibby]

This really should be on a sticky someplace because it is such a frustrating gong show. Here's the free solution that WORKS that I posted in another forum: Garmin hates OS X. Enjoy!