Why Do Garmins Need to Install USB Drivers?

[+Thot]

I just got a 60CSx and it warns me everywhere I must install the USB drivers that come with it before connecting the unit. Every other USB device I have uses the drivers that come with XP. I've never had to install USB drivers since Win98. Why does this device require it's own drivers?

[+Renegade Knight]

It's a USB Device a bit more complex than a Generic USB Key.

 

The drivers tell the computer how to communicate with the GPS.

 

Also XP has a lot of advanced drivers built in so that it can install USB accessories that older versions of windows would have choked on without a driver disk.

 

HP doesn't even have a driver for my printer under Vista but Windows has native driver support.

[+hurley_108]

Probably because there's no universal standard for GPS communications over USB. Every company does it differently, therefore no standard driver.

[+fratermus]

I just got a 60CSx and it warns me everywhere I must install the USB drivers that come with it before connecting the unit. Every other USB device I have uses the drivers that come with XP. I've never had to install USB drivers since Win98. Why does this device require it's own drivers?

 

Garmin prefers undocumented, proprietary software solutions whenever possible. This may be in turnaround after their recent developer-friendly efforts of the last week or so.

 

L.V.X,

frater mus

[segler999]

The issue of USB being built into ME, 2k, and XP has to do with mass storage devices, not USB itself. Mass storage includes thumb drives, external hard drives, external floppies, and external CD/DVDs. ME, 2k, and XP have USB mass storage built-in. Win98/SE does not, so it requires mass storage drivers, which are provided with the products.

 

For most USB devices that are not mass storage, you still have to install USB drivers for all OSs, even for XP. These include such things as digital cameras, scanners, printers, gpsrs, others.

[+Thot]

For most USB devices that are not mass storage, you still have to install USB drivers for all OSs, even for XP. These include such things as digital cameras, scanners, printers, gpsrs, others.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

As it turns out, I did not have to install USB drivers for either of my last two digital cameras. I didn't realize I had installed drivers for my printer or first camera. But, they may have been included in these device "installations," and I just wasn't aware of it. I thought I was installing the supporting programs.

 

Edited typo

Edited June 1, 2007 by Thot

[+schristi69]

Anyone having trouble connecting more than one GPS to their computer with USB? I have an eTrex VistaCx and a 60CSx. If I get one to install and run fine, disconnect it and connect the other unit, the computer fails to recognize it. I have to uninstall the previous driver in Device Manager before it will recognize the other unit. Any suggestions?

[+media601]

Anyone having trouble connecting more than one GPS to their computer with USB? I have an eTrex VistaCx and a 60CSx. If I get one to install and run fine, disconnect it and connect the other unit, the computer fails to recognize it. I have to uninstall the previous driver in Device Manager before it will recognize the other unit. Any suggestions?

 

I have an eTrex venture Cx and a 60CSx and both run fine under Win2K. When you disconnect the GPS from the computer are you stopping the "USB mass storage device" on the computer before unplugging it?

[+imajeep]

XP has a built-in driver for a "USB Mass Storage Device". Most cameras use that driver, and Windows thinks they are just big disk drives.

 

That's the same way a GPS interacts with Windows when you put it in "USB Mass Storage" mode, the way you can with Garmins. In that mode, Windows will recognize the GPS storage, but not the GPS itself.

 

To recognize the GPS as a GPS device and to provide an interface between the device and software applications (like MapSource or EasyGPS), Windows needs a set of drivers specific to the GPS unit. The drivers communicate with the device and provides well-defined services to software applications, like transfer to and from the device, or real-time position data.

 

So, that's why you need special drivers for your GPS, when you don't need them for your digital camera or MP3 player.

Edited June 1, 2007 by imajeep

[+klossner]

XP also has a built-in driver for the "still image" USB device class. Many cameras implement that class. Besides retrieving photos, you can control the camera (e.g., command it to take a photo.)

[RenHoek]

Garmin prefers undocumented, proprietary software solutions whenever possible. This may be in turnaround after their recent developer-friendly efforts of the last week or so.

 

L.V.X,

frater mus

 

@fratermus - I'm a curious developer...what "developer-friendly efforts of the last week or so" are you talking about?

 

Thx-

RenHoek

[+fratermus]

@fratermus - I'm a curious developer...what "developer-friendly efforts of the last week or so" are you talking about?

 

This press release.

[+Chuy!]

I got a similar 'error' message when I connected my new Venture Cx for the first time; and I believe also when I downloaded newest version of MapSource. The drivers are already in the hard drive, I just had to remind it where to look for them: /C-Garmin-USB Folders (probably same location for most of you.)