How do I install maps on my Vista HCX without erasing data?

[Oracleman]

I have a Garmin Vista HCX GPS, with Taiwan's and South Africa's maps preinstalled. I have recently came to the UK and have the Europe city navigator 2009 maps installed and unlocked on my computer. My Problem when I want to install this on my GPS is that it tells me I can't install it on my GPS if I have a data card (I have), because it will erase all preinstalled data.

 

Which data will it exactly erase If I continue with this install? WIll it erase my taiwan and south africa maps, or other important functions that is nessasary for my gps to function?

 

What do you advise me to do, because I will be living in UK for approx 2 years and really need the euro maps?

 

Thanks.

 

Bertus

[MtnHermit]

Which data will it exactly erase If I continue with this install? WIll it erase my taiwan and south africa maps,

Yes

 

or other important functions that is nessasary for my gps to function?

No.

 

What do you advise me to do, because I will be living in UK for approx 2 years and really need the euro maps?

Buy a new 1GB or larger microSD card, ~$5 in the USA, and install on a bare card using Mapsource.

[ao318]

Same recommendation here. Buy a new blank 2 gb sd card, might as well go big as they are about the same price, and install your new maps onto it. Just remember where you are storing the other card for when you move back.

[+Chuy!]

Unfortunately with Garmin units (may be true for others too), when you install new maps, the old ones get erased. I think it's because each time you install maps, they get stored as a single .img file, and the GPS can only read that one file at a time.

 

You won't lose tracks or waypoints. At least I haven't. Don't know about routes as I don't use that feature. You also won't lose your POI file. But, the same rule applies - when you download a POI file, it erases the previous copy.

[cliff_hanger]

By "I have a Garmin Vista HCX GPS, with Taiwan's and South Africa's maps preinstalled" do you mean that you bought an SD card with those maps already on it or you created that map set and added it to a blank SD card?

 

If the former, I would buy a new SD card and reader. If the latter, see below.

 

Map sets on my Vista HCx are in the root of the SD card and are all in a single file named "gmapsupp.img"

If I was to create and load a new map, then "gmapsupp.img" would be overwritten and the previous map set would be gone. However, you could rename "gmapsupp.img" to something like "taiwan.img" You might want to save it on your pc or in a subfolder on your SD card. (I created a subfolder named "maps") Then, when you create a new map with your Europe city navigator 2009, it will load a new file named "gmapsupp.img" on your SD card. This will be the map that your GPS will use while you are in UK.

 

Later, you can rename and swap them. Keep in mind that the GPSr will ONLY read the one mapset file named "gmapsupp.img"

 

As far as custom POIs, the POI loader generates a file that always is named "poi.gpi" and goes in a subfolder on your SD card named "poi". However, in this case the name "poi.gpi" is not important. You can rename the files and have multiple poi files in the same subfolder and the GPSr will read them all. In fact, you can select which one(s) you want to load. So, you could, for example, have taiwan.gpi, SAfrica.gpi and UK.gpi if you generate custom POIs with poiloader

 

Other POIs that you see like restaurants, hospitals, banks, etc are part of the mapset and would be automatically generated and saved as part of "gmapsupp.img"

Edited February 13, 2009 by cliff_hanger

[+cacheninja]

I wonder if he means his basemap is for those regions and is worried it will be erased?

[namiboy]

I wonder if he means his basemap is for those regions and is worried it will be erased?

 

i was wondering the same thing.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

The BASEMAP will not be erased by loading detail maps. They are separate and different things.

[+jotne]

Nor will the preinstalled maps if they are store in gmapprom.img

 

Only gmapsupp.img is overwritten.

[+coggins]

Nor will the preinstalled maps if they are store in gmapprom.img

 

Only gmapsupp.img is overwritten.

Vista HCx does not use gmapprom.img

[+jotne]

You are correct, and there are no preinstaled maps.

[namiboy]

You are correct, and there are no preinstaled maps.

 

no preinstalled basemap?

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145...8703#versionTab

[Motorcycle_Mama]

No preinstalled DETAIL maps.

 

Again, the BASEMAP is different from the DETAIL maps.

 

The unit has a preinstalled BASEMAP. It does not have preinstalled DETAIL maps.