Unlocking Topo Maps Garmin Etrex Vista Hcx

[+UberDon]

OK, I have beaten my head against the wall trying every fix that the Garmin FAQ site has suggested, but still cannot unlock my Northwest Topo. The 25 character unlock key/code doesn't seem to work. When I try to verify my unlock code it will not allow me to retrieve it. I have even tried to backdoor the unlock through Mapsource, Utilities, Manage Map Products. I have tried re-downloading the topo three times now. The download takes 2 to 3 hours (1488 MB to a 2 Gig Micro card via cable modem). This seems slow to me and even though the site says that I have 100% of the file, the Estimated Time Remaining always says, less than 1 minute. Eventually I get a message that says, Service Unavailable. This is really beginning to tick me off...Garmin live help is not available today (Holiday). Does anybody out there have a REAL solution? PLEASE? Pretty PLEASE? My head hurts!

[snowfleurys]

OK, I have beaten my head against the wall trying every fix that the Garmin FAQ site has suggested, but still cannot unlock my Northwest Topo. The 25 character unlock key/code doesn't seem to work. When I try to verify my unlock code it will not allow me to retrieve it. I have even tried to backdoor the unlock through Mapsource, Utilities, Manage Map Products. I have tried re-downloading the topo three times now. The download takes 2 to 3 hours (1488 MB to a 2 Gig Micro card via cable modem). This seems slow to me and even though the site says that I have 100% of the file, the Estimated Time Remaining always says, less than 1 minute. Eventually I get a message that says, Service Unavailable. This is really beginning to tick me off...Garmin live help is not available today (Holiday). Does anybody out there have a REAL solution? PLEASE? Pretty PLEASE? My head hurts!

If your internet service is 160K/sec that equates to about 149 minutes or about 2 1/2 hours.

Can not help on the unlock issue, however, remember some post earlier this year were a cannot unlock message was given on a product that was not locked, but this may have been for the DVD version.

[+Walts Hunting]

Maybe the problem is that the Garmin TOPO's are not locked. I have 3 of the 24k TOPOS and none of them are locked.

 

I have never downloaded them (I always buy the DVD) but I suspect the problem is the end of the download is not completing. I don't understand why you would have a unlock code at all.

 

The below comment was in the Garmin Forums about a month ago. I don't think the DVD would be unlocked and the download not.

 

I just recieved a reply from a Garmin Tech regarding loading topo maps from the DVD onto more than one unit (2 map 60 CSX's and a Nuvi 205W). The reply states:

 

*** "Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

Topo maps that are on DVD are not locked and therefore able to be loaded to multiple Garmin devices. You should be able to load this software to all the compatable units." ***

 

That's good enough for me!