Garmin Communicator Plugin stopped working

[+WorkerDrone]

I am suddenly having problems downloading caches to my Garmin eTrex 10 because my computer is no longer detecting the plugin.  I tried reinstalling it, which causes it to bring up Garmin's webpage, which displays a message that the plugin is not detected.  The computer detects the GPS just fine but I can't write any caches to it.  It was working fine before so I'm not sure what happened.  I am using Internet Explorer.  Anyone else having this issue?

[+kunarion]

Web browsers are dropping support for Garmin Communicator.

On a cache page, Premium Members may click the “GPX File” button. Save the file in the /Garmim/GPX folder of a Garmin GPS receiver. This provides the cache info and coords that the Communicator sends, plus you have more control over the files. You'll place unzipped Pocket Queries in a similar way, and they're a better solution for most cachers than loading one cache at a time.

If you'd prefer a lot of extra work keeping Garmin Communicator functioning, get familiar with how to do that, and remember that it tends to require research and adjusting technical settings on the computer and special downloads, that you may get it working today and not tomorrow, that it may work for now in another browser, that it's fine for some people while you can't even get it to work, or that you'll just plain need to keep fixing it at times:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=334207&view=findpost&p=5538114

Edited January 13, 2018 by kunarion

[+doctk]

Have a Garmin eTrex 10 myself...worked around this by selecting caches to a List, going to My List page and sending the list to Garmin eTrex via Garmin Express.

Its a batch download so its a bit smoother than one at a time!

[+lilla07]

17 hours ago, doctk said:

Have a Garmin eTrex 10 myself...worked around this by selecting caches to a List, going to My List page and sending the list to Garmin eTrex via Garmin Express.

Its a batch download so its a bit smoother than one at a time!

Thanks @doctk very useful info as I was at my wits end. I have just upgraded to an eTrex Touch 35t and paid enough of our hard earned for what we thought was a good gps and found that I was unable to download the communicator, therefore caches by clicking on the “send to gps” button would not load as we had done so many times with our 15yr old nuvi.  Soooo disappointing. I searched through the forums threads to post my disproval wanting to not start a new thread when a similar problem was in the midst. Thanks again. 

[+cerberus1]

4 hours ago, lilla07 said:

  I have just upgraded to an eTrex Touch 35t and paid enough of our hard earned for what we thought was a good gps and found that I was unable to download the communicator, therefore caches by clicking on the “send to gps” button would not load as we had done so many times with our 15yr old nuvi.  Soooo disappointing. I searched through the forums threads to post my disproval wanting to not start a new thread when a similar problem was in the midst.

IIRC, browsers were removing the plugins for security issues.  It's not a Garmin or geocaching.com thing.  Your "disproval" could be sent in email to whomevers browser you use now I guess. 

My area, a few who don't use PQs use the gpx file (as kunarion explained),  but this site did agree on a kinda fix with Garmin by using "Send to Garmin" which is similar to the old plugin, and explained HERE  .

[+on4bam]

17 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

IIRC, browsers were removing the plugins for security issues.  It's not a Garmin or geocaching.com thing.  Your "disproval" could be sent in email to whomevers browser you use now I guess. 

It was announced more than 3 years ago that NPAPI support was going to be dropped. I think it's strange people are surprised that it "suddenly stopped working".

 

 

[+PhilatSea]

Firefox has a ESR version 52.6.0  that one can download and the Garmin Plugin will work on it.
You have to go into about:config and change xpinstall.signatures.required to false.
You will have to download the plugin once more and when you try and use it a box will pop up in the upper left asking to allow, say yes always and you are good to go.
I have written about this before and it still does work.

[+The A-Team]

On ‎2‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 3:50 PM, PhilatSea said:

Firefox has a ESR version 52.6.0  that one can download and the Garmin Plugin will work on it.
You have to go into about:config and change xpinstall.signatures.required to false.
You will have to download the plugin once more and when you try and use it a box will pop up in the upper left asking to allow, say yes always and you are good to go.
I have written about this before and it still does work.

However, folks should keep in mind that Firefox will be moving on to a new ESR branch that won't support NPAPI plugins (ie. the Garmin Communicator plugin) as of May 8, 2018. If anyone still wanted to try to keep the Garmin Communicator plugin running, they'd have to stop updating Firefox as of that date, meaning they would also stop getting any new security enhancements and could potentially be vulnerable in the future.

[+Maljune]

Well then that is no Option if one wants to keep the computer safe .. Are there any other Options ? Is there any alternative to send GPX Data to devices which donnot suppy a filesystem to write GPX Files to (i.E.: eTrax Venture HC) ... (in my case for macOS (OSX) ...

[+NYPaddleCacher]

On 3/4/2018 at 4:17 PM, Maljune said:

Well then that is no Option if one wants to keep the computer safe .. Are there any other Options ? Is there any alternative to send GPX Data to devices which donnot suppy a filesystem to write GPX Files to (i.E.: eTrax Venture HC) ... (in my case for macOS (OSX) ...

Using a browser which still allows the use of NPAPI doesn't necessary make using the computer unsafe.  NPAPI is just a tool which can be used maliciously but there is no evidence that the Garmin plugin takes advantage of the vulnerability in poses.  As a premium member and a Mac users you can use pocket queries and a waypoint manager such as Basecamp or iCaching to transfer GPX files to your GPS (though I can' be sure that either will support the eTrex Venture HC).

[+on4bam]

The most fireproof solution is to download the cache GPX file (or 2 extracted GPX files from the PQ) and manually copy/move them to the right directory  (garmin/gpx).

This should work for all systems.

 

[+StefandD]

2 hours ago, on4bam said:

The most fireproof solution is to download the cache GPX file (or 2 extracted GPX files from the PQ) and manually copy/move them to the right directory  (garmin/gpx).

This should work for all systems.

Not for the eTrex Venture (or any model released before 2010). My old eTrex Vista is also one of them.

[+Maljune]

even gpsbabel does not find my ventureHC either .. on macOS High Sierra ..

even using BaseCamp an such or saving gpx and copy it to a 550t via filesystem ..

None of the current alternatives show any comfort for transfer of geocaches to the device ..

[+NYPaddleCacher]

34 minutes ago, Maljune said:

even gpsbabel does not find my ventureHC either .. on macOS High Sierra ..

even using BaseCamp an such or saving gpx and copy it to a 550t via filesystem ..

None of the current alternatives show any comfort for transfer of geocaches to the device ..

According to this page, iCaching supports the eTrex venture (USB only).  I haven't tried iCaching myself but it's considered one of the best waypoint managers for a Mac.  My primary computer is a macbook pro but I have access to a windows machine when I need it so use GSAK for bulk transfers to my Garmin Oregon.