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Moving files on GPS to SD


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I have an eTex 30x GPSr, with 8GB internal storage and with a 32GB SD card installed.  I noticed that the internal drive is almost full and am wondering what files I can move to the SD card.  I already put GPX files when I go out caching onto the card and I generally delete found caches so there is a lot of empty space to play with.

At the mo I have 4 large files, taking over half of the internal space, which are Disc Image Files.  I assume one of them is the pre-loaded map and another (or maybe more than one) is/are the Birds Imagery UK OS maps that I have purchased and downloaded.  But which is which?  I have serarched for something that explains what all the other various file extensions mean (.sum, .gma, .unl) but with no luck.  I am not very tech savvy (it's an age thing!) so thought I would reach out to all you good folks on here.

 

The first 3 dated 02/06/2020 may be a map update prompted by Garmin, but I cannot remember for sure

D6185080B     2,809,280 KB      02/06/2020

gmapbmap           47,624 KB      02/06/2020

gmapdem           941,072 KB      02/06/2020

 

This one is dated a month earlier, and I think may be when I installed some OS maps from the purchase of BE Imagery credits.  I also installed further very small portion of map on 02/06/2020 (I had missed a coastal headland off a previous map)

gmaptz                       572 KB      02/05/2020

 

I was checking the internal storage in case that was causing an issue with downloading some more Birds Eye Imagery - but I now assume that the problem of not connecting to the server is part of the ongoing Garmin outage.

 

I did think of simply moving some files, see what happens and move them back if something stops working.  I would make back up copies first to my PC of anything I moved, just to cover my back.

 

Thanks for any advice.

Edited by grimpil
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A. Information about all of those files and file extensions is available at GPSrChive > eTrex x0x (you said you couldn't find this information anywhere).

 

D6185080B - Garmin TopoActive Europe

gmapbmap - Base Map

gmapdem - Digital Elevation Map

gmaptz - Time Zone Map

 

The *.sum, *.gma, and *.unl files are there to allow protected maps to function on your device.

 

I would not suggest moving any of these to the microSD card, although you can certainly try and see what happens.

 

All BirdsEye imagery will be in the Garmin\BirdsEye\ directory, which can be moved to the microSD card (use the same directory structure).

 

Any and all GPX data you manually load can (and should) be placed in the Garmin\GPX\ directory on the microSD card instead of the GPSr. These files are potentially the most problematic, and make it easier to reset the device in the field by removing the microSD, rebooting, then installing the microSD again and rebooting once more if/when there is an issue. 

 

There is a lot of information at the link above that will answer many of your questions, so make sure to have a look and let us know what you decide!

 

 

 

Edited by Atlas Cached
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I knew I would get a great answer here.  There is nothing in the GPS manual of course and I did google all sorts of terms but nothing brought up the above link so that is very much appreciated.  No doubt I was just not using the correct search words - eg "moving files on gps" got me lots of info on downloading caches.

Digital Elevation map - doh!  Only thing I could think of was demo map!

 

I have got the BE Imagery on the SD card already as I use that as default for downloading.  I had enough sense (just) to think that if something catastrophic happened to the internal store I could pull out the card before fiddling around with settings.

 

Off to have a bowse now . . . . many thanks.

 

Edit - Ok had a quick look and guess I have a lot of new bedtime reading.  Maybe I asked a dumb question (LOL!) but the dumbest question is the one you don't ask - and maybe this will help someone else scratching their head like me.  Great community here and caching is one of the best things I doscovered, if a little late in life.

Edited by grimpil
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Been doing it 2 years now - usually included into my regular walks to which it adds a whole new dimension.  Still to get to my first 1000 finds (two thirds of the way there) but it is not about numbers for me.  But really did miss it during my lockdown walks,  partly due to not feeling it appropriate to handle caches and partly because I have found most of my local ones.  I don't do drive-bys and I don't travel miles JUST to find caches so this year will be even more limited as holidays have been cancelled.

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I would move any of the map files (.img) from the internal "Garmin" folder to a "Garmin" folder (you need to create it) on your uSD card.  The device will read them as happily from the uSD card as they will the internal storage of the device.  That should save you a good bit of memory.

 

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4 hours ago, ecanderson said:

I would move any of the map files (.img) from the internal "Garmin" folder to a "Garmin" folder (you need to create it) on your uSD card.  The device will read them as happily from the uSD card as they will the internal storage of the device.  That should save you a good bit of memory.

 

Thank you.  I will experiment.  Did wonder if the internal storage being close to capacity might be why the gps seems to take longer to fire up of late.

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It depends upon what all you have on the device.  There are some files and file sets, that when quite large, do take a bit to process on boot.

For example, a really monster file of caches that is new can take some time.  As an example, a new *.gpx file requires that the device build an index of the entries when it first encounters the file.  The bigger the file, the longer it takes.

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8 hours ago, ecanderson said:

It depends upon what all you have on the device.  There are some files and file sets, that when quite large, do take a bit to process on boot.

For example, a really monster file of caches that is new can take some time.  As an example, a new *.gpx file requires that the device build an index of the entries when it first encounters the file.  The bigger the file, the longer it takes.

Thank you.  I did find that referred to somewhere when I first started caching so now I only load up for the day (or several days if holidaying in another area) and delete the GPX files after I have found/not found them next time I connect to PC if I am unlikely to be in that location again.  I have no reason to want to keep past caches on the gps and when I record tracks I transfer them to my PC for storage - can always reload a particular route back onto the gps if I am walking that way again and want a reminder of perhaps a newly discovered path.

That GLSrChive site is excellent.  Not delved into previously I suppose as the main use of my gps is tracking my walks - caching & techie details of the unit are less important to me.

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If the map data is locked to SD card CID or GPS serial number you can swap anything between SD card and internal memory,

but if you say, copied a file from SD card to internal memory, the same SD card still has to be in the GPS to work.

Same with the GPS internal memory maps.. if you move them to SD card it won’t work with another GPS.

 

 

Edited by _Art_
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I moved a few things around, totally got rid of the other than English language files (moved them to PC and saved in a dedicated folder), moved a BE Demo file from internal to SD card and the sky did not fall in so far.  I will be very cautious and always make back ups of anything I tinker with.  But I have freed up a bit more space on the internal store and it does seem to have benefitted.  I downloaded some purchased BE Imagery (locked to the serial number as far as I can tell) and it initally tried to load onto internal store but I took control and moved it to SD.  As I am of a "if it ain't broke . . . " mindset it is very unlikely I will be changing units or SD cards in forseeable future but appreciate the advice above. 

 

Got a lot more confidence & know-how now after the advice given here. 

Thanks everyone.

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6 hours ago, grimpil said:

I moved a few things around, totally got rid of the other than English language files (moved them to PC and saved in a dedicated folder), moved a BE Demo file from internal to SD card and the sky did not fall in so far.  I will be very cautious and always make back ups of anything I tinker with.  But I have freed up a bit more space on the internal store and it does seem to have benefitted.  I downloaded some purchased BE Imagery (locked to the serial number as far as I can tell) and it initally tried to load onto internal store but I took control and moved it to SD.  As I am of a "if it ain't broke . . . " mindset it is very unlikely I will be changing units or SD cards in forseeable future but appreciate the advice above. 

 

Got a lot more confidence & know-how now after the advice given here. 

Thanks everyone.

 

Some of the non-English language files you removed contain special characters that, if not present, will create issues with how some text items appear on your GPSr, and may even cause it to crash.

 

I suggest putting them back. They do not use that much space, and with a microSD card installed, you shouldn't be loading the internal memory that close to full anyway.

 

Besides, new tracks, waypoints, routes, etc. all need 'free space' on the GPSr for it to function properly.

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Will keep that in mind if I have any problems but so far eveything is hunky dory.  Most of the internal space is occupied by the Topo Map.  I have not loaded anything else other than what is there by default.  Which is why I asked the question in the first place to ascertain what was what and wondering whether i could move the large Topo file to SD - concerned that if I did the next time I was prompted to do an update it would download an entire new file to internal rather than let me choose to override the old one on SD.  Watch this space.  No problem to me to simply reset the whole darn thing to factory and start over!  Although I would of course remove the SD card with my paid for BE Imagery OS maps loaded.

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29 minutes ago, grimpil said:

Will keep that in mind if I have any problems but so far eveything is hunky dory.  Most of the internal space is occupied by the Topo Map.

And that, as noted above, is one of the things that should live very happily on the uSD card inside a Garmin folder there. 

Edited by ecanderson
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30 minutes ago, ecanderson said:

And that, as noted above, is one of the things that should live very happily on the uSD card inside a Garmin folder there. 

On 7/28/2020 at 3:05 PM, Atlas Cached said:

I would not suggest moving any of these to the microSD card, although you can certainly try and see what happens

Nuff said.  LOL!!

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