Basecamp Won't Recognize Garmin GPS Problem (And Solution!)

[DayTrip]

Awhile back (maybe last Spring) I had posted about an issue I was having where BaseCamp just randomly stopped recognizing my GPS (Garmin GPSMAP62). I did a ton of reading, installed and uninstalled, etc to no avail. After a few months I was going to send to Garmin when -BAM- it worked just fine again. So I chalked it up to some sort of Windows update conflict.

Well for the third time I had this problem again Sunday night when I was uploading my track data. Windows recognizes the GPS, it beeps like normal and the drive letters are in Explorer. But no matter what I do in BaseCamp it doesn't see the device. So back to the internet for answers, tried a bunch of stuff, uninstalled all my USB devices and Garmin software, reinstalled and still no dice. I noticed that the folder was slow to load on the two drive letters so for the hell of it I took out the memory card and suddenly it worked fine. It appears my Windows is trying to utilize the same drive letter for my memory card as well as something else (which incidently I have no clue how to change so if someone knows that please let me know so I can use the memory card again).

I know it is strange to post an "asked and answered" thread but if I remember right several other people had this problem when I had asked about it. So if you're still out there wondering why your computer hates you this might be the problem. There are a lot of threads online for the GPSMAP62 and this specific issue with many solutions that did not work for me so it is obviously a known issue with Garmin and Windows. Figured one or two of you may benefit from this info. FYI.

 

[CaptCaper]

If you have win7 type Disk management in the search bar. The after you find your drive or SD card you want to change click on the drive once to highlight then right click and choose "change drive letter and path" Change the drive letter to very odd ones like X or Q for the ones you keep all the time. Windows adds them c d e etc as you install so this may be the problem. By having change them to way out you can't help to know which ones they are and Windows won't conflict with them.
There is freeware too that will do this... Mini tool partition wizard is one. nice little program..

 

[egilbe]

Have you tried turning it off and back on?

Sometimes dependent services stop working for whatever reason, find which ones Basecamp needs or uses and restart them.

 

[TomK]

I had something like this pop up a few months ago.

For the first couple years I had the GPS, I'd start Basecamp, connect the USB for the GPS, Basecamp (and Windows Explorer) would recognise the GPS and I'd be in business.

Then, all of a sudden, when I'd do this, the GPS would simply boot up and run. If I checked the battery charge, there would be an icon indicating the GPS was plugged in, not running off the battery. Neither the main memory of the GPS nor the SD card would be recognised by Windows Explorer, and Basecamp would not recognise it either.

I found that if I turned the GPS off and on (sometimes I need to do this several times) Basecamp will eventually recognise it, as will Windows Explorer.

It is a bit of a pain, but since I have a workaround, I've not pursued it...

This on a trailing edge, Windows Vista SP2 system...

TomK

 

[DayTrip]

If you have win7 type Disk management in the search bar. The after you find your drive or SD card you want to change click on the drive once to highlight then right click and choose "change drive letter and path" Change the drive letter to very odd ones like X or Q for the ones you keep all the time. Windows adds them c d e etc as you install so this may be the problem. By having change them to way out you can't help to know which ones they are and Windows won't conflict with them.
There is freeware too that will do this... Mini tool partition wizard is one. nice little program..

Excellent. Thanks.

 

[DayTrip]

Have you tried turning it off and back on?

Sometimes dependent services stop working for whatever reason, find which ones Basecamp needs or uses and restart them.

I didn't think of that! Doh. (Yes, actually I did all of that a thousand times over).