Garmin Basecamp update installation problems

[TomK]

Is anyone else having a problem installing the latest update (4.4, I think) of Garmin's Basecamp software? In late November, the software notified me that there was an update to install, and when I attempted to install it, I got a notification that Windows Media Player V11 was required before it would proceed any further. Problem is, I *have* Windows Media Player V11 installed - it's included with Windows Vista, which is what I'm running.

I've been exchanging e-mail with Garmin since then. Mostly they have been trying to get me to re-install Windows Media Player V11, but every way they asked me to do this, the installer or update tells me either that the software is already installed, or that the update doesn't apply to my system. I see no way to de-install Windows Media Player, and for good reason - it's included with the operating system.

Last round of e-mails with Garmin, they gave up and told me I'm on my own. If others have a similar problem, I'd like to tell them that it isn't just me.

I was able to install a previous version of Basecamp that I happened to have lying around, but that version doesn't seem to want to read the tracks, waypoints, etc that I created using later versions.

The only connection to hiking is the connection to the trail GPS I use, and I don't want to turn this into a technical support forum, but I'd be happy to accept any suggestions via PM. I was a software engineer for the better part of 30 years, including writing some installers myself (mostly using Installshield), so I'm not *totally* clueless, but this has me stumped.

TomK

 

[Guthook]

TomK, I share your frustration with Garmin's BaseCamp tech support-- I'm pretty sure they just have a bunch of monkeys working there. I have the Mac version, and with almost every update there is some huge bug that causes lots of trouble. The most recent one corrupted all of my GPX files and I lost all of my info-- luckily, due to a few instances of previous updates doing similar things, I'd started backing up my data in multiple locations. Anyway, Garmin's tech support people had no answers, and the best solution I found was to find an old version of Basecamp and install that, ignoring the new version.

My best advice, since you tried installing the old version already, is to convert the unreadable GPX files with GPSVisualizer.com and see if the old version of Basecamp can read those.

Good luck!

 

[Gremlin]

OMG, now I'm totally lost! Can I have it done for me at Gander Mountain or EMS? The only thing I regret about retirement is that I can no longer stroll into class and ask a kid to 'fix' it.

 

[DougPaul]

You can get old versions of BaseCamp at http://www.gawisp.com/perry/agree.html. Look under mapsource/. Just install the newer or older version over the currently-installed version.

A change history can be found at http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4435

You are unlikely to get help with GPS software on your computer at outdoors stores, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. They may have a list of people that can help you.

Doug

 

[TomK]

Resolved

I e-mailed them one last time, and I actually got a useful response. This time they had me unpack the distribution executable with an unzip utility, and then run the BCMAIN.MSI directly. Worked out fine. I needed to do the same thing for Version 4.4.6. I wrote back to thank them, and implored them to tell development that something had broken between V4.4.4 and the version that preceeded it. I think that fell on deaf ears though.

TomK

 

[Gremlin]

Thanks, Doug. One of the things I miss now that I'm retired i walking into class and asking a kid to 'fix' it.