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GPS City Q&A » Automotive GPS » Insufficient Memory for Map Update?

Automotive GPS (146 replies)

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Item

Original Question

Insufficient Memory for Map Update?

› Garmin Nuvi 1490 LMT

Author

Reply

Jamie
Brantford

Reply #20 on Feb 2, 2011, 6:17am

out of the box, the unit said it didnt have enough space, and asked if i wanted to backup to my PC. I said yes, it backed up to my PC then did the update. On older Garmin Products I had, they didnt just update the maps, they completely replaced them. I am guessing it needs to copy the entire file before it deletes the old one. No Issues with this unit since, Great Device

Hybridge
Calgary

Reply #21 on May 19, 2011, 11:09am

I went to update my 1490LMT today and I got the insufficient memory error. I called the Garmin help line and they walked me through deleting some files on my GPS. I only speak english so they had me delete the non-english files in the voice folder and the all the files except for American English help in the help folder. Also had me delete all the files in the Text Folder. After that the update worked fine.

eesofgraham
Tempe

Reply #22 on May 25, 2011, 8:08pm

Load the lower states map first. Go back run the map updater again and then load North America and it should work - it did for me. I am guessing splitting the update into two this way reduces the size of "buffer" memory needed in some way.

rrv
Thunder Bay

Reply #23 on Jun 1, 2011, 2:07pm

I went in and deleted all the language and text files excepting for english, spanish and french. Retried the map update for all US + Canada and it went okay

dennis
santa clara

Reply #24 on Jul 6, 2011, 2:02pm

I had the same issue with a 1390T, though as suggested in the forum, called up Garmin at : 1(800)800-1020 and walking through with assistance deleted all the voice and help files for languages I didn't need and started the updater and could get the US & Canada maps which weren't fitting earlier. Also, if on a Mac, only deleting it from even the Trash would actually free up space.

Bud
SC

Reply #25 on Aug 21, 2011, 6:02pm

Own the Garmin 1490T. I had no trouble with downloading updates till 8/2011. I tried to install the August update and stated insufficient memory error.just was able to install lower states. Installed a sd card in my Garmin but the Garmin only works off the installed memory that it came with.
I can see that the sd card is installed when I look at my computer. Installed voices on the installed sd card but unable to access the voices installed on the sd card with the gps.
Right now cd card is just being used for storage

Peoria Bill
Central Illinois

Reply #26 on Sep 12, 2011, 1:33pm

My first update with the 1490LMT went OK. Recently, I saw a message that said newer map files were available. I got the insufficent memory message and could only load 1/2 the US. I'm a little disappointed. I will call Garmin to see if they can help me get throught this situation.

K5
Seattle

Reply #27 on Nov 9, 2011, 1:24pm

I have the 1450LMT, same product family as the 1490LMT, and ran into the same issue as well regarding insufficent memory/space when trying to download the newest 2012.30 map update. I phoned Garmin, displeasd, but they suggested I try re-downloading through the Garmin servers, and not through the Garmin updater that was loaded on my system. Basically there are two ways of downloading map updates, the first being their Garmin Lifetime Updater program that installs to your computer, and is an easier way for map updating, and what I used to download the 2012.20 map update. Or, the other way is to log into your MyGarmin account from the Garmin page and updating the map (select Option #2 when asked) via the Garmin servers that way.

I removed the Garmin updater from my computer and am currently downloading via the Garmin site, currently on step 3 of 3 as I type this, so hopefully this method works. The tech support agent did explain how to remove voice, text, etc for languages thatI don't use, so since I only speak English, and the unit only covers USA and Canada, I will probably remove all of the voice files with the exception of the English ones.

Red90
Calgary

Reply #28 on Nov 14, 2011, 7:21pm

I've just done this on a 1490 for the new map 2012.30. You can barely squeeze it all on by deleting archived tracks (yes tracks are auto-archived) and voices you do not need... It is tight.

Alternatively, if you choose East or West regions, you do get "most" the USA and all of Canada.

DenniyS
Elburn IL

Reply #29 on Nov 20, 2011, 4:31pm

I have a 1490t which would not update due to space using the lifetime updater. It updated fine using the Garmin servers. I did clean up all of the non-english flotsam and archives to make space but it worked fine. It appears that the lifetime updater needs to see the available space before it overwrites the maps that are already on the GPS. The on-line servers takes the overwrite into account duing its calculation process. This may be something that Garmin should look at to make the lifetime updater useful. Just a suggestion

JoeRuge
Tucson

Reply #30 on Nov 21, 2011, 8:30am

Hello,

About two days ago my Garmin 1490LMT got 'lost.' The screen displayed a basic map with major streets, but no detail and the car icon was way off the actual location. I'm wondering if there is a 'base map' permanently loaded on the device and the detailed map somehow got wiped or corrupted. When I go to the 'Get Map Info' screen, there is no map listed.

So, I went to the Garmin Site to download a map. Got the 'insufficient memory' message the first time and only downloaded the 48 state map.

After it downloaded I checked map info again. Still no map listed.

Went to download another map. This time it allowed me to replace the original map,'US and Canada' (or North America) Downloading is proceeding. Let's see what happens.

This is quite a pain and the Garmin site is quite confusing in various aspects.

JR

Steve
Wilmington, NC

Reply #31 on Nov 21, 2011, 10:51am

Please keep posting updates to this situation. I tried everything Garmin suggested by email, but have not spoken to them directly. Even when I manually removed the map and tried to install the 2012.30, it would not load. I re-installed the 2012.20 and will try removing all the voices, etc. except English when I get a chance. Thanks.

jesse
GPS City

Reply #32 on Nov 21, 2011, 11:05am

Please phone Garmin at 1-800-800-1020. Via email you normally don't get the right solution because it is hard to understand what is going on unless they can ask you qualifying questions. It is possible to get all the maps on the unit via SD. When downloading to the computer make sure you tell the Lifetime map updater software to save to the PC/Mac also and not just the unit. We hope all works out for you.

Greg
Springboro, oh

Reply #33 on Nov 21, 2011, 4:47pm

I also had the "not enough space" problem when trying to update my North America/Canada maps on my just-purchased 1450LMT. I went to their support website (they won't allow my to post the link) with my 1450 plugged into my laptop and found that there was a software update available. I applied the update and the maps installed OK.

Notes:

1. You have to download a plugin that communicates with your GPS, which must be plugged into your computer. The operator lead-through on their site makes this easy.

2. After the software was installed and I powered the GPS back up, I had to touch the "View Map" to see a message box telling me that the software has been updated successfully. It also said there were some other updates and I chose to install them, whatever they were. They must have been very minor because they happened very quickly.

Todd
NV

Reply #34 on Nov 25, 2011, 11:13am

I've had this problem with a 1450LMT, in fact it would not even let me install the whole US map, much less US and Canada. The only fix was to go into the software folders and delete many of the text, voice, and help files in other languages I don't need.

Frankly it's pretty crappy that Garmin is currently selling units with lifetime map updates that already have too little capacity to hold the current maps.

Evidently this is going to be their new hook, sure you get free lifetime map updates, but we're going to put so little internal memory in our units that you're going to have to buy a new one every couple years anyway if you want to actually USE the new maps.

Ernest
Stockton

Reply #35 on Nov 29, 2011, 11:14pm

Whoops! From this forum, it's pretty obvious that I bought the wrong Garmin for my wife's x-mas present. I also can't load the US and Canda maps that I paid for with this 1450 LMT. Also, I wanted to load more maps, of Europe, but have no idea how much memory these maps require. So, how do I know how much more to spend on the microSD card?

Jordan
GPS City

Reply #36 on Nov 30, 2011, 6:43am

Micro SD cards are around $9. also the Europe maps will come on micro SD also. Europe maps and other mapping normally dont go on internal memory

Todd
NV

Reply #37 on Nov 30, 2011, 3:44pm

I'd try to find a newer unit in the same price range that has more internal memory, even if it costs a bit more the extra memory will be worth it. Which may be hard since Garmin conveniently (for them) does not show in their specs how much internal memory units have.

What's really sad (and no doubt on purpose by garmin) is that my old nuvi 780 unit (released Jan 2008) has slightly MORE internal memory (around 100 megabytes) than the 1450LMT unit released over two years later. That's pathetic and a total failure on Garmin's part for a device that relies on internal storage for maps.

Also keep in mind that if you use the Garmin preloaded MicroSD cards for maps you can't put anything else on those cards. So if you wanted to say load topo maps as well you'd have to swap cards on demand whenever you wanted to access those maps. I've never liked that idea because I've never felt garmin has a SD card design that is durable enough for frequent use.

The downside to buying their mapping software is that it limits you to one gps unit, so while you gain flexibility in what you download and can have multiple maps on a single SD card, if you change GPS units you have to re-buy the software. (This does not apply to the Topo software

Jordan
GPS City

Reply #38 on Dec 1, 2011, 7:37am

I would agree the newer models with more memory will be less work.

With the LMT models you can load all the City Navigator maps and Topo maps at the same time and have them on one micro SD card. Not need to buy the map preloaded on a card which you are correct will limit what you put on it. Be sure when downloading your update to tell the Lifetime map update software to save a copy to your hard drive. It is mentioned in this topic a few times. Then using mapinstall you can select both topo and city nav maps.

If you can not figure out how to load your City Nav maps and Topo maps at the same time feel free to call Garmin tech support at 1-800-800-1020

Thank you for the feedback.

Firestopper
NH

Reply #39 on Dec 8, 2011, 8:42am

I'd like to thank GPS City and this forum for the help on information on fixing the "not enough space" issue with my new 1090LMT. I wound up initially only downloading Eastern US. I did take K5's comment & advice of Nov, 2011 and confirmed it with an e-mail to Garmin support and they in turn sent me the information on downloading from their servers rather than the lifetime updater. I succesfully downloaded the US and Canada map with 193.1 MB left for storage.
Here's a copy of Garmins e- mail response

Thank you for contacting Garmin International.Simply login to your
mygarmin account with username XXXXXXX (this would be your user name in My Garmin) and proceed to the My Maps
tab. Select the details and click on the download for the V2012.30 maps
and when prompted select the OPTION 2 for completing the task for the
map region you want.

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