Garmin woes

capt_slog

I use a Garmin Edge 205, and I've been quite happy with it up to this weekend. The problems started on saturday when I came to upload a ride and the 'computer said no'.

I use Chrome, and a message came up saying that "Chrome no longer supports the Garmin Communicator Plugin", and it recommends and points a link to using IE :shock: . I couldn't get anything to work though, even in the wretched and much cursed IE.

What I find confusing is that when I search for this problem, I see that the issue with the withdrawn support started in sept 2013, and this was around 6 months into when I started using the Garmin, and I think I've even replaced the PC since then! I've often had problems though, it sometimes would freeze in the middle of a transfer and I've have to close Chrome and restart it. This happened on saturday, but when I restarted it would no longer recognise my garmin

My method of uploading a ride now is:-
Upload using the archaic Garmin Training Centre software on my PC.
Export the ride in GPX format to the desktop (just for convenience sake)
Ask Strava to look for the file directly instead of my device.

Needless to say, I find this a ball-ache and it's taken the shine off using garmin and strava.

Anyone else getting problems?

ddraver

they do seem to be cocking around with it at the moment...

drlodge

Strava now ues the Garmin Express plug-in I think, there was a patch of time a few months back when it all stoppped working. So I now I upload automatically to Garmin Express then it syncs automatically with Strava, I then have to edit the titles & bike used.

mamba80

i had a edge 500, the most flaky bit of gear i ve ever had, got my money back.
i d never touch them again, their CS is appalling and i dont like companies that use the punter as free RnD

wongataa

Can you not copy the data log off the Garmin directly when it is plugged into the computer and then upload that file to Strava?

John.T

Garmin Express is the best way of uploading. It 'should' boot up automatically when you connect the Garmin and upload files. It does not always do so and I sometimes have to start it manually. As above it can be set to sync with Strava (and Training Peaks).

apple15

My 705 seems to have stopped uploading all of a sudden, tried to reboot but no joy.
My pc recognises it because it pops up another drive on the system.
I think the best option is to take it out on a ride and when a car driver pees me off, Launch it at the F:@#

capt_slog

wongataa wrote:

Can you not copy the data log off the Garmin directly when it is plugged into the computer and then upload that file to Strava?

No, because I can't see it. It doesn't show on the PC as a USB device, it seems you can only look at it through software.

I've tried today at work, thinking it might be my home PC, but work's one is the same, Strava won't run the upload.

John.T wrote:

Garmin Express is the best way of uploading. It 'should' boot up automatically when you connect the Garmin and upload files. It does not always do so and I sometimes have to start it manually. As above it can be set to sync with Strava (and Training Peaks).

Oddly, I've managed to get working Garmin Express on the work's PC, but I ran into problems at home when i tried. It got a bit fraught but I think it either couldn't see my garmin, or it wouldn't load.

How do you do the sync with Strava? I've not found that

AllanES

Spookily my Edge 500 has decided to throw a wobbly this weekend.
After a couple of years of faultless use it's no longer recognised by any of the PC's I've been using to upload my rides :-(
I've tried changing the USB cable but again, no luck.
It says it's being charged when connected to the PC but it doesn't appear in the list of drives/devices on the PC.
So annoying!
What's possibly even more annoying is that I convinced myself I needed a Garmin to track my rides because I was riding longer and exceeding the potential battery life of an iPhone 5 running the Strava app.
And then at the weekend I did a 100 miler (total time of 7.5hours) and the iPhone still had 30% battery left!
Which I didn't expect. But good obviously.
Might ditch the Garmin and go back to Strava on my phone
:-)

bianchimoon

I can't get the Garmin communicator to work with the latest Yosemite OS on a mac.. shambles

capt_slog

I have it working in Windows7, I might have to mess about at home to get it to run in Windows8. I suspect that a few bad tries have set cookies in Chrome, and that I will have to un-install that and re-install to clear it completely.

stevie63

Just is case everyone isn't aware-Plug ins are now no longer working in Google Chrome. They have taken the decision to disable them as they are the cause of most browser crashes. This means that the Garmin plug in will not work on this (or other plug in such as java and silverlight). see here:

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/04/chrome-starts-pushing-java-off-the-web-by-disabling-plugins/

This means that it looks as though you will only be able to use Safari or Firefox going forward.

Man Of Lard

Nope - Firefox are also deprecating NPAPI plugins and since Safari & Chrome share a common platform (Webkit) it seems unlikely to last long in Safari either (if they haven't already deprecated it)

capt_slog

I finally got it to work at home on windows8, but with a lot of struggle and a few complications along the route. I'll try to write down what I did to fix it in case anyone else comes along from a search with the same problems.

Because I had tried and failed to load the software once, I had bad entries in the registry which would not let me load it again. I have a Piriform Ccleaner on my PC which I run to sort these things out. the free version is here...https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

I used that to clear the registry faults, and uninstalled all the Garmin software, including the drivers.

I read somewhere that people had no success when they downloaded the install for Garmin Express via Chrome, but did when they downloaded via IE. Sounds like complete rubbish to me, but I did the IE route, and this worked when the Chrome one didn't, even though it comes from the same place and has the same name etc.

Installed the Express and it wouldn't see my Garmin Edge205. I realised that I had removed the drivers, so I found and re-installed them, it might have been from here ... https://www8.garmin.com/support/downloa ... jsp?id=591

It took several rounds of Ccleaner, installs and restarts to get there, but 'Express' eventually saw my device and took the data off it.

The better route is probably...
Download the latest drivers.
Restart.
Download Express via IE
Install Express
restart.
Connect your Garmin, follow the instructions.

If you're thinking the restarts shouldn't be needed, I agree, but it didn't work without them, so make your choice.

Edit.
Although I got it to work briefly, it wasn't consistent and it often either failed to work or upload the data. I found that there was a Garmin Forum, and on there is a subforum devoted to issues with Express, the problems are widespread and Garmin appear to have caught on the back foot by it all. :roll:
On there I found this.
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.ph ... ng-blocked
and I used that download of Express.
Things are working correctly for now, and when it does work it's very nice. I plug in and a window opens to say that it's synced, then the data appears in Strava when i next go there.
(I've added this edit because I didn't want to be seen as bumping the thread.)

philwint

Or

In strava go upload > file >browse to your garmin and pick the file you want (it will be in Garmin Edge xxx\garmin\activities)

freezing77

philwint wrote:

Or

In strava go upload > file >browse to your garmin and pick the file you want (it will be in Garmin Edge xxx\garmin\activities)

^^^^^^ +1 ^^^^^^^

Cuts out garmin connect, garmin sync, garmin express etc.etc.

rickwiggans

It's not really a Garmin issue - it's that most, if not all browsers, are discontinuing support for plug-ins, because of security issues. As said above, just use Express, or load the file manually.

capt_slog

philwint wrote:

Or

In strava go upload > file >browse to your garmin and pick the file you want (it will be in Garmin Edge xxx\garmin\activities)

Which is great advice if your Garmin appears on your PC as a USB memory device. Mine doesn't and requires software to read it and take the files off.

manglier

Not trying to teach Grannie to suck eggs, but is your USB cable connected directly to the PC? I find that connecting via a USB hub causes all sorts of problems.

andy9964

Are you using a data USB lead, and not a power USB?
I had no end of frustrated attempts to update, until I realised I was using a "power only" USB lead, which is slightly thinner than a data lead

capt_slog

This taken from a garmin support page
=====================================================================================
Which GPS devices go into mass storage mode when connected to the computer?
Email this Answer Print this Answer
01/16/2015
Most newer Garmin GPS devices go into mass storage to communicate with Garmin software applications.
USB mass storage is the default setting for the following devices:
nuvi series1
LIVE series
zumo series1
dezl series1
Camper/RV 7601
StreetPilot c500 series
All Edge models, except 205 and 305
Forerunner 10, 15, 110, 210, 220, 620, and 920XT
vivosmart2
(there's a few more)
=========================================================================================

Mine is the Edge 205. (and it mentions 'default', there's no other setting on mine)

At present, it's managing to get the data to where it's supposed to go (well, around 50% of the time) I get the feeling that the people at garmin aren't getting home to see their families very much at the moment as they work to get things right . My take on what's happened is that they have been caught out by this (chrome 's withdrawal of plugins) and that many people have started suddenly using the software. This has found a multitude of bugs which were not apparent when it wasn't so 'popular'.

Garmin have been saying it's the user's fault for not having PCs set correctly, not resetting devices, not this, not that, but there seems to be a lot of problems and a lot of solutions. Hopefully it clears up soon.

Just to answer previous questions.
Yes, direct link to pc, works on other PCs using other software.
Yes, correct cable, the one I've used for two years and that works with my cameras and other devices.

meanredspider

These "Power Only" USB cables are the work of the devil. Apart from cable diameter, is there no way of identifying them? "Power Only" Universal Serial Bus cable seems like an oxymoron to me.

indyjones

I was annoyed when the plug in stopped working in chrome too, I did try firefox portable with the plugin but tbh garmin express works fine

sloppyschleckonds

Wireless upload saves you ever plugging it into your laptop again.....