Connect Garmin Nuvi 42LM with your computer - go to My Computer on Windows or Finder on Mac - select Garmin Nuvi drive - double click on the Map Folder (if you can’t find the Map Folder, it means the map hasn’t been uploaded correctly and you should refer to.

• Garmin Nuvi Mac Software
• Garmin Nuvi Mac

Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products. Skip navigation links. All Wearables & Smartwatches Fashion Smartwatches MARQ Luxury Watch Collection Running Multisport Adventure Swimming Diving Golf Fitness Tracking Kids Wearables. About 3 weeks ago I plugged all 4 of my Garmin satnavs into GE to keep them up to date. 3 suggested software updates, one suggested software and maps. The one I use most is a nuvi 250W that until then had been completely reliable. Since the software update it now freezes. Download Garmin BaseCamp for macOS 10.13 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. ‎Garmin® BaseCamp® provides an interface for viewing Garmin map products and managing geographic data. With BaseCamp, you can perform the following tasks:. Transfer data to and from your Garmin device. Plan multi-day trips using Yelp® and your map data. Use Garmin Express to update maps and software, sync with Garmin Connect™ and register your device. This desktop software notifies you when updates are available and helps you install them. DOWNLOAD FOR MAC DOWNLOAD FOR WINDOWS.

Comments

• Run MapUpdater, here for PC
  http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.exe
  or here for Mac
  http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.dmg
• Sorry, missed that bit as it's not in the body of your thread :oops:
  Go here http://software.garmin.com/en-GB/gcp.html and see if your plug in is working and detects your nuvi?
• Might also help to try another USB cord and/or USB port.

• 
  Go here http://software.garmin.com/en-GB/gcp.html and see if your plug in is working and detects your nuvi?

  i installed the garmin plug-in but once again when i plug in the nuvi nothing happens. the last time it worked was about a month ago when the nuvi said there was a map update. when i tried to install the maps it said there wasn't enough memory to load the map. so i got a memory card and put it in the slot on the side and now the nuvi can't be found by any garmin software. i've tried different usb ports and cords but nothing works. what the hell is wrong with this thing!!??
• This sounds like a hardware problem if your computer doesn't react in any manner to the GPS being plugged in At the very least you would expect a device driver missing message. When you plug in other devices does your computer respond properly? If so, it is likely the USB cable or the port on the GPS device is defective. Just to be sure do a hard reset of your device and try one more time.
• i plug in my nuvi and i click on My Computer and find it as USB Garmin storage device. the problem is that none of the Garmin map software finds the nuvi. this is on the same computer that i have used before with no problems.
  i tried to install the latest map update but got a message that the internal storage on the device didn't have enough space so i got a 4gb storage card. that was when i started having trouble, even without the microSDHC card installed in the slot. could this card be the problem? does it have to be formatted or something?
  thanks for the replies everybody :)
• Normally the SD card will come already formatted but just to be sure you can always format it again. Just insure that you format the card as FAT32. If you have the same problem whether the card is inserted in the Nuvi or not, I wouldn't think that the card is the problem however.

• Go here http://software.garmin.com/en-GB/gcp.html and see if your plug in is working and detects your nuvi?

  I'm still not clear if you simply think the plug in is installed or whether it's detecting your device, it will say if it does like this:
  Do you see the message saying Device is detected? If it's not being detected let us know.
• As a follow up to sussamb's post, if using Windows, make sure you have Windows Media Player 11 installed, it's a requirement.
  o Supports Windows XP SP3 and later.
  o Supports Internet Explorer 7+, Firefox 3.6+, Safari 5+, or Chrome 8+.
  o This download only supports Windows computers. For the Mac download of Garmin Communicator Plugin click here.
  o This software requires Windows Media Player 11 or greater (a free download from Microsoft).

• o This software requires Windows Media Player 11 or greater (a free download from Microsoft).

  What software are these requirements for? The Communicator plug-in? For Garmin Express, I see

  Windows
  Windows XP SP3 or newer, Microsoft .NET 4 Client Profile (included)
  1024 x 768 display, USB port and 1 GB RAM
  High speed Internet access (Not for use with dial-up, mobile or satellite connections)
  USB cable and a nüvi, zumo or dezl series device
  May require up to 13 GB free disk space

  Regardless, I don't get why on earth Windows Media Player would be required... :?: Oh well, that's Garmin for you!
• @SegZak
  Sorry, should have mentioned it was for the Communicaor Plugin V 4.0.4.0
  referenced in Sussamb's post. This is the latest version. I'm not sure if earlier versions had the Media Player 11 requirement.
  I agree why is Media Player 11 or above required, it is what it is from Garmin's standpoint.
  See specs here:
  http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3607
• I have 2 identical Garmin Nuvi 1390 LMTs. I have registered them both and was able to update the maps before. Now, one of them acts normal, updates etc.
  The 2nd one does exactly as Xray's does, it loads as an extra drive on my computer but none of the Garmin apps even can tell it's plugged in. I've worked back and forth with Garmin to try all the troubleshooting you guys have mentioned and they mentioned. Garmin apps just do not see the identical NUVI but sees the other one. This is very frustrating since I bought these specifically to not have to pay for new maps.
  Xray - did you find any answers that finally worked or did you just leave it like I did and retry every so often? :shock:
• I am having the same issues. Shows up in my computer, and recognized by GCP but will not load in Express. When I open express, it does appear that it sees a device, but never loads it. The orange swirling loading icon just stays there.
• I found my problem. Finally. I was looking at the garmin as a drive and did properties on it, it was totally full! Once I removed some of the languages I didn't need, the Garmin apps found it. There must not even have been enough room to run a program to see my Nuvi.
  Hallelujah!!

• I am having the same issues. Shows up in my computer, and recognized by GCP but will not load in Express. When I open express, it does appear that it sees a device, but never loads it. The orange swirling loading icon just stays there.

  Since there are many reports of problems with Garmin Express why not try using Garmin's MapUpdater as member sussamb posted earlier.
  I refuse to use Garmin Express until the bugs are worked out. I,ve never experienced a problem when using MapUpdater.
  Here is the link forum member sussamb posted for running MapUpdater (for PC):
  http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.exe
  For Mac
  http://download.garmin.com/lmu/GarminMapUpdater.dmg
  Let us know if it worked.
• MapUpdater is what i used in the first place. it worked about a week before i got the memory card. next time i plugged in my Nuvi the MapUpdater wouldn't work. that's when i downloaded Garmin Express but got the same results.
• @XrayTrain
  Could you answer my previous post, as without knowing your response to that we're shooting in the dark. Is the Plug-in installed and does it recognise your device :?

• @XrayTrain
  Could you answer my previous post, as without knowing your response to that we're shooting in the dark. Is the Plug-in installed and does it recognise your device :?

  It looks like he did have the Plug-in installed.
  'i installed the garmin plug-in but once again when i plug in the nuvi nothing happens.'
  
  MapUpdater is what i used in the first place.
  
  My apologies for suggesting Mapupdater, after re-reading all the posts I see XrayTrain did try that program and it failed.
  I think possibly your problem lies with your PC's operating system, have you tried tp disable your anti virus program?
• Oops, like you I missed part of one of his post, always the problem when someone else hijacks the thread :wink:
  I agree though, it sounds like maybe his AV or firewall could be blocking the download. The other thing he could try is to delete the GarminDevice.xml file in the Garmin folder, then reboot the nuvi so that that file is recreated. A corrupted xml file can also cause problems.
• I agree though, it sounds like maybe his AV or firewall could be blocking the download. The other thing he could try is to delete the GarminDevice.xml file in the Garmin folder, then reboot the nuvi so that that file is recreated. A corrupted xml file can also cause problems.
  Excellent suggestion on deleting the GarminDevice.xml file. Easy enough to do and no harm done if it's not the problem.
  I fogot to memtion to disable the firewall as you suggested, another good point.
  I use Eset Smart Security as my AV and firewall. I have the firewall set to manual, this enables me to control what programs or sites are trying to access my PC. In the beginning it's a bit time consuming since you must either permit or deny access, but once learned it remains in memory.
• Reading about this issue of the GarminDevice.xml file containing zero bytes, I found three possible fixes:

  
  
  1. Delete the file and reboot the Garmin device causing the file to be recreated
  
  
  2. Manually install a new version of the firmware
  
  
  3. Delete voice and text language files that you don't need freeing up space and restart the device
  
  

  Deleting the xml file and rebooting the device did not correct the issue.
  Garmin no longer provides firmware files outside of its unreliable web browser plugins or MapUpdater programs.
  So, before I called support, I decided to try deleting non-English text and voice files. My available space on the device went from 14MB to over 125Mb. I'm not sure how much was really needed, but when I restarted the device this time, GarminExpress immediately detected it correctly and correctly updated the firmware and maps.
  I had tried the fixes above on both Windows and Mac versions of the Garmin software with the same results. The Mac version worked correctly with my Nuvi 1450LM after deleting non-English files from Finder (Windows Explorer on a PC).
  -mdc
• 1. surprised this didn't work in your case as there was enough room on your GPS for the xml file, normally around 25Kb. It doesn't work if there isn't sufficient room even for the xml file.
  2. the files are available although Garmin doesn't publicise this or the location :wink:
  Note: MapUpdater only updates maps, not software, I suspect you meant WebUpdater
  3. always worth doing regardless of whether you wish to recreate the xml file :)
• I had this same problem: neither mapupdater, webupdater, nor garmin express would recognize my Garmin Nuvi 1450- I could see the device (correctly identified) in Windows Explorer, but the little whirligigs just kept turning-
  However, if you register your device with Garmin on their website and connect the device using the dashboard on the Garmin website, you then get an option to install updates to the SD card (if your device has one, which the 1450 does)- You can then go ahead and update your maps directly to the SD card with no problem-
  No idea why Garmin doesn't give the apps, such as mapupdater, webupdater, or garmin express, the option to select a device's SD card, but apparently (at this point) they can't or won't, but the web site updater - installer that you access through your online Garmin dashboard works just fine with SD cards-
• I had this problem today and spent an hour trying to figure out why I was having problems. When I deleted foreign language files and voice files to free up a LOT of space, my Garmin was identified right away by Garmin Express. Seems like this should be noted as a possible solution on the website!
• Had the same problem with my nuvi3590 it was on the computer but Garmin Express could not find it! Try taking out the micro SD and replug the nuvi back into the computer USB port, give it a minute to find itself and you should find it has been recognised, install the updated software first, then push back in your SD card (make sure it has enough free space) and then download your latest maps. It worked for me!
• edited March 2014

  i've tried everything and just said **** it. biggest reason i got one of these was the free lifetime map updates...which doesn't work. beware the word 'free'. what a waste of $250.
  [edit for inappropriate language -- mod]
• Try the tips here:
  http://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId={e908ee90-c6c1-11e1-dcef-000000000000}
• Finally got it to work.
  I was having the problem as most here, but I discovered on the initial plugin of the unit to my laptop in that pop up box that asks what you want to do if you click open a file, those funky hieroglyphs with 0 size must be removed, so I right clicked on the removable disk and formatted it, then unplugged and turned it off. Once I plugged it back in and started the WebUpdater, Shazzam!!!. All is well with the world again.
  Cheers
• I had a similar problem. Switched to a different USB cable and everything worked fine afterwards. Be sure to use the cable that came with the device, or any other high quality cable.
• Old thread I know but just wanted to confirm that deleting all unnecessary files also fixed the problem for me. The internal drive was totally full.
  Deleted non GB languages, and a few vehicles and so on.
  Re-tried the garmin express and it 'found' it straight away.
  Have to say that I'm not terribly impressed with Garmin for this pathetically minimal approach to device memory. Will seriously make me think when it comes to replacement.....
  Can I have my two hours back please Mr Garmin?
• Add a micro card to your nuvi and all will be well. Maps are increasing in size all the time, as are junctions covered by junction view etc. As for minimal memory, most phones, cameras etc require you to buy a card as well so the practice is hardly restricted to Garmin ;)

• As for minimal memory, most phones, cameras etc require you to buy a card

  More than 500 million iPhone owners might disagree with this. ;)
  I have always felt that Garmin was way too stingy with internal memory as well. But they are in a very competitive business where every dollar they save on hardware counts. And microSD cards are very inexpensive, so it's not that big of a deal.
  
• I did say most not all ;)
  And of course with iPhones you pay more upfront for more memory :D
• I have a very similar problem.
  My nuvi is recognized by Windows Explorer and also by the Garmin Communicator plugin.
  But not by the Garmin Express or by the WebUpdater.
  When I open the folders (TFAT and GARMIN) with Windows Explorer I see no files at all! All the files magically disppeared. So I have a lot of empty space :)
  Still don't know how to make this thing working...
  Do you have an idea what can help?
• Try the steps in this FAQ
  https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId=%7B9b0aa260-3f4b-11e4-eaba-000000000000%7D
• terrigrrl 0 Points
  April 2013 Flag
  I found my problem. Finally. I was looking at the garmin as a drive and did properties on it, it was totally full! Once I removed some of the languages I didn't need, the Garmin apps found it. There must not even have been enough room to run a program to see my Nuvi.
  Hallelujah!!
  Thank you Terrigrrl for the only answer which solved my problem of Windows recognizing the drive of the Nuvi, yet Garmin update would not recognize the drive. It is sad that the Garmin website fails to list your solution. Thanks again as your solution still is applicable over three (3) years later.
• I know that this is a very old thread, but I was having a very similar if not the same problem with my nuvi 2599 unit. Which has been going on for at least the last six months.
  My sat nav would be detected by Windows and I could see the internal and external storage.
  But Garmin Express would not detect the unit and neither would Map Updater. The latter would in fact crash out.
  I tried various fixes that I found all over the Internet. Nothing made a blind bit of difference.
  Tonight, I actually tried the only thing I had not done before which was to clear all user data and essentially factory reset the device.
  Yep, you guessed it, it didn't work...
  Then I looked more closely into what was stored on the internal drive. There was a little over 2Gb free of around 7Gb total space.
  But when I used treesize, there was a large discrepancy and I could only account for around a gigabyte of files.
  After changing MTP mode to file and setting hidden and system directories to be visible, I then found a .system directory on the internal storage. There were four files all starting with 'gma' dated the 2nd of February this year and these accounted for the majority of used space that I had previously been unable to see.
  I wondered if that last map update had perhaps not been totally successful and decided to move them out of the internal storage and put them onto the desktop of my PC. I've been in the computer game too long to just delete anything anymore...
  It took a few minutes to transfer the files.
  Then I took a deep breath and fired up Garmin Express.
  To my astonishment, the device was immediately detected and I am in the process of updating to the latest map!
  Unfortunately, it is estimating a couple of hours to download. Oh well.
  I will update this post afterward with the results, good or bad.
• I suspect that changing from MTP mode to mass storage mode is what solved the problem. This has been reported before, but only seems to be a problem with some computers. Many of us 'regular's' in the forum just leave our Garmin devices in mass storage mode all the time which may explain why we have never experienced this issue. In any case, I am glad you got it resolved.
• Well, it is completely updated and appears to be working...
  @alanb
  I had previously set the unit MTP mode to mass storage before and it did not make any difference. :)
  Removing all the gma*.* files from the internal storage within the .system directory was what allowed Garmin Express to actually recognise my device again and allow me to update my map(s) to the latest version.
  Thank you for the suggestion of leaving my device in mass storage mode, I think I shall do just that.
• That would make it seem like one of the map files you removed was corrupt. Out of curiosity, what are the names of the gmap* files you removed? Hopefully you didn't remove gmapbmap.img, as that is the base map and is not replaced by Garmin Express during a map update.
• I removed:
  gmapprom,img
  gmapprom,gma
  gmapprom,unl
  gmaptz.img
  TrafficProvider.xml
  Took these out because they all had the same datestamp of the last time I managed to successfully use Garmin Express...
  What can I say? I was getting desperate and took a calculated risk! :))
• That's basically your previous map and the unlock files plus the timezone map and the traffic data. No reason why those should have made a difference but at least you're up and running :)

• i plug in my nuvi and i click on My Computer and find it as USB Garmin storage device. the problem is that none of the Garmin map software finds the nuvi. this is on the same computer that i have used before with no problems.
  i tried to install the latest map update but got a message that the internal storage on the device didn't have enough space so i got a 4gb storage card. that was when i started having trouble, even without the microSDHC card installed in the slot. could this card be the problem? does it have to be formatted or something?
  thanks for the replies everybody :)

  Had same problem, here's my solution:
  When encountering errors such as 'No Map Data Available' and Garmin Express does not recognize your Garmin nuvi, check to see if your Garmin nuvi is out of storage space from your computer. Solution related to the fact that when brought up as the E: drive in windows there were 0 bytes free space on the Garmin nuvi. To get Garmin Express to recognize a unit which is full, do a search on the Windows Drive (E:) for 'gmap' then choose 'Open file location' This will get into the hidden '.system' directory. From there, delete the largest file map, such as 'gmapprom' (or move this file to your hard drive). Afterward, reboot your computer to have Garmin Express software recognize your Garmin nuvi. On older units, also purchase a microSDHC card to be able to store the newest maps, such as the US & Canada 2.6Gb map file, which will not fit on the internal unit alone or a 2Gb card. The Garmin Express software will recognize 4Gb to 32Gb microSDHC Class 10 or UHS-I cards formatted to FAT32 and install the newest maps automatically to them. Some have reported that 4Gb cards are not large enough. I had used a 16Gb SanDisk Ultra PLUS UHS-I card ($10.88 Walmart) successfully on my Garmin nuvi 1450LMT.

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The Garmin Nuvi 42LM is a navigational device. It is 5 inches wide, 3.1 inches tall, has a depth of 0.7 inches, and weighs only 5.27 ounces. It was manufactured by Garmin in 2013, but has been discontinued.

Unresponsive screen

The Garmin Nuvi freezes and becomes unresponsive.

If you turn on your device and the screen is not responding to your touch, it may be frozen. The first thing you will want to do is to restart your Garmin Nuvi 42LM. To restart, press and hold the lower right hand corner of the display portion of the touchscreen. Power on the device while continuing to hold the display. Remove your finger from the touchscreen when 'Erase all user data?' appears. If the Garmin Nuvi 42LM is not responding, you may have a problem with the LCD screen.

If your screen is not responding at all, you might need to replace it. Please reference our guide Garmin Nuvi 42LM Screen Replacement on how to replace your screen.

No sound playing

The speaker of the Garmin Nuvi 42LM does not produce desired sounds.

If the volume is not turning on the sound may be on mute. Make sure to turn the volume all the way down and then turn it all the way up by holding down the plus and minus button on the screen.

If the volume is not muted, there may be a problem with the speakers. The first thing you will want to do is to plug headphones into the headphone jack and see if you are getting any sound through them. If the sound is coming through the headphones and not the speakers, then there could be a problem with the speakers. If there is still no sound, the speakers may be broken and needs to be replaced. Please reference our guide Garmin Nuvi 42LM Speaker Replacement on how to replace your speakers.

Unresponsive device

Your Garmin Nuvi 42LM will not turn on.

If your Garmin Nuvi 42LM is not turning on, try to press and hold down the power button for several seconds. If it still does not turn on, try to plug your device into a computer or wall to see if the battery may be at fault. If the light on the charging cord is lit once plugged in, that indicates that the battery needs charging. However, if the device is still not turning on, the battery or the motherboard might need to be replaced.

If the screen is not responding to touch, the device may not have enough power to function properly. Recharge the battery and try again. If the battery does not charge it may need to be replaced. Please reference our guide Garmin Nuvi 42LM Battery Replacement on how to replace your battery.

If the device is not turning on, the motherboard may be at fault and should be replaced. Please reference our guide Garmin Nuvi 42LM Motherboard Replacement Guide on how to replace your motherboard.

If the device is not charging, the USB port may be broken. This is the connector for the battery to charge. Please refer to our USB replacement guide on how to replace the USB port.

Software Display problems

Your Garmin will not display uploaded maps.

Garmin Nuvi Mac Software

Garmin Nuvi Mac

If there is a problem with the display of the map, you should make sure that the map has been installed correctly. Connect Garmin Nuvi 42LM with your computer -> go to My Computer on Windows or Finder on Mac -> select Garmin Nuvi drive -> double click on the Map Folder (if you can’t find the Map Folder, it means the map hasn’t been uploaded correctly and you should refer to the installation instructions to upload the maps). If the Map Folder is there, the file gmap-supp.img or gmapsupp.img should appear, meaning that the map has been installed correctly. However, the existing road map should be turned off for it to display correctly. If map still does not want to be displayed on the device, it may be the manufacturing problem and you should contact Garmin Ltc.