Nuvi 200 Information Series - Firmware Updates
I have recently noticed an overwhelming number of people coming to this blog who are searching for information on the Garmin Nuvi 200 units (or 2xx series which, in South Africa, includes the 200, 200W, 200 Pink and the 250W). Searches are being done for everything from map updates, firmware updates, settings, how to use the units, loading POI’s and speed traps on to the units all the way down to the occasional person with a problem with a Nuvi 2xx series unit.
I have therefore decide to run a series of (short) posts covering specifically the Nuvi 200 units. In this first post I would like to talk about the Nuvi 200 update process (which is something that I have previously written about but, since the information is continually changing, this post can be regarded as an update to my earlier post).
Generally, the Garmin Nuvi update process is very simple and at the moment (remember that this could change again at any time), Garmin have decided to only use one method of updating the firmware on the Nuvi 2xx series units and that is by using the WebUpdater program.
All other Garmin units, including the rest of the Nuvi range, can either be updated by using the WebUpdater option or by manually downloading the update file from the “Updates and Downloads” section on the Garmin.com website.
WebUpdater is a small (4.31MB) program that is downloaded for free (download WebUpdater here) to your PC. The program is then run from your desktop (with your GPS receiver attached to your PC) and will automatically pick up the GPS receiver attached to your PC. It will then connect to the relevant update file on the Internet and download it directly to your unit as shown in the steps below:
Step 1: Connect your GPS receiver to your PC and open the program. Click Next.
Step 2: The program automatically searches for updates for itself.
Step3: Wait for the program to find your GPS receiver connected to your PC. Click Next.
Step 4: The program will find the correct update files for your unit and show the relevant details. Click Next.
Step 5: Not relevant for all updates but if there are any warning messages regarding the update, this will be displayed. Click Next.
Step 6: The program will show a “change history” and list all improvements included in the update. Click Next.
Step 7: The obligatory Software License Agreement. Tick the “I agree to the above terms” box and the Next button will become available. [Note: Please take note of the last two sentences... "Please do not unplug the Garmin device during the update. You will not be able to cancel once the update starts". If this process is interrupted, there is a good chance that your GPS receiver will be corrupted and will have to be returned to your local Garmin Tech Center for repairs]. Click Next.
Step 8: The program will now download the update file directly to your GPS receiver. Don’t touch anything.
Step 9: The program will confirm the successful update and offer to check for any additional updates such as voice file updates, Bluetooth updates (for those units with Bluetooth capability), new vehicle icons etc. This is optional and you can either click Next to continue with this or simply click Cancel to close the program.
Step 10: If you chose to continue, the program will find all the additional updates, icons, language options etc and display them.
Step 11: Select which items you want downloaded or updated on your unit and then click Next.
Step 12: WebUpdater will download these additional items directly to your GPS receiver. Don’t touch anything.
Step 13: The WebUpdater program will confirm success. Click Finish to close the program.
Step 14: You will now have to unplug your Garmin Nuvi 200 receiver from your PC and let it reboot itself. Please do not touch anything on the GPS until the unit has completed the reboot process and is back at your normal start page (on a Nuvi, this would be your “Where To” page). This can sometimes take a while depending on the size and complexity of the various updates that were downloaded. [Note: Some models will not reboot automatically when unplugged from the PC, they will simply switch off. If this is the case (give it a minute or two to make sure), just switch the unit back on and then leave it to run through the reboot process.]
Congratulations, you have just completed the Nuvi update process. I hope this helps and please leave a comment below…
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Hi! Thanks for the article on Firmware updates.
I take it that this does not update the maps?
I bought a 200W in April, and would like to update to the 2008 maps. Is this a big issue on the 200/200W, or does one just get another flashdisk? I’m just scared I’ll render the whole thing unusable if I write to the unit.
Tks in advance
Steve
Hi Steve
Take a look at my post on How to update to the new Garmap 2008 maps for more information regarding updating to the latest maps.
I just got my Nuvi 200 and went to update the firmware. It starts the installation but then stops stating there is not enough disk space. It’s right out of the box and I haven’t added anything to it. Has anyone ran into this problem?
I had the same problem. From what I have found, you will actually have to free up some of the internal memory. What I decided to do is move files from the unit that I would never use such as the voice files from about 50 different languages. I kept the four english files and moved the other 50 or so to a folder on my desktop. Connect the garmin to the PC. Go into “My Computer”. Go into the “Garmin” drive. Go into the “Garmin” folder. Go into the Voice” folder. Find the files that are expendable and move them into a new folder off of the Garmin or onto an SD card. Keep in mind that once they come off the Garmin, I don’t think they can be put back on, so ONLY REMOVE THE VOICES THAT YOU WILL NOT USE. This freed up just over 37MB, and that is all you need to complete the update. Hope this helps -Ry
My nuvi 200W seems to have lost it memory; it shows only major roads and the vehicle is often slightly of the road.
Also, how do you connect the unit to the computer.
Thanks.
Hi Howard
This sound like it could be the memory card that has somehow been corrupted. If you have the maps on PC (i.e. you have already converted from a “Plug-and-Play” user to a “Mapsource” user), then you can simply reload the maps onto your unit again. If not, then I would suggest contacting your dealer for assistance.
Also, try doing a firmware update on the unit (AS PER THE ABOVE POST) to correct the “vehicle slightly off the road” issue (specifically the chipset update).
Lastly, a simple USB cable will connect your unit to your PC.
I just recently had a similar problem with my NUVI 200w. I turned the unit on, like I have done hundreds of times before, and it seemed as though I had just taken it our of the box for the first time. It asked me to choose my specific time zone, language, etc. Worst of all was that all of my “recently found” and saved “favorites” were GONE! It was as though the unit had never been used before.
Any hints on what could have happened?
Thanks
I have the issue where my system seems to not want to detect my 200w properly.
Any suggestions?
Hi Mikey
First thing to do would be to try another USB port on your PC as some devices tend to “tie up” a port (camera’s and printers are notorious for doing this). When this happens, your unit may well be listed as an external hard drive in Windows Explorer but you will not be able to communicate with the unit via any software program. If you do not have any other open USB ports on your PC, ask your IT guy to clear your assigned port.
If that doesn’t work then what PC operating system are you using and does the “PC” icon appear on the screen of your Nuvi when it is connected? Also, are you trying to connect from MapSource or from another program like Webupdater?
does my nuvi 200 have the functionality to display speed trap points in SA and does the web updater installs this firmware or update upon connection,any advice will suffice.
kind regards
Hi Deepstar
Yes, the Nuvi 200 can be loaded with the speed traps in SA but it is not the WebUpdater program that handles this, it is the POI Loader program. Please see this website for instructions on downloading the POI Loader program as well as the speed trap database itself.
My nuvi 200 is constantly updating firmware about every 3 seconds. Also on maps it shows the whole USA and puts me in Kansas- I am in Iowa. I tried to up date on my computer but when I plug it in it just shows and icon that is hooked to the computer- I can’t actually do anything with it. Help if you can.
Hi Janet
You have three issues.
Starting with the last one - When you connect a Nuvi unit to a PC, it goes into “mass storage mode”. This means that you will not be able to access any functions directly on the GPS itself. The Nuvi is seen by your PC as an external hard-drive and this mode allows you to access the file structure of the Nuvi from your PC (but no navigation functions).
Secondly - When switched on (but before acquiring GPS signal), the unit will always show the last position that it actually had GPS signal reception. If the unit is new (out of the box) you will need to take it outside and allow it to acquire a signal before it will show you where you are on the screen. At the moment it is showing it’s last known position (probably when it was tested at the Garmin (Kansas) distribution center before it was shipped.
Thirdly - If it is indeed trying to update firmware every couple of seconds, it could be a corrupted firmware update (the unit is in an endless loop) or it is being interrupted before it can complete an update. Switch it on and leave it to complete the process by itself (do not touch anything until it is finished). If that doesn’t work, connect the unit to your PC and run the WebUpdater program on your PC to try and update the firmware again. If all else fails, return the unit to your closest Garmin dealer for testing and repair.
I have downloaded Webupdater and upgraded the Nuvi 200 to version 5.00, my specific question is, off late I have seen the new garmin 200 and both the zoom keys are to the top right corner of the screen and there is a new feature called ‘Where am I ?’ now the older ones have the zoom keys on both the sides of the screen, how do I get the new ‘Where am I feature ?’ which lists the nearest address when in an emergency, it also shows elevation, its unfair because Garmin Webupdate does not update the garmin 200 to include these features..
Hi David
To my knowledge, none of the Nuvi 200 units (200 and 200W) have the “Where am I” feature. Not even the latest ones.
The Nuvi 205 and 205W units do indeed have this feature but these units are different to the Nuvi 200 and 200W units. The Nuvi 215 and 215W are also different again to any of the previously mentioned units (as are the Nuvi 250, 255, 260, 265, 270 and 275 units which are only available overseas).
No matter how hard you try, a firmware update is not going to upgrade your Nuvi 200 into a Nuvi 205 or even a Nuvi 215 (just as an engine service will not upgrade your VW Beetle into a VW Polo
)
This is where you are wrong a friend of mine has a 200w that has the appearence of a 205
Hello MadMapper,
Get your facts right, before you talk about lame things like Beetle to Polo, I have personally used a new garmin 200 and the feature exists (sorry to say your knowledge is outdated, try and upgrade it ). The new 200’s have this feature plus a new colour scheme(theme) the zoom keys are both together, easily avaliable now on the right side of the screen, here in RSA. Try Game/Makro ask for the new 200 with the Micro SD slot and you will see the differece! So try and provide the right answers not go into denial saying that this aint avaliable in South Africa but only overseas..
Hi David
Indeed you are correct and thank you for pointing that out. Unfortunately I can only work with the information I have at hand and, since I don’t work for Garmin (and I cannot open every sealed unit that passes through my hands), I can only go on the information that Garmin gives to their dealers. Thus my opening disclaimer in my comment “To my knowledge” (Garmin SA have not informed their dealers of any of these changes).
Garmin USA have in fact, changed the Nuvi 200 units several times now. One of those changes caused about two weeks of confusion here in SA when they changed the SD Card slot on the unit to a MicroSD card slot without even informing their sole distributors in SA (Avnic Trading also known as “Garmin SA”). Also, if you do a comparison on the Garmin.com website between the Nuvi 200 and the Nuvi 205 (as I did when you originally posed your question), you will see that even they still state that the 205 has the “Where am I” feature whilst the 200 does not. So, we live and learn.
Whilst the purpose of this blog is for me to provide knowledge and information to those less informed than myself, I do realise that the best information can only come from the large base of GPS users themselves, which is why I not only allow but actively request comments, from readers like yourself, on all my posts. I do apologise if my reply to your comment was seen/taken as being a bit “snotty”. It was not meant as such but rather to be “tongue in cheek”, which is why I used the
icon at the end of it.
To answer your original question, maybe Garmin USA will provide a future update with these new changes and maybe they won’t, we will just have to wait and see. I seriously doubt that there are any “people of influence” (within Garmin) who are reading this blog so maybe an e-mail directly to Garmin USA, with your suggestion for these changes to be included in the next update, would be more effective in initiating this change.
Regards
Mark (MadMapper)
Hi Mark,
My apologies too, for seeming a bit rude, thanks if you as a dealer can get this implemented in a future update or do you think taking it to a dealer can help? As I think this cant be done on a update, maybe a EPROM flash is required? I am not sure about this, do let me know, or maybe a hardware layout in the new Garmin 200 has been upgraded to facilitate a new GUI the icons, fonts and even the help files are new, so its not just a update file thats required I think, I guess only Garmin can prove me wrong if they ever come out with an update to swank the older ones to feel like new 200’s. Meanwhile is it possible for us to have a solution here?
Thanks for explaining what was apparently beyond Garmin’s ability to do on their website.
Hi Mark.
First of all, great web site!
I just bought a Nuvi 200 here in the U.S. - a pink model, as requested by my mother as a Christmas present. All literature I read everywhere that this model had an SD slot for adding more maps and such.
Receiving the unit, I noticed the hole for the memory card is way too small. Are these units using Micro SD now, instead of regular SD?
I just ordered a regular SD card for this unit… Nowhere, really, did Garmin state what kind of SD card it is, just “SD.”
I guess I’m writing this more as a heads-up to the next person coming here to look for info on that as a question, but thanks anyway for the great, informative site!
Hi Danny
Thank you and yes, the Nuvi 200 Pink is essentially the same unit as the normal Nuvi 200 and Garmin apparently made a few changes to the hardware layout a while back without informing anyone (which included a change from the SD card to a MicroSD card slot). In fact, on their website, their specifications sheet for the Nuvi 200 still states that it has the normal SD card slot. Unfortunately, apart from the Garmin.com website, not many of the dealer websites have been updated with this information either.
The unit which has either SD or a Micro SD card doesnt make a difference, because Garmin have bundled an addon adapter for the Micro SD card which when inserted in to the SD adapter card, can be used on other Garmin models which have SD slots, so I dont know whats the above post and its eventual reply aim at clarifying,(Garmin arent famouns for doing a great job of updating their vendors, but hey, atleast their website features the changes) the functionality doesnt change either ways just wondering why one wants to order a unit with an SD card slot when it has no advantage over a micro SD slot..however if you would like to install your previous maps into the new micro cards(to use on the new Garmin models with micro SD slots) just use Garmin MapInstall, which can be found at:
w ww8.garmin.com/software/MapInstall_3121.exe
So please think before posting as it may stir confusion among new buyers..
Hi Evan
Thank you for your support and your comment. You are quite correct in saying that whether the Nuvi 200 has a SD card slot or a MicroSD card slot, it has no bearing on the units functionality. However, the point that was being made is that the information given to the buyer, by Garmin and by their vendors, is incorrect. The Garmin.com website does not reflect the new hardware layout changes and neither does the Garmin.co.za website. Both websites still incorrectly state that the Nuvi 200 has an SD card slot.
And due to this incorrect information, some new Nuvi 200 owners have gone out and purchased an SD memory card (not a MicroSD card in an SD adapter) to load other map products onto (like the Tracks4Africa maps), only to find that the unit actually now has a MicroSD card slot and that their new SD card is too big to fit into the smaller slot.
You also cannot simply copy the files on a preloaded Garmap detailed map memory card across to another memory card of any kind. The preloaded cards are protected to prevent copying (software piracy). You have to purchase the Garmap DVD, load and unlock the maps onto a PC first, and then (using the MapSource program that is also included on the DVD) transfer them to your own memory card. You can read about this process here.
I have also disabled the link that you provided in your comment to the Garmin MapInstall software download as this is exactly the type of information which creates confusion. MapInstall cannot be used as you described. If you read the Notes on the Garmin.com webpage for MapInstall you will see that it states “WARNING: This software will not work unless you already own a MapSource product”. Because a Plug-and-Play user (i.e. a Nuvi owner) does not have the MapSource program already loaded to their PC, this MapInstall software is therefore useless to them (remember that Nuvi owners only receive a memory card with the detailed maps preloaded onto it and not the Garmap DVD with the detailed maps and the MapSource program).
My URL was suggestive to users who when outside their home countries want to upload maps onto their Garmin units can use this software (MapInstall) obviously if you want to install the maps you should buy it and go thru the registration process for MapSource, (also if you read my post carefully it says “your previous maps” which means if you had already bought and activated other maps than the one that come loaded with the unit)
That apart I would advise buyers not to go ahead and buy SD or Micro SD cards before actually getting possession of their units,(Buyer Beware!) because technology keeps evolving, a week after me buying my Garmin 200, the company came out with the updated variant, so I cant complain, and ask Garmin for a refund or exchange of the model.. so as I said before, think before you buy and do check with more than one vendor.Because all of them are not current with their knowledge of even what is avaliable with their manufacturers..
Hi,
I have 4 Garmin Nuvi 200s. They were purchased a year apart with the the 2 newer model being purchased recently.
The 2 newer models has a very nice user interface, a trip log and some other features.
Even though the 2 older models has software version 5.00 loaded, I can’t seem to get it to have the same features and user interface as the new ones.
Have you/anyone had any experience with this and/or know how to get these features loaded on my older models.
Thanks,
J-fred
Hi,
indeed.. recently i’ve got new nuvi 200 in italy.
And yes, it has micro SD.. but more interesting, that it is 4.6 latest firmware.
and if you check your HWID.. in GarminDevice.xml.. ypu will find PartNumber>006-B0851-00.. so HWID 0851. The same HWID is correspond to NUVI 205. Si i could be just a economic version of 205.. for example the difference i can see in the shop was the map preloaded. 200-italy only, 205 - all europe. And the color of the unit.