Just got the Garmin etrex 30 and can't load maps. . .

[jamato8]

from this site. I did get Arizona to load and it works fine but going through the same procedure, I can't get Calif. or Nev to load (topos). I don't understand why I could load the Arizona map but not the others.

I use the map install and it takes some time, indicating that the map is being loaded to the etrex but then I can not find the map as it is not listed with the others and again, what is frustrating, is that I use the same procedure that worked fine for the Arizona map.

[Seldom]

The normal problem folks have is that the last map uploaded overwrites the prior upload.  That happens because they don't rename the gmapsupp.img on the GPSr, before they upload a second gmapsupp.img.

But it sounds like you uploaded Arizona first, and then couldn't upload California or Nevada, but California stays there?  Just a guess, but if I described your problem correctly, I'd check to see that California isn't write protected, and that there is enough room for the subsequent maps. 

Are you loading the maps into internal memory or a card?  Try connecting your GPSr to a computer in Mass Storage Mode and look in the Garmin folder on the card or internal memory.

[maps4gps]

Seldom - I do not understand what you are refering to in 'I'd check to see that California isn't write protected ...'.  What is a write protected mapset? 

[Seldom]

I don't know how it would occur, but I assume it's possible to write protect any file.  If gmapsupp.img was write protected, that would explain why the OP couldn't overwrite it, which seems to be the problem the OP's having.

(OOPs!, I should have said to check if Arizona was write protected.  That's the one that loaded successfully.)

[maps4gps]

Thanks Seldom; I understand and agree with that.

[jamato8]

The other maps show up on the Garmin Map manager as ready to go. They are the same as the Arizona map that does work. I try and load any of them and the time seems right, 10 or 15 minutes to load to the unit but nothing is there.

[Seldom]

Where are you loading the maps to?
Have you tried renaming the Arizona gmapsupp.img?
Have you done any of the other things I suggested above?  Can't eliminate possible causes unless we have more info.

[jamato8]

The Arizona map is in the Current folder on the etrex as a .gpx. Are you supposed to rename maps? In the Garmin map manager it shows all the maps as unlocked.

I am loading the maps to the internal memory. The maps are named, .gmap

[Seldom]

The Arizona map is in the Current folder on the etrex as a .gpx. Are you supposed to rename maps? In the Garmin map manager it shows all the maps as unlocked.

I am loading the maps to the internal memory. The maps are named, .gmap

That is DEFINITELY the wrong extension and folder. The Current folder is for GPX files (Tracks and Waypoints).  Maps should be in the Garmin folder.  All maps on the Etrex should have an .IMG extension.

You should be loading the maps from the MapInstall app in BaseCamp.  See this tutorial:
http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/how-to-load-maps-on-my-garmin-gps-unit/

What OS are you using, and how did you load the maps?

[jamato8]

I am using Map install on my Mac OS 10.6.8.

I found the gmapsupp.img on the Garmin and there is a couple of files like this. I would guess that one is Arizona but no other .img files that I would assume would have been Nevada or California, which I have tried to load are there as two .img files came with the unit.

[Seldom]

I use a PC, but what goes on inside the Etrex should be the same.

IMG files should be in the Garmin folder.  My Etrex30 has a gmapbmap.img and a gmaptz.img.
The gmapsupp.img should be there too if you load your maps to internal memory. 

How much free internal memory do you have, and how big is the total of the maps you are sending?

With the problems you are having you should back up the contents of your Etrex.  I also recommend that you start sending your maps to a microSD card.

[jamato8]

I don't understand the memory of the etrex. There is over a gig left but when it load a map, or shows it will, there is 1750mb. So I do have room for maps on the internal memory and I have the same three file names you indicated. I don't know how big for sure the files are but it indicates how much room they will take before they are actually loaded and there is still plenty of mb's left.

I haven't used a GPS since 1999 in northern Chile. This is a lot different. I like the abilities of the unit but I don't find it that easy to use or understand and the manual that is supposed to be loaded on the unit to view on my computer, can't be found. I also find it frustrating that I can't get these maps to load, having used the identical process to load Arizona but no others will load. I am glad I bought it at REI, as I can always take it back but I wanted to use it in my work and I don't feel like dishing out an addition 100 dollars for each map group from Garmin.

[Seldom]

Somebody with a Mac is going to help you from now on.  When you send maps to the GPSr, it should create a gmapsupp.img.  If you haven't renamed the gmapsupp.img to something like Arizona.img it MapInstall should overwrite the file, so the only map to show would be California, or Nevada, whichever you sent second.  For some reason that's not happening.

MicroSD cards are pretty cheap, around 8 USD for 8 GB.  Might be worth getting one and seeing what happens if you send your maps to that.

Also, you need to understand that there's a difference between "locked" and write protected.  Locked files  are proprietary files that are locked  to a single GPSr as part of Garmin's copy protection system.  Write protected files (at least on a PC) have a write protection attribute set so they can't be overwritten without re-setting that attribute to permit overwriting.

[jamato8]

Well I don't know what else to do. I guess I could get extra memory but that should not be an issue as I only have one topo loaded. Too bad. Very frustrating.

[Indrid Cold]

Seeing that you are using a Mac, have you emptied the trash? Older data might have been sent to the trash and is still protected on the device.