Thread: DNX 7260BT no NAV, garmin module memory wiped, cannot access garmin module

You may need to bear with me as i attempt to assist you with this because i'm going to be "learning on the job" to some degree, being as I'm not particularly experienced with Kenwood units. Here's my understanding and assessment of your situation at present:

• The 7260BT works other than the Garmin navi, which when selected shows only a black screen with no writing or symbols.
• You in fact do have preboot mode available. That's evidenced by the fact of when its connected to your computer via a USB cable, "GARMIN Devices" appears in Device Manager (If you were to click on the GARMIN Devices entry to expand it, like "inne urzadzenia" [other devices] shows expanded below it, that will list the DNX) however in preboot it cannot be browsed normally in Windows File Explorer like if it was in Mass Storage Mode).
• If it stays in preboot mode indefinitely as i suspect it does (i.e. It doesn't disappear from Device Manager spontaneously after a set period, usually that's from 10 to 60 seconds depending on device type for a healthy device which has been intentially and manually put into preboot) that strongly indicates the main system software is missing or incomplete in region 14 (hex 0x0E).

So if you don't have to manually enter preboot mode, i.e. it's constantly available and stays shown in Device Manager as mused above, then rather than the entire Kenwood device being "bricked" requiring a hardware intervention to facilitate a repair, only the Garmin software is malfunctioning and in all likelihood that's due to faulty/missing firmware. Therefore, if the above info is correct, it's likely only "soft-bricked" and the fix may be as easy as simply re-flashing the fw as an RGN file using Updater.exe. That should overwrite and/or rewrite any missing fw data to specific regions of the flash memory. That process includes replacing the file img_rsrc.gir which is required to display images - it's contained in the GCD or RGN fw file, in a compressed file named pk_file66.zip. That ZIP file's loaded to the device like other fw BIN files are loaded to regions, however in the case of that ZIP it's loaded to region 66 and then likely auto-extracted following a successful boot cycle to write img_rsrc.gir and a folder "Langs" (containing all required Language GLR files) to the device's Garmin folder. The GIR file contains 1,585 symbols/icons in PNG and BMP format required to properly display those on-screen as required during normal operation.

Keeping in mind that i cannot try out any procedure beforehand that any suggestions i make and any files i supply will be entirely at your risk if you make use of them. I have no reason to suspect that anything i do or recommend will make your device worse and will use caution as if the device was my own property. On that basis and agreeing this disclaimer also applies to any further posts of mine here, i've attached below a kit for you to flash the latest fw in preboot. Look behind the Spoiler:

Spoiler: Click

• Download this [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] file and extract it to find 115501000431.rgn and Updater.exe, have them somewhere convenient on your computer, the Desktop is fine for this temporary operation.
• Drag the RGN file onto Updater.exe to open its GUI.
• Select the radio button for "USB Device" on the GUI.
• Connect the powered unit to your laptop/PC and watch for its details to be populated in the panel to the right of USB Device in Updater's GUI.
• Click "OK" button on the GUI or hit Enter on the computer keyboard to start the flash.

There may be no obvious change to the device's screen while the flash happens or even immediately after Updater (hopefully) reports a "success" message. If it does report success, leave the device connected. It should soon spontaneously start to boot and enter Mass Storage Mode, then its File System will be visible in File Explorer, and it'll appear under Disk Management in Windows.

If the flash fails, please take a screenshot of Updater's error message and post it. Don't worry if it does fail, we have more to try including flashing a modified Cure fw to re-enable MSM allowing removal of some likely-corrupt files. Further action will depend on what you report back should Updater fail.

No problem mate , it's a new experience for me also.

Okay after trying yesterday and making the pre boot wired for it to be manually set into preboot nothing changed ,
What we know , I added the preboot wires and if I don't connect them then I cannot program the board using the update.exe
Also , I will be trying your kit when I get home , as I'm not in home as of writing this.

Also from my testing I can change the SW Ver in the test mode , nothing else changes , I followed ORAK's guide from multiple post stating that I need to make it into preboot then program it using rgn file and reset the unit using the small triangle after following it's still soft bricked the garmin module , no sign of letting me into MSM also tried cure to just get into MSM unconditionally and to remove the files and move working img_rsrc.gir into the memory to make it work but at this moment I'm stuck where the update says that it successfully programed , I reset it and remove preboot wire connection and I reset it again and it's still showing black screen in the nav app

It shows in the updater that the boards software is 4.00 while in the test mode it was 4.30 , after uploading the rgn it did change to 4.31

The image shows a black screen with a navbar at the lower part screen with my music , no reaction from nav, I'm adding this info if the image host deletes the image or link dies

PS. You are correct with your assessment beside the fact that the "garmin devices" shows nevertheless if the module is in preboot or not , it is showing always . But! If it's in preboot the updater can see it , and if it's not in preboot then it cannot see it

P.S 2 I will try to archive the files for anyone who comes across this problem again , also Dnx7260bt is the same as Dnx9260bt

Spoiler: image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Those are all the photos I took while doing the process

Spoiler: image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

You may have misunderstood what i said about preboot or perhaps i didn't make it clear enough. A device in preboot can (or should) be seen in both Windows Device Manager (expanded under GARMIN Devices) and by Updater.exe's GUI next to "USB Device". Your pic in Post #1 shows Device Manager, with a Garmin device connected. Then in Post #3 your lower pic shows Updater.exe flashing V4.00 fw to "AVN4.1/5.1" (which is describing a KW DNX 7x60 or 9x60 device). So that's indicating preboot is attainable. However ....It's unclear to me what you mean exactly by this:

It shows in the updater that the boards software is 4.00 while in the test mode it was 4.30 , after uploading the rgn it did change to 4.31

Which RGN file did you upload - mine or some other? Have you tried to flash V4.31 fw previously? If so, post a copy of it or a link to that RGN please.

Also please absolutely confirm or otherwise the 3rd bullet point in my previous post regarding preboot being available without you having to manually manipulate anything. I think you mean by the following that when connected it always shows in Device Mngr without you doing anything but i need to be sure:

PS. You are correct with your assessment beside the fact that the "garmin devices" shows nevertheless if the module is in preboot or not , it is showing always . But! If it's in preboot the updater can see it , and if it's not in preboot then it cannot see it

Do you mean you have to manually engage preboot for it to be seen by Updater but it's seen by Dev Mngr regardless of preboot mode (i.e., if it's just plugged in). If so, that seems contradictory.

Do you mean you have to manually engage preboot for it to be seen by Updater but it's seen by Dev Mngr regardless of preboot mode (i.e., if it's just plugged in). If so, that seems contradictory.

yes , the image with device manager shows what is showing when the preboot (wires)ISN'T connected

The image with updater shows it when it is CONNECTED(the preboot wires)

Which RGN file did you upload- mine or some other? Have you tried to flash V4.31 fw previously? If so, post a copy of it or a link to that RGN please

.
I flashed garmin's original file from their site where you can download the update.gcd it's impossible to flash ORAK's gcd as it's unavailable.
I will edit this comment and add link to the rgn from garmins site when I get home.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Also please absolutely confirm or otherwise the 3rd bullet point in my previous post regarding preboot being available without you having to manually manipulate anything. I think you mean by the following that when connected it always shows in Device Mngr without you doing anything but i need to be sure:

Let me start with this from start , before connecting preboot wires it shows up in device manager for few seconds and disconnects, as so on
But when I connect the preboot wires it shows the same thing but it doesn't disconnect right after few seconds but after like around ~2min

However ....It's unclear to me what you mean exactly by this (then my quote about sw Ver )

:
so , you can enter in a test mode src+att+reset[red traingle](Please do not be influenced by the photo that the board is damaged, I took the photo because it was one time it was disconnected because of my bad work connecting the tape connectors)

Spoiler: image

where you can see info about the versions and status of the unit , and in that mode you can check what version the navi board is , and before doing anything it was 4.30, and after using the updater it was changed to 4.31 , and here's the thing with the updater , as I've seen in the ORAK's comment , it showed the current version of the navi board , but in my situation it doesn't show the navi version that is currently but rather the version that was originally when the unit was sold

EDIT
im in home and checking the files you sent me and theyre the same that i used

Spoiler: image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

IMPORTANT PART 2
After uploading your file it did change in the dev mgr to this.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
But even after it changing to this i still cannot access MSM

this comment will continue with a video when i edit it and make corrections

Spoiler: Video

Thanks for that, it's totally clear now what's happening with preboot in your DNX. Whether that's typical Kenwood behaviour or not where the device is listed in Device Manager regardless of being powered on i don't know. It would certainly be considered quirky for a normal Garmin device. They're neither seen in Updater nor device manager unless powered on while manually placed in preboot. The only exception to that is if region 14 is empty or corrupt where the device will default (i.e. fail-over automatically) to preboot mode without user input. That's why i suspected your device may already be in preboot and may be indicating that it had incomplete or damaged fw_all data in rgn 14.

The two RGN files do appear to have the same boot.bin and fw_all.bin, in size at least, however your RGN doesn't have pk_files_6605.zip included like mine does. My next suggestions were to be (i) to remove the zip from section 2 of RGN_Tool and save just boot.bin and fw.all.bin as an RGN - but you've already tried that; then (ii) try kunix's QuickCure3 to re-enable MSM, then if that fails (iii) make proper specific Cure3 fw, also without the zip - but it seems that didn't work for you to restore MSM either. It's of mild concern that my file with PK zip included didn't fail with an Updater error message about not being able to program the region. Despite any message indicating it's finished successfully there may in fact be some damage to the module's flash memory where some or all memory regions in reality cannot properly be flashed or accessed. Because on careful reading of the other thread, Updater should fail with that error if the PK zip is kept in the RGN file flashed to a soft-bricked device.

I'd try the Quickcure now, on the off-chance it works: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. The Quickcure RGN contains only a modified universal boot.bin, nothing else. It's not firmware or HWID dependent at all, and it doesn't work for all Garmin devices but it's worth a shot and can't damage anything because nothing is really permanently flashed to the unit, it just attempts to interrupt and stall the normal boot process before any corrupt files can be loaded, in exactly the same way a tailored Cure3 "device-specific" fw intends doing, but by using an entirely different approach.

Same procedure: Extract the ZIP above and drag the RGN onto Updater.exe, etc.... you know the drill for that DNX's preboot better than me i think .

If QC doesn't work then try Cure3 fw again without the PK zip file. I've made one made freshly from my RGN in Post #2, without the second section PK zip and with only boot.bin and fw_all.bin saved into the RGN then loaded that into kunix's Cure3 application to make the RGN below. Of course it may be that it's the same as the cure file you made yourself but it's worth trying this one if QC didn't work: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Good luck.

Its pretty late for me to try it. I will try it tomorow and i will post the results in this comment . If the anwer will be corrupted NAND chip then i will go to a service to get them switched for working ones and then i will resume the attempts.
Here are the files i have so far for other people stumbling on this post

Spoiler: image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Well, it's not so simple as just replacing the NAND flash chip. It has to then be programmed with the (secret) Garmin proprietary OS before it can work. Outside Garmin (who won't take devices for direct repair), it'll be very difficult to find someone near you who has both the required reprogramming kit and special skills to do that.

Garmin does offer a replacement "one-for-one, like-for-like" on many recent devices however i don't know if they exchange KW GPS modules. They used to charge around US$200 + shipping i think for exchanging portable devices, so it might not be worth the expense even if they'll do a module swap or sell you a new programmed one.

Anyway, just hope it's not got a physically damaged flash and keep trying software solutions before looking at hardware repairs as a last resort. Unfortunately, because i don't have access to a similar DNX xx60BT i cannot experiment using any suggestions before passing to you. Regardless i'm pretty much out of ideas anyway now without getting hold of a similar device. You seem to have mastered the procedure for flashing via Updater in preboot and resetting as laid out in the old thread so if neither QC3 or Cure3 works now to get it into MSM i don't have any more to offer.

If you get a bit more hands-on experience, you might end up as our resident KW guru. Now that there's no posts in the forum lately by the much-valued expert members ORAK, kunix, Lolypop000, Alexander2010 et al. we seem to need someone to fill the gap. I'm sure if one of them or someone else with specific KW experience saw this and answered in this thread, they'd be of far more help than me.

well the secret OS changes my priorities as i thought it would just be swap and go , but i could send the unit to one of our god like IT youtubers from poland who has the tools , tho it will cost a lot lets just try as you said with software till it is for ruled out the posibility of it being software related.

i thought the same thing about filling the gap , there is a lot of these units still working and i have another one in my invertory that is also dead , kinda, the APU communicates with the rest of the unit but it doesnt start , but thats for another post
OMG IT ACTUALLY WORKWED THE QUICKCURE I GOT THE MSM MODE


[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]


[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Time to make a disk.iso file a copy of it just in case, on every step ORAK even said to make a copy so the first thing im gona do is a copy

Okay i have copy of the internal storage what to do now ? which rgn or gcd should i flash?

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Congratulations. That's a great result for "the blind leading the blind" isn't it? But we ain't outta da woods yet mate.

A bit more explanation of what's happened with QuickCure so you'll understand my note of caution above. As i said, there's no firmware involvement at all in QC's process using a modified ramloader (boot.bin) to partially boot the device only to a point before before essential files are even looked for, unlike with Cure3's which uses an unmodified ramloader with modified main firmware (fw_all.bin data in rgn 14) to prevent essential files such as map IMGs, voice VPMs, etc. from being loaded. Regardless, for us observing it, the process outcome appears the same during the partial boot process. i.e. if the splash screen can be displayed, the device freezes on the Garmin logo (and in your case it may still be a black screen). That's the point at which it's stuck in the boot cycle whether QC or Cure was used, but very importantly, with MSM re-enabled which is the sole aim of using any type of soft-cure[/]: i.e. [i]To get into the file system via MSM.

So.... No firmware has been involved in partially-booting the DNX enough to get back MSM. Now we can get on with looking for and removing/replacing faulty files, maybe removing everything and putting back only minimal folders/files - or as a last resort re-formatting the visible file system. Then we load original firmware which allows normal booting. What do you think will happen if we do indeed have some partial flash damage and region 14 is affected? Remember, 14's fw_all data is essential to a normal boot process along with other regions. Answer is, it still won't start and you're back to square one. So cross your fingers.

Now you have a good backup i would probably initially go with just removing everything from the file system and copying bacj only the minimum and known-good files required, for the time being (without formatting the internal memory). We know QC works so it can always be used again if needed. My suggestion therefore is to follow ORAk's procedures from the old thread from this point. Keep in mind that while cure is loaded the device may not *read a GCD fw file (see below) so original fw is best flashed back directly to regions using an RGN file. The only difference between a GCD and an RGN file is the header, the rest is identical.

*GCD files are somewhat like a self-extracting EXE file. The device looks for a new version GCD at the end of each successful boot and examines it to determine its version. If it finds a later one, it will initiate it, and it then writes its component/s to the appropriate region/s. So, can you see the problem if cure fw is still loaded? It doesn't even get far enough to load any files at all, that includes even looking for an updated GCD. Therefore, after sorting out the files, you'll likely have to load an original fw RGN file using Updater in preboot. That's certainly the way it works with other Garmin devices anyway.

Ask questions before proceeding if you need. I can't guarantee specific answers though, i'm still learning about these devices just like you. Generic information i can impart, however. Good luck.