Garmin Mobile PC install on 2nd laptop

Hi,

I installed mobilepc and mapsource with my activated maps on my main laptop, everything works fine.

So i installed mobilepc on my eeePC (sublaptop) but i do not have enough space to install mapsource and my maps on this laptop.

I tied to copy the gmapsupp.img from my main laptop to my eeePC but then i get map not registred ... i suppose it has to to with the eeePC having his own device id.

How can i fix it so i can make the maps on my main laptop and use them on my eeePC ?

1. What version of Mobile PC are you using:

- Software-only version?
- bundled with GPS10x?
- bundled with GPS20x?

2. What is the exact product name of the maps you are using with MapSource that you are trying to add into Mobile PC?

3. Are these maps unlocked? If so, what is the exact model of the Garmin GPS device that these maps are unlocked to?

...ken...

software only, i use an bluetooth gps receiver ... all that works fine.
map is city navigator europe nt 2009

Is your Software-only version the Mobile PC - Europe version? That is, are these the maps that were preinstalled in Mobile PC when it installed?

Or are you trying to use MapSource to add the City Navigator Europe maps to the North America version of Mobile PC?

...ken...

no they are no maps installed with the euro version.

I'm sorry but I don't understand your answer.

If you bought the Mobile PC Europe version, it came with City Navigator Europe maps preinstalled. They were installed with it at the same time that you installed the Mobile PC software. Immediately after installing the Mobile PC software there should have been two files in the Mobile PC program directory:

GMAPBMAP.IMG - the world basemap
GMAPPROM.IMG - the detailed road maps

If you bought the Mobile PC Europe version and you want to be able to use it in Europe, you do not need to do anything after it is installed. You just connect your GPS receiver and start using it. The maps are already installed with it.

If you bought Mobile PC Europe, I don't understand what you are trying to do with MapSource.

...ken...

If this is a version of Mobile PC Europe you purchased, it can only be installed on one computer.

Terry

All,

OK, let me ask this question a number of different ways. I have the Copilot Live 11 software and frankly find it and their support horrible. I never could get them to answer a question and/or provide a solution about that software so I will pose it here about the Garmin software.

1 - If I have a netbook I want to use to navigate but I would like to also install the Garmin software on a desktop or larger-screen laptop to work out routes in advance of a trip, then transfer the data to the netbook, is that permitted?

2 - Does Garmin make you activate the product as the Copilot Live 11 software requires? If it does are you required to somehow unregister it to install it on a second computer?

They obviously do not want buyers making copies of their software and giving it away to potential customers, sell it, etc., in violation of their copyrights. I understand and support that. What Copilot Live 11 does is thwart you from using the software on a fixed computer, or one not to be used for navigation, kind of a heavy-handed approach to preventing piracy. If Garmin's product allows me the flexibility to do trip planning on one or more computers but limits me to actually navigating with one, I am happy with that and will buy their product immediately and if it works as well as our Nuvi products I will recommend it to all of our friends. Any feedback?

Thanks,

Phillip

No.

Yes.

Can't be done except with a phone call to Garmin tech support.

The flexibility exists but not via Mobile PC. Mobile PC comes with the map data precompiled and preloaded, just like your Nuvi devices. As such, you need to do your planning on Mobile PC, on whatever computer you installed and activated it on.

If you have purchased Garmin maps on CD/DVD you have the necessary trip planning tool. It's called Mapsource. It's an excellent planning tool and you can install it on as many computers as you want. You can transfer routes, additional maps and waypoints from Mapsource to Mobile PC.

...ken...

If you purchase the version of Mobile PC that comes bundled with a GPS such as the Garmin GPS 20x you can install it on as many computers as you like but it will only allow you to navigate when the receiver is attached to the computer you want to navigate with. I know you can do some preplanning using the Mobile PC software, but it isn't as easy as it is with MapSource. I think you can move waypoints (called "Favorites" in Mobile PC) from one computer to another but I don't think you can move actual routes. I think any route you open in Mobile PC will just get recalculated on the new machine.
If you purchase the version that comes bundled with a receiver you don't have to activate it. You just connect the receiver, Mobile PC sees it and it's internal ID and starts working.

Hi Ken,

Thanks for commenting on the hardware bundled version. I completely overlooked it. That is definitely one way to get Mobile PC onto multiple PCs legally and easily, no online activation required so no moving of the activation necessary.

As you point out, it's difficult to move waypoints (Favorites) and routes between multiple copies of Mobile PC. If you know which files they're stored in and where to find them you can copy the files over. I'm not sure if that would work to transfer routes to the Nuvi if that were a desirable thing to do.

I think Mapsource is better for planning and I like that you can transfer the waypoints and routes to either the Nuvi or Mobile PC. And you can even transfer existing waypoints and routes from the Nuvi to Mobile PC using Mapsource. It adds a lot of flexibility to the mix. Of course Mapsource is just a planning and map management program and has no realtime navigation functions.

...ken...

Ken in CB,
Following on your idea of using the hardware version to share a copy of Mobile PC, you could move a route from one PC to another. The easiest way would be to search for the file current.gpx on the computer you set up the route on. Then replace the same file on the target PC with that file. I believe it contains all the information that Mobile PC sees including routes, tracks and waypoints.

There are also particular files dealing with routes, tracks and waypoints individually that could be overwritten to move a piece of information. These are the files with an NVM extension. I think garmin_arte.nvm would be active routes and garmin_srte.nvm would be saved routes.

Just a thought.


Terry

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Folks,

Thanks for the input, that is some solid information. We have multiple Nuvi's and easily copy favorites, POI's, etc., between them. If the Mobile PC file structure is similar to them this would be easy. The hardware solution is something I will give serious consideration to. I will also look into Mapsource. When I have been to the Garmin site it wasn't entirely clear to me that Mapsource was something freely distributed to Garmin product owners, I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) you had to buy it. I also wasn't keen on having to learn yet another piece of software if my preferred option, multiple installs and navigation with only one, was available to me.

I appreciate the thoughtful input. I can't be the only person who thinks this way (no piracy intended, multiple installs, navigation with one) so if Garmin people read this site perhaps they can mull this over and put something clearer on their site indicating it is not only possible, but encouraged. A netbook with an 8.9" screen may be perfect for navigating, but for planning purposes something with a 17" or larger screen makes sense to me and probably to others as well.

Again, thanks for the replies and I'll keep fooling around with this stuff. The Copilot Live 11 software is buggy, does not follow normal Windows XP conventions in many ways, as far as I have been able to determine their product does not offer any ability to do as I laid out above, their support people are not responsive and they obviously work very hard to keep owners from doing multiple installations. Even some kind of licensing limit where you can only do two or three installs, like a Microsoft Office installation, would serve their purpose of inhibiting piracy, but it wouldn't be so burdensome on an individual owner. Having given up on them I am keenly interested in this Garmin product and will see if your suggestions help me to get to the solution I am shooting for.

Best Regards,

Phillip

Phillip,

Mapsource is on nearly all of the map DVDs that Garmin sells. There are a very few exceptions. For instance, the latest versions of Garmin's topographical maps come with something similar called BaseCamp that has similar features to Mapsource but is much more geared towards planning for off-road/wilderness travel.

When you buy a product like Mapsource City Navigator North America, the Mapsource program automatically installs when you install the maps on your PC. You use Mapsource, as a minimum, to manage the maps themselves; selecting the map segments you want to download to your handheld or auto navigation unit. You can use Mapsource to combine map segments from multiple Garmin map products. So you can, for instance, combine segments from the roadmaps and also from the topo maps into a single map download for a Nuvi or eTrex unit.

In addition to the map management, Mapsource has a variety of trip planning features. You can use it standalone or you can create routes and download them to a handheld or auto nav unit.

There is no charge for the Mapsource program, but it is of no use without Garmin maps, so you need to buy the maps and Mapsource is included. This is a little confusing to most people. Microsoft and DeLorme have a more understandable sales model where they sell you a copy of Streets&Trips or Street Atlas and throw in the maps. It's easy for them to do it that way because the only maps they have are for North America.

Garmin can't do it that way because they have so many map products covering so much of the world. So they sell you the maps and throw in the computer program to work with them. Same deal in the end, but a little confusing.

...ken...