How to change map file location in Garmin Mobile PC

I have Garmin Mobile PC installed on a small Windows device with limited memory. The device has a 4 gig SSD drive, and an 8 gig SD card (drive D). I would like to install my maps on the SD card.

Mapsource will create the gmasupp.img file on an SD card, and it works fine with Garmin Mobile PC if I copy the file in my C:\garmin folder. However, I want to put the map on my D:\ drive rather than taking up valuable space on my C:\ drive. I can't figure out how to tell the program to look for the map on the D:\ drive. I don't see a registry key or any way to set the file location. Is there a way to tell the Garmin program to look for the file on the D drive? Do I have to run MapSource from the Mobile PC to change the file location? Help!!*&$^ Thank you.

You would have to modify the GarminDevice.xml file to point to the new location. If you have XP that file would be located at C:\Documents and Settings\<your name>\Aplication Data\GARMIN\Devices\Garmin Mobile PC.

Make a backup copy of the GarminDevice.xml file with a different name (e.g. Garmin Mobile.bak) and open the original xml file for editing by right clicking on it and choosing 'Edit". Look for references to <path> within the <path> section of the file. Change each of them to point to your new location.There will be more than one with either a <basename> line or <FileExtension> line directly below it.

After you have changed the references, save the file again and see if Mobile PC will open and find your new map location.

NOTE: I have not tried this myself and if you accidentally screw up this xml file with a software-only version of Mobile PC, you will lose your activation!!

The easiest way to make Mobile PC put the maps where you want it to is to tell it to do that when you install it. However if it is already installed, you can't tell it to change by reinstalling.

EDIT:
Another safer way you might try is moving the files where you want and putting a shortcut for each img file (i.e.GMAPPROM.img,GMAPBMAP.img,GMAPSUPP.img) in the original GarminMobilePC folder. The large one will be the GMAPPROM.img file.

Terry

I just tried the shortcut method I suggested and it doesn't work. Mobile PC does not recognize the created shortcuts as img files.

Terry

Thank you Tcassidy for two good suggestions, but unfortunately neither of them work for some reason.

The GarminDevice.XML file has a place to change the folder of the maps and POI, but as soon as I run the Garmin program it changes them back to c:\. I even tried using the same folder name on the D drive, but it didn't work. The program changes them back to C: (and tells me there is no map available). Everything works again when I copy the maps and POI files back to the C: drive. So there must be some other command that is telling it to use the C drive.

I guess I could try moving the whole folder to the D drive and changing all of the references, but it makes me kind of nervous. Well, I'm feeling ambitious. I'm going to copy the entire program folder to the D drive and change all the references in the registry from C to D. Let's see if that works.

Success! I changed every C:\GarminMobilePC to D:\GarminMobilePc in both the registry and the GarminDevice.XML file, deleted the maps and que.exe from C:\GarminMobilePC, and it works. I could probably delete the other files from C:\GarminMobilePC, but they don't take up terribly much space (may try renaming the folder to see if it causes any problems). Thanks so much for the tip on the GarminDefice.XML file.

Thanks for the registry tip, Classpro! As I have never done it, I didn't know that part. All I had noticed was the xml file pointed to wherever I had installed the program. I wonder if just changing the registry pointers would rewrite the xml file as that sounds like what happened for you in the first test.

Terry

I have a feeling you have to have the main program file (Que) in the same folder as the maps. I didn't try that, but I suspect that's what's going on. Garmin sure tries to lock things down tight. Again, thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Classpro,
As a test (and also to free up space on one partition, I used a registry tool to find and replace every instance (74 on this computer) of the location of Garmin Mobile PC with a new location. I copied the folder to the new location and renamed the old folder. I did not modify the xml file in any way though.

As Mobile PC started fine, I checked the xml file and was surprised to find it pointed to the renamed folder in the original location, completely ignoring the registry. I know the next step would have been to delete the original folder but I chickened out and modified the xml to point to the new location.

Mobile PC again started ok but the xml file changed to point to the original location. I even moved the GMPC folder another level down and the xml still finds it. I guess I will have to delete it next.

Terry

I deleted the folder and realized where I had made a mistake previously. I had forgotten to change the shortcut to point to the new partition. Still, Mobile PC was more persistant in finding the location than I expected. I suspect you needn't change the xml file though and am no longer sure the registry changes make any difference either. Now that I see what I did wrong, I will try it on a different computer but only change the shortcut first.

Terry

Well, I know that that combination of the registry changes and the xml changes worked, and that just changing the XML location of the maps and POIs did not work. I didn't try changing both the maps and the que file location in the XML. That's a possibility, but there would be registry settings pointing to the old que file. Hard to know why it won't accept the xml changes and keeps setting them back. Anyway, with both XML and registry changed, it works fine and freed up a lot of space. I may create a bigger map. Is there a way to tell the map making program to make the whole map (as opposed to clicking every little area?

I assume you are speaking of MapSource. Just lasso the area you want while in Map Tool mode.

Terry

What Terry said. Zoom way out until you can see the whole area you want. With the map selection tool selected, click somewhere ouside the area, e.g. upper left or upper right, and drag over the whole area. As you drag, you will see the selected segments light up the yellow outlines. When you release the mouse button, the selected tiles will turn pink and you're in business. Works for big chunks or entire continents.

...ken...

I use Windows 7 and I cannot find my garmindevice.xml? Can anyone help me locate it?

Open My Computer, or whatever it's called in Windows 7, and use the search function to find the file.

...ken...