Trying to update firmware green eTrex Venture

[ruralslicker]

Has anyone in recent times successfully updated the firmware on an old green Garmin eTrex Venture to the most recent V5.2.0? If you have, how did you do it?

I am using a generic Garmin 4 pin to USB all-in-one cable with a Prolific PL2303 driver to connect the Venture to my Mac. The Venture screen shows the unit is charging (electric plug icon). Sending downloaded Geocaching.com pocket queries from my Mac to my Venture works perfectly.

I would like to update the unit’s firmware from the currently installed V2.60 (October 2003 Bravo 7) to the last available from Garmin’s website V.5.20 (March 2008). My understanding from Garmin is that there are major improvements, including sensitivity, accuracy and bug fixes.

So far I have had no success, despite attempts using 4 different neighbour’s PCs with Windows XP and Windows 7 installed, and my 2 different Macs with Leopard 10.5.8 and Tiger 10.4.8. The Venture refuses to appear on any computer desktop.

Garmin’s WebUpdater does not work on any of the PC’s or Macs – “device not recognized”. (It works with my other Garmin Streetpilot c510 car satnav). On the PC’s the standalone “.exe” updater as downloaded refuses to load. Other cable drivers I’ve downloaded have been tried to no avail.

The PC interface serial cable that came with the Venture was tried on older PC without success. I don’t have another serial cable to try. The USB cable also charges the Venture on newer PC’s, but as with the Mac the PC’s do not recognize the device (does not appear on desktop).

All firmware upgrade attempts have been made with the Venture System set to “Demo”, the Interface Serial Data Format set to “Garmin”, and WAAS disabled.

I have contacted Garmin Australia, but they cannot suggest any solution. I’m at a total dead end .

If anyone who is familiar with the process (or has done it) would be willing to update my Venture firmware for me, I’d be most grateful. I'm in country Vic 160 km east of Melbourne but would drive to Melbourne if I knew this update could be successfully done.

[ollave]

Using the Mac and OS X is not going to work.

Using a WIndows system (XP or later should be fine) is supposed to work after you have installed the specific USB-serial Prolific drivers to match your cable. If you don't still have them, I think I do (I just updated a Geko 201!, yes, really) then I can probably send them to you.

My notes don't say where the Prolific drivers came from, but http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?id=31 looks promising.

[ Edit: I had to borrow a Windows system; I don't own one. Plus I'm in Melbourne. But with the right drivers loaded (such that Windows sees "new hardware" before firing up the Garmin program I'd expect it to work. ]

[ Final really final edit: I didn't set my Geko to 'demo' mode. I don't know if I was supposed to or not. It even managed to preserve all my waypoints, which I didn't expect. ]

[ruralslicker]

In one of those amazing million-to-one co-incidences out here in rural Victoria, last week I bumped into another geocacher who was using exactly the same model. I told him my story, gave him the info, he went home (several hundred km away) and updated his Venture successfully.

Yesterday he kindly came all the way to my place (but also to find more caches in the area), brought his PC as well, and we did the firmware upgrade successfully on my unit. I’m one happy little vegemite! As an aside, haven’t met many other geocachers in the area where I live, but a lot seem to be still using old Garmin units.

The only thing different to all previous attempts is that the upgrade was done using a different PC (the fifth).

Thanks for the feedback anyway ollave.