Tool to fix 430W/530W Terrain cards

[cowman]

I ran across this the other day, I had one of the terrain cards that had been bricked after a bad update. If you haven't thrown yours away there's a way to repair it, it seems to work for me as the card is recognized but apparently I can't reinstall the terrain database because I already put the current cycle on another card(yay copy protection).

https://garmin.ent.box.com/s/wd15jt5lumjrxgxtx4283y5rlp58kqxl
Right click, download, unzip to a folder.

Plug in your reader and insert card.

Run the CardRepairUtility executable you unzipped in the folder.

It should recognize the card, click Repair Datacard and let it do it's thing.

That should be it, the garmin db manager recognized it and I was able to update obstacles. However I got errors when trying to do the terrain DB... I am told this is because garmin won't let you update the same cycle to two different cards- basically a copy protection scheme. Supposedly you can call them and they can reset something so it works. *sigh*. I was thinking about getting another nav data card so I could update them at home and swap when I got to the airport.

 

[Initial Fix]

Great find. Thanks for sharing

 

[Groundpounder]

Thanks for, I may have just repaired my terrain card that died a few months ago.

 

[Lance F]

I have two bad terrain cards. Ran them both through this app today and then was able to update them in the Garmin manager. Great I said. Then I put them into their two 530Ws. Guess what. The cards weren’t recognized. Back on the phone to Garmin tomorrow. Sigh.

 

[Proppilot]

Cowman ! You just saved me $ 550 Canadian bucks so thank you very much for this post. There are many postings about TAWS cards being bricked by the new Garmin Database Manager and mine was added to the list yesterday. Spoke with my avionics shop and 'new card it is' which seemed ridiculous. The link and download worked perfectly and my #1 GNS430W is back online.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I have two bad terrain cards. Ran them both through this app today and then was able to update them in the Garmin manager. Great I said. Then I put them into their two 530Ws. Guess what. The cards weren’t recognized. Back on the phone to Garmin tomorrow. Sigh.

Is full formatting a part of the process?

 

[pilot_pat]

I ran across this the other day, I had one of the terrain cards that had been bricked after a bad update. If you haven't thrown yours away there's a way to repair it, it seems to work for me as the card is recognized but apparently I can't reinstall the terrain database because I already put the current cycle on another card(yay copy protection).

https://garmin.ent.box.com/s/wd15jt5lumjrxgxtx4283y5rlp58kqxl
Right click, download, unzip to a folder.

Plug in your reader and insert card.

Run the CardRepairUtility executable you unzipped in the folder.

It should recognize the card, click Repair Datacard and let it do it's thing.

That should be it, the garmin db manager recognized it and I was able to update obstacles. However I got errors when trying to do the terrain DB... I am told this is because garmin won't let you update the same cycle to two different cards- basically a copy protection scheme. Supposedly you can call them and they can reset something so it works. *sigh*. I was thinking about getting another nav data card so I could update them at home and swap when I got to the airport.

I dug out an old (what was previously unusable) terrain card and tried the tool, the card is back into rotation after reinstalling both terrain and obstacles.

 

[dvalen122]

I am having the same issue with my terrain card. I tried to install the program on mac but for some reason it won't allow me to open it even after install. Anyone else running this program on a mac? trying to resolve this before a check ride on monday