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How to Reboot a Garmin Forerunner 305 That Locked Up When Recharging on the Cradle and Won't Power On

roadskater's picture
Submitted by roadskater on Sat May 16 2009 9:19pm
The Garmin Forerunner 305 is great. Despite a few weaknesses (calorie count, altitude), it is a great value for anyone who will use the information it provides. It's the best training tool I know of. But on the big day when you want to do an event, it is possible you won't be able to use it (until you read the reset method here). My Forerunner 305 has on several occasions after recharging on the cradle in various situations (charge by AC, charge by laptop USB, charge in the car using a USB cigarette lighter adapter) refused to start. My solution for this was to leave it off the cradle until the battery went down far enough to magically let it reboot. So today I went out for the 44-mile route of the Tour de Lions near Grays Chapel, NC, and my skatepals had to live with me not having my data and the calmness and confidence it brings. I thought I had checked on this before, but when I got home I looked it up. Press Mode (bottom left side button) and Reset (left front button) simultaneously, let go, then press On (top left side button). Wow. How sick am I that I didn't search this before the 44-mile skate today! Good luck. Oh...I didn't seem to lose any data through this reset process. Also, get the web updater to keep your Forerunner up to date... http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-27
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Comments

roadskater's picture

More Garmin Forerunner Reboot Modes (Resets) and Software

Submitted by roadskater on Sat May 16 2009 10:14pm.
Here's where you can update your software on the computer and in the wrist unit...

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloadsUpdates.jsp?product=010-00467...

April on motionbased had these additional reset modes...

You can try a soft reset. Press mode and reset. Then try to power on while plugged in.

A hard reset will delete all your data and settings from the Forerunner. Press the Power and the Mode button until the unit comes on and asks if you want to erase all user data. Select Yes.

If the above won't work, try a hard reset that by-passes the confirmation screen. Press Mode, Reset and Power.

Finally, you can try to reload the firmware to the device. Download the latest firmware from Garmin's web site. Plug the Forerunner into the computer. Press and hold the UP Arrow. Press the power button to power the unit on. Continue to hold the up arrow. Run the firmware upgrade. Continue to hold the up arrow through the entire upgrade.
http://forums.motionbased.com/smf/index.php?topic=6197.0
MikeB's picture

Garmin Data Transfer / Communication Error

Submitted by MikeB on Thu Jul 23 2009 6:04pm.
The 305 Forerunner is pretty darn cool, but after 5 or so workout downloads from unit to computer (I guess Garmin calls these 'imports'), I'm getting a device to computer communication error. The 305 screen will say "transfer complete" then 2 seconds later a dialog box appears on the computer "Communication Error - make sure that your Garmin is correctly plugged into your computer." Okay, so I don't have an MIT PhD but I can plug a USB cord into a computer. Numerous reattempts, even using various USB ports have the same result. I'm using an older Sony Vaio desktop with Garmin software loaded via CD. This computer doesn't have internet access. And I would think the USB cord is okay since the device charges just fine. Plus the Garmin says data transferred. Any suggestions?
roadskater's picture

Courses may be the problem; Download updates to USB memory stick

Submitted by roadskater on Fri Jul 24 2009 2:22am.

Hi MikeB. I think your data is uploading fine, but I should ask, "Is your data uploading completely?"

It may be that your Garmin Forerunner 305 is shutting down the communication after it delivers the data. I think that is fine, but I've never seen the error.

SHORT ANSWER: Some people report that they have "courses" that have bad data in them, and that deleting those "courses" can fix some problems. This makes sense since the unit downloads a series of data items (workouts, runs, courses, laps, tracks, at least). One of these data items may be stopping the process. Most people say it is the courses that need to be deleted.

The following is an excerpt of an answer supposedly from a Garmin tech, quoted on fixya:

Please put the 305 on to charge. If the screen is blank, press and hold the Mode button and then press the Lap/reset button as well and hold them both for 2 or 3 seconds. After a few seconds you should see the "battery charging in progress" message. Then leave it to charge for 30 mins. While it is charging, download your training history to your PC.

Once it has charged for a while. Remove it from the charger and switch the unit off.

Press and hold the Mode button and then press the Lap/reset button as well and hold them both for 2 or 3 seconds.

Then press and hold the Mode button again and this time also press and hold the Power button. The unit should switch on and have a message on the screen saying ?Do you really wish to erase all user data?. Select YES and press enter. The unit will reboot and ask you some questions including if you have a heart rate and cadence sensor.
* * *

The complete reset is required because this could occur again in a few days time. The complete reset will wipe everything including history, workouts, courses, user profile, data field settings and almanac data.

The first time you connect the GPS to your PC after doing the reset you will get a message saying that the profile on the device is different from the profile in the program. You will need to choose to keep the profile in the program which will then transfer your user profile back into the GPS from Training Center.
http://www.fixya.com/support/t574048-garmin_305_not_communicating_training

[End of quoted material.]

No matter what, I would suggest that the CD/DVD software disc is almost never the latest version of the software and drivers. I would update the firmware, training software and USB drivers by downloading these items to a USB memory stick then bringing that to the Sony Vaio and plugging it in to the USB there, or I would use a computer with internet access to use the WebUpdater. The links you need should be at the top of this thread.

MORE ANSWER: By the way, I'll ask, "Are you leaving the 305 off when you plug it in to the Sony Vaio?" If yes, try on, and if no, try off. But I think it will end the same.

I have taken the Garmin software out of the autorun list used for the reboot sequence for my laptop (an HP Pavilion with a beautiful screen, less than awesome keyboard, and crappy flimsy case, by the way). That means I have to start the Training Center and uploads manually.

The way I do my Forerunner uploads is to leave or turn the 305 off, put it on the cradle, plug in the cradle cord to the laptop, then run the Training Center software. I click on the icon for "Receive from Device" and hear a beep with a message on the 305 "Transfer Complete." It downloads workouts, runs, laps, courses and tracks if I got it right (runs being skates for us I think), and says "Transfer Complete" on the Forerunner 305 (perhaps) for each one of these types of uploaded data.

When finished with all of them, the laptop screen says "Transfer Complete" in the window title, and some other stuff too. After that my Forerunner 305 goes back into "BATTER CHARGING IN PROGRESS" or "...COMPLETE" floating text mode.

I just tried mine by leaving it on when attaching to the computer and it worked the same. When finished it leaves the Forerunner 305 on as before. I don't get the communication error.

I hope this helps, and really encourage you to get the latest firmware and software updates as soon as you can. This is perhaps not required to solve this problem, but the updates do address other problems and I believe they fix some bugs too.

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