Garmin Database Manager

[Pinecone]

15 hours ago, Fly Boomer said:

I have some 8-inch floppy disks, but at this point in life, I have no idea what was on them.

Same to both.

 

[jlunseth]

On 5/6/2025 at 8:41 AM, Pinecone said:

One trick with Garmin Database Manager and a PC is DO NOT UPDATE THE PROGRAM.

When it asks if you want to update do the latest, SAY NO.

I am running the April 2024 version.  It works fine.  I did update to the June or July version and had to delete it an reinstall April to get things to work.

Ditto. I hold my breath every time I update the Database Manager. If I do it at all, I update the cards first so I have a month to get the new version to work (or Garmin has a month to roll out a correction). Its a perennial mess.

To the OP, you might need to buy a new 430 card reader. Don't know for sure, but I think the readers might be different for MAC and Windows OS. I just use a PC so have never had to look into it.

[PeteMc]

36 minutes ago, jlunseth said:

Ditto. I hold my breath every time I update the Database Manager.

I remember one update a couple of years ago that was flaky.  Haven't had any issues since then. 

 

[jlunseth]

I wish. I have a regular PC so there should not be a problem, but there have been three or four in the last couple of years that have caused me problems. So I update the cards before I update the software, that way I have working cards at least, while the issues get worked out.

[MikeOH]

3 hours ago, jlunseth said:

So I update the cards before I update the software, that way I have working cards at least, while the issues get worked out.

Yeah, that's good advice.

Ask me why I know it's good advice

[Rick Junkin]

FWIW I used a virtual machine (Parallels) running Windows 7, 10 and 11 on my Mac Book Air and never had a problem updating my GNS 430W cards. I switched over to using the Mac version of Garmin Database Manager when I upgraded to avionics that use SD cards and also have had no problems, even when Garmin updated the Mac software.

Luck of the draw?

[jlunseth]

39 minutes ago, Rick Junkin said:

FWIW I used a virtual machine (Parallels) running Windows 7, 10 and 11 on my Mac Book Air and never had a problem updating my GNS 430W cards. I switched over to using the Mac version of Garmin Database Manager when I upgraded to avionics that use SD cards and also have had no problems, even when Garmin updated the Mac software.

Luck of the draw?

No. One of the problems I recall was that the DB Manager corrupted Terrain Cards. I (and apparently others) were able to update the Navdata card and that data was good, but the 430 would not initialize because of the corrupted Terrain Card. Garmin developed and sent out a utility that was supposed to fix the Terrain Card, and later I believe it was incorporated in the DB Manager because there was a note or comment about repairing the cards that came with the DB Manager update. In my case, I spoke to Garmin a couple of times and the problem was misdiagnosed as a Navdata card issue. I happened to be at my avionics guy for another reason, mentioned that to him, and he said he had heard there were Terrain Card problems. About that time the DB Update manager came out with the repair capability and that fixed my Terrain Card, so my unit now works fine and both cards are good. But there have been other issues since then. As I said, I just update my cards before I ever update the software and that gives me a month to get the software update working. A part of it may be that I have to do either two or three separate updates. My primary GPS is a GTN750 connected to dual reversionary 275's. Those update in one syncd update. But the 430 card (or sometimes two if there is a change to the Terrain Card) needs to then be separately updated with the manual update process that is selectable in DB Manager and that does not always go elegantly. Everything is working right now, except that somewhere along the way the software was changed in the 275's. Before the change I could load the syncd update in the 750 and it would sync smoothly over to the 275s. After the change there were some people who could not get the 275s to update that way at all, and they went to using a USB or Garmin Connext. My 275s will sync data over from the 750, but not right away. I have to fly the plane once or twice and then miraculously the new data is in the 275s. I tried putting the data in the 750 and then cycling the Master switch thinking that would cause the 275's to see the new data but that does not work, at least not the first time. I have also gone into the 275 menus and the new synced database is there, but it will not enable. It just miraculously syncs over and works the second or third time I fly the plane. As I said, everything is working now, but the update process in the last couple of years has not been seamless.

[T. Peterson]

Just an update. I did replace my broken PC with a MacAir and have been through one update. At first I could not get the database manager to download. After about the third attempt I got a little pop up window that said I needed to download a particular program and asked me if I wanted to download it. I pressed the download option and then tried again to download the database manager and it worked perfectly. I plugged in the card reader and installed the new update and everything worked fine. I flew a trip to Branson with the updated card and everything was perfect.

I apologize that I cannot remember what the was the name of the little program I was prompted to install, but hopefully your Mac will also prompt you if you are having trouble.