Problem connecting Garmin GPS device via USB to Windows XP in Parallels

T

TDaMoose

Bit poster
I have a significant problem with Parallels and USB drivers. I have been trying to connect by Garmin Quest GPS to Garmin's mapping software, MapSource City Navigator 7. I am running the final version of Parallels (||s) on a dual 2 GHZ G5 with the Windows XP Home as guest. When I try to connect, the mapping software cannot find the Quest unit. In fact, I get the following message:

"The USB device is trying to connect to a virtual machine port that is being used by another process. Wait 10 seconds and try again. If this doe not work, find the app that blocked the access, close that app".

When I check the available USB devices on Windows, I find the following devices:

1) Apple Extended Keyboard

2) Apple Optical Mouse

3) Vendor Specific 091´:003 (I think this is the Garmin device)

4) IR receiver

5) Apple wireless.

I checked number 5 above - still no luck. I did try via Window's Device manager to force open the Garmin USB driver which had been installed by the the Mapsource program. However, after it installed, I got an error 10. By the way, the error message in quotes above repeated every few seconds until I disconnected the the USB cable.

After, installing the new final version of ||s, and without the Garmin connected via USB, I kept getting interrupted every few seconds with above error message in quotes. This made ||s unusable to me.

Meanwhile on another mapping forum, someone suggested using SerialClient - a ||s add-on to resolve this issue. Another person suggested that one had to go into Device Manager, uninstall the Garmin USB driver, then go back in to Device manager, select Action Scan for hardware changes , and then plug 'n play found the device driver which was then installed.

This problem that has plagued not only Windows emulators on the Mac but also Windows on certain Windows systems (Dell) is probably due to Garmin's inability to write good software even for Windows that follows USB protocols.

Finally, can anyone tell me where SerialClient is located? I am suspicious that such software would help with USB connections but who knows.

Thanks for listening,

TDaMoose
 
Garmin doesn't use USB properly

There's something about Garmins Windows drivers that makes them only work when they are "directly connected to the metal". It doesn't work through VMware or Virtual PC (and Parallels, it seems).

They are supposed to come out with Mac software later this year... With a bit (ha) of luck they will also fix their Windows drivers so they'll work in Parallels/VMware/Virtual PC/...


- ask
 
From a similar thread:

Considering Garmin has a rough time with USB on "real" PCs, don't be surprised when it doesn't work with Parallels. In our GIS classroom in which GPS receivers are used, we had to stop using Garmin USB connectivity to the individual lab computers. 3/4ths of the Garmins would sync. The remaining computers would not. Too unpredictable and a management hassle in a classroom enivronment. The issue was frustrating enough that we decided to not use USB.

Alternative was to use the far slower, but nearly perfect serial access.

Likewise, the same situation exists for me with Parallels Desktop. I use a Radio Shack USB to Serial adapter and I have perfect communications. Click on the link below to read a message I posted that included how I use my personal Garmin 76CS with my MacBook. I was all but quaking with excitement as I was typing that message:

http://forum.parallels.com/post11862-11.html
 
Not sure with Garmin Quest models. With Nuvi 350 and eTrex Vista Cx, I have no problems in connecting and updating through Windows XP and Parallels Desktop since RC2 release.

Did the OP install the latest USB driver from Garmin? Find them on Garmin's site. Also, did the OP update the Quest to the latest firmware version?
 
ciprol said:
Not sure with Garmin Quest models. ...
Click to expand...
Until I read the first message, i thought the Quest series had the fewest problems. In my experience, it is mainly the 70, 76, 60 series Garmin which has chronic USB issues in the real PC world.
 
It seems like some of the later devices like the GPSmap 60CSx works fine under parallels with Windows XP but my older GPSmap 60CS did not. It seems that Garmin has improve their unit firmware with respect to USB but they haven't fixed it for some devices mainly the older ones.

I sent them some feedback asking if they were going to update their older devices but they said that it was doubtful since they would be supporting the Mac later this year but they forwarded my feedback to the developers.
 
Thanks for all your thoughts and ideas. I did get Garmin's Mapsource to "see" my Quest 1 when I used Guest PC (Lismore Software Systems) with Windows XP Home as the Windows emulator on my dual 2 GHz PPC G5 running under OS 10.4.6. However, I made a mistake of trying to upgrade my firmware and the upgrade during install clobbered the Garmin. I had to return it to garmin for repair. I also at the same time downloaded a bunch of maps to the Garmin so I do not know what caused the disaster - the firmware install or the map download.

So I was afraid to try the Map download. However, I am getting my courage up so I will try just the map download and see if that works. If it does, I will switch to Guest PC. Guest PC is also nice because it does not need an Intel-based Mac to work. It should work under OS 10 and any G4 or G5. If it clobbers my Garmin, I will redo the firmware upgrade using mu son-in-law's Wintel machine.
I will communicate with Lismore to make sure that Guest PC will deal with garmin's units.

I am sorry to introduce heresy into this web site by bringing up another Windows emulator but if USB is to be Universal then why does everyone have trouble implementing it over a wide range of USB device types. Also, I am trying to use an expensive Window's only device so I will use anything that works with a Mac. That's why I am a dedicated Mac user - they and the software developers seem to have a true Universal Serial Bus.:rolleyes:

TDMoose
 
My Nuvi 360 with software 2.x was working just fine with Parallels and Windows XP until I updated the Nuvi to 3.6... Now I can not connect to it at all with Parallels. :mad:
I would not have updated if they had not changed the DST dates...

PS. Why the heck can't a GPS do auto Time Zone changes? My NON-GPS Phone can do that...
 
Last edited:
nuvi 350 doesn't sync either

So my new Nuvi 350 won't connect using parallels and Windows XP (Nuvi software 4.6). Wrote to customer support but they have not replied.

Is there any work-around anyone has found?

The mac sees the Nuvi some but not all of the time.

And Mapsource doesn't work on a Mac. I'm trying to transfer my 90 waypoints from my i5 (which still syncs beautifully via Parallels) with my new Nuvi. My previous Nuvi DID sync but unfortunately the GPS part didn't work so good so they sent this replacement.

AARGH!!
 
I have a Garmin Quest, and it did work correctly. However I had to pick up the latest driver from the Garmin site.

Also using the latest version of Navigator.

By the way I have USB auto connect not enabled, and I use connect my USB to Parallel manually.

I have noticed also a lot of errors in the OS X console about the Garmin Quest, it complains about the Quset not respecting some of the USB protocol.
 
Last edited:
I just sent my Garmin Quest back to the shop for the second time yesterday (less than a day back from its first visit). I'm having the same issues as mentioned above.
• The unit cuts out during map downloads.
• It then acts funny and will not move past the warning screen.
• At times it beeps unexplicably.

Like most of you I created an entire world for my Quest. When I bought my iMac it was with the thought it would be a Windoze machine for my GPS. I then picked up XP and Parallels. I've downloaded the latest versions of all drivers.

I'm wondering if the $150 Garmin repair fee + Parallels + XP + Garmin Quest would have equaled a Tomtom that provides Mac support out of the box.

Also, I would like to know what does work with the Quest.
I've heard Radio Shack USB Serial cord and the latest Parallels (have).

Again, we share the frustration of simply wanting this to work. Will Garmin bring everything over to the Mac? If so, when? The timeline has expanded on every announcement to date.

Help!
 
I use Windows XP Professionnal, with the latest driver from Garmin for the quest. My map downloading works perfectly. However, when I do connect the Quest, I make sure it is the only USB device connected while using it.

This is not because I use parallels, when I was using it on windows, I found out it had issues when connected to a USB hub with other devices. So now, I only use the cable that came with it connected directly to a USB port on my MAC and it works very well.
 
it works

i'm using a Quest with Parallels build 3188 and only had issues before this build. I don't know if it makes a difference, but it's running on a Macbook, instead of a PowerPC
 
nuvi 350 problem continues

I'm using Parallels build 3188 and downloaded the latest drivers from Garmin. I connect directly to the computer using Garmin's cable and nothing else is connected. The unit connects without problem to a friend's Windoze machine but the MacBook doesn't connect to it (Parallels sees it in the USB connections at the bottom of the screen but when I click on it the Garmin reboots and the computer reports that the USB device I am tring to connect is in use by another program).

Any other ideas?

How are folks using the USB to serial connector? There's no serial port on my MacBook or on the Garmin?
 
No Problems with my Garmin and Parallels.

I Use the Garmin SUpplied USB cable and of course I make sure the garmn drivers are installed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top