Dump maps from your Garmin to your Mac

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I recently bought for my parents a new automotive GPS: the Garmin nüvi 765T. It comes with pre-loaded maps (in my case western europe) and I naively thought that the same maps will be also available on your computer. Unfortunately this is not the case, that is, the maps you get on your GPS aren’t available on your computer. You neither have the choice to dump them from your device nor to download them freely from Garmin.

In two words:”It sucks”

But, as you know, the answer it’s not possible, forseen is not enought to prevent me from trying, and, this time, with success (yeah I’m not that masochist to report my failure).

The only drawback is that currently the generated map is not “searchable”, that is, you cannot enter an address and have it displayed on your map.

Prerequisite

Windows side: dump (adapted from sorcieremonique’s forum)

  1. Create a temporary directory (for example C:/temp/garmin)
  2. Run the Free cGPSmapper installer (FreeSetup.exe)
  3. Move the cgpsmapper.exe and sendg.dll to the temporary directory
  4. Extract the content of wgmaptool040.zip to the temporary directory
  5. Extract the content of MapSetToolKit_v1.50.zip to the temporary directory
  6. Connect your Garmin to your computer with the USB cable
  7. Copy the gmapprom.img file from you GPS (located in the Garmin directory) to your temporary directory
  8. Wait as this might take a long time, in my case the file is 1,52 Gb in size
  9. Start GMapTool.exe:
    • Files tab: choose the gmapprom.img file you copied in step 7
    • Options tab: set correctly the path to cgpsmapper.exe
    • Split tab: choose an ouput directory (in my case C:/temp/CNEURONT2009), select create “files for MapSource”, check “Compile preview map”” and click the “Split all” button
  10. Wait as this might take a long time. You end up with a directory containt a lot of .img file
  11. Start MapSetToolKit.exe
    • Check the “install in Mapsource” checkbox
    • Click the install button. A new window appears
    • Set the path to the TDB file (in my case C:\temp\CNEURONT2009\mapset00.tdb)
    • Set the path to the Overview map (in my case C:\temp\CNEURONT2009\mapset00.img)
    • Set the path to the TYP files (in my case C:\temp\CNEURONT2009\I000017A.typ)
    • Fill the Registry name field with a sensible name
    • Click the install button

Windows side: convert

  1. Install Garmin MapSource software (as the only download provided is only valid for update you have to trick the installer as follow)
    • Install WinRAR
    • Unrar the content of MapSource_6141.exe
    • Run the MAIN.msi from the extract directory
    • Start the Setup.exe and install the software normally
  2. Start MapSource
  3. In Menu “Utilities” open “Manage Map Product”
  4. In the newly opened window go to tab “Unlock Regions” and click “Add”
  5. In the Garmin website, navigate to “myGarmin” and enter you login and password
  6. Navigate to the “myMaps”, “Manage Maps” and select you device in the drop down list if necessary
  7. In the section “Maps installed on this device” you should find your “Unlock Code”. Jot it down
  8. Back to MapSource copy the unlock code in the first field and click ok
  9. Start MapConverter, click “Next” till you get to the point where you can chose the map you want to convert. Select the one you want to convert and click “Next”. Choose a destination and click “Next”. If you don’t have space problem choose “No” for the compression and click “Next”. Wait for the conversion to finish.
  10. Copy the .gmapi file to your Macintosh

Macintosh side: install

  1. Double click the .gmapi file that you copied from Windows, this opens the Garmin MapManager
  2. Click the “Install” button and when finished “Quit”
  3. Start Garmin RoadTrip, in the upper right corner of the window you shoud now be able to select the newly imported map.
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