Unlocking a Garmin Map Unlocking a Garmin Map (this page created 5/27/08) Enter your 25-code, which Garmin won't give you! Garmin's Unlocking Maps is Difficult (and that's an understatement) Garmin maps has the WORST unlock code license key experience of any product EVER in the history of time.

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Garmin's UI designers and programmers are clearly incompetent and should be fired immediately and then sued for fraudulently presenting themselves as professionals capable of building a product. This web page documents how very bad their GUI is, and documents the nooks and crannies of the license key process. My main issue is that I can't even understand the METAPHOR the Garmin map unlocker is shooting for. The CD Package and my GPS provide me with 7 numbers of varying lengths and NONE of them is the number it wants.

Not only that, but to get the number it wants, I have to create an online account with Garmin (16 more fields to fill out) and then I'm not allowed to use that online account to license the GPS! It's like the designers of this UI flow (Garmin engineers) have never built an installer before. No, wait, scratch that - it is as if the Garmin UI designers have NEVER USED ANY INSTALLER BEFORE! It's that profoundly bad. See the screen shots below. Oh yeah, if you think I'm alone in this opinion, check out these links: - Jim's Random Notes with the quote 'Garmin's. Attitude towards customers is insulting.'

- 'Stupid Garmin MapSource Installation' by Jeremy Zawodny - 'More MapSource unlock madness.' In a discussion group - 'Bad Experience so far. The instruction manual says in the box there will be either a 25 digit 'unlock code' or a trifolded paper with an 8 digit 'coupon' code.

My box didn't contain either one.' - large discussion trying to figure out how to use the Garmin unlock manager. The FUNNIEST comment is suggestions on how to use illegal software keygen crackers to get the Garmin maps to work -> BECAUSE IT IS EASIER than using Garmin's installer!!! Garmin, are you awake? Does this bother you?

- More discussions around how hard it is to unlock Garmin maps and how bad Garmin support is. What Am I Doing? Rebus kazaksha zhauabimen 2 sinip.

I'm travelling to Australia, so I'd like to load my Garmin Rino 530 GPS with detailed street maps. So I went to Amazon.com and bought the 'City Navigator Australia 2008', and I want to do is load it into my Garmin GPS. Who is Brian, and why is he qualified to configure GPS units? First of all, it shouldn't take a computer expert to load a map into a GPS.

That being said, I know a lot about computers. I have a Masters degree from Stanford in Computer Science, and I've been a full time software engineer for the past 20 years, working up to my armpits in technology every day. I've formed several startup companies including my current one that is a.

I personally have written several installers, including the completely custom one for my current product. I also like GPS units, I own 5 GPS units, each for a different task. I've motorcycled through Europe, through Canada, and all over the USA using GPS to guide me.

Now it's time for Australia, so let's get to it. Hey Garmin, WHICH NUMBER SHOULD I USE? I bought 'Garmin MapSource City Navigator 2008 map' from Amazon.com and want to unlock it. Here are the numbers I found on the package (slightly modified so you can't use them): Back CENTER of CD Jewel Case: A271000296 (Promising!

10-digit, In a big white square highlighting it as my City Navigator Australia important!) Back of CD Jewel Case: 007-00157-04 (small, in the lower left corner of the case) Back of CD Jewel Case: 171-00075-04 (small, in the lower right corner of the case) Front of CD Jewel Case: 007-00336-04 (small, in the lower left corner of the front case) Front of CD Jewel Case: 171-00149-04 (small, in the lower right corner of the front case) INTERESTING: L2XPVZ7A -> (8 character code) This sounds very plausible, and was hidden between two layers of cardboard in the shrink wrap!! Not near the jewel case! I missed it for much of the time I tried other things, then went back looking and found it! Unfortunately there is no location in the Garmin installer to enter it, or is there?! AND THE MAGIC GPS SERIAL NUMBER: 29415006 - not having to do with the maps, but hidden under the battery inside my GPS to uniquely identify my GPS. This was important! Attempt #1: Clearly I do not have a '25 Char Code': Read the screens below from left to right (use your horizontal scroll bar on your browser).