TomTom Favourites and Home Location

[sjj1805]

When you've bought a new map from TomTom, it creates a new folder for itself on your TomTom.

As your "Home" location and all your Favourites and custom POIs are stored in the original map's folder, when you switch over to the new map, they may all be missing, although Home seems to be making a better attempt at keeping the POI files at least, these days!

If they have gone missing, here's how to get them back...

Your Favourites and Home Location:-

First method - Copy the MapSettings.cfg file
The file that holds your favourites and your 'Home' location (as well as some other things like recent destinations AND any POI warnings you have set up), is called 'MapSettings.cfg' on v6 software and newer. (note the exact spelling and use of capital letters ). It is found in that particular maps folder, so if you have several maps, you will have a separate (and different) one for each.

First, check you've got your file extensions displayed in Windows - important when dealing with the TomTom as so many of the files have the same name just a different extension, and if they are not displayed you'll end up accidentally giving files TWO extensions ('.cfg.cfg'). Again, note the capitals as well, they are important in Linux.

If you have that file in your old Map's folder, just copy it across to the new folder and you should be away.

[sjj1805]

When you connect your TomTom to the PC with the USB cable, Windows should automatically recognise it as a new "mass storage device" or hard drive. (That's assuming you have Windows XP, older versions might need a USB Driver file that you can get from TT or Microsoft).

When it connects, you might get a little balloon message popping up in the bottom right of the screen, or a small Window saying 'What do you want to do'.

If you get that window, just select "Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer".

On some set-ups, you will find that TomTom's own utility called "Home" will insist on running whenever you connect the TomTom. If this happens, just shut it down again - it will only get in the way.
Do NOT use Home for your backups, it has a long history of several different problems which prevent a usable backup being made.

Now, just start Windows Explorer (from the Start menu - its usually in Programs / Accessories) and look in the left window. Where it says My Documents, My Computer etc, click on My Computer and it should open up to show all your drives including the TomTom with the next free letter. Click on that and you should see all the files and folders (with more files inside) in the right window.

Now is a good time to make sure you can see the file extensions (the three letters after the dot) and any 'hidden' files.
To do this go to the 'Tools' Menu at the top, select 'Folder Options', then the 'View' menu, and:
1. SELECT the option to "Show hidden files and folders",
2. UN-TICK the box that says "Hide extensions for known file type."

Once you have done all that, it is easy to examine the contents of your TomTom, add POI files and voice alerts etc; and to perform a full backup you just select everything with the mouse, right click and 'Copy', then navigate to somewhere on your PC's hard disk (maybe into a new folder in 'My Documents'?) and right click and 'Paste'.

RESTORING a backup made this way is as simple as reversing the process - COPY from the PC and PASTE to the TomTom.

[sjj1805]

Replace mapsettings.cfg from back up after updating maps

[sjj1805]

Device was formatted, and everything re-installed.
New Map Update installed.
Backed up at
C:\Documents and Settings\Stephen\My Documents\TomTom\HOME\Backup\ONE XL\
plus a new copy on the laptop.

[sjj1805]

http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 92_win.exe
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 04_win.exe
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 29_win.exe
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 60_win.exe
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 49_win.exe
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 86_win.exe
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 56_win.exe
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 46_win.exe

This is the latest WORKING Version of my TomTom Home2 XL

Code: Select all

http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/application/releases/v2_9_91_411_win.exe

This is the version that breaks my TomTom
http://download.tomtom.com/sweet/applic ... 32_win.exe

[sjj1805]

When a new update appears, note the NEW release Version
If you go to: C:\Program Files (x86)\TomTom HOME 2\xul there is a file called 'application.ini'.
Open this file in notepad, you will see there is a section which says 'Version=2.7.5.2014'. Simply change this to read 'Version=2.8.1.2218'. (use the version number you just made a not of above.)

TomTom HOME will now be tricked into thinking it is the latest version. It will therefore not force you to update to the real version 2.8.

Update 04 May 2017.
I just tried to use the above method with Version=2.10.1.500 but this "fix" no longer seems to work.
However I have found another workaround that does work and this method is extremely easy!.

1. Turn on your TomTom connected to your computer
2. disable your internet connection - the quickest way is to put your computer into flight mode.
3. Open TomTom Home2
4. As soon as TomTom Home displays page 1 of 3, restore your internet connection (Take it out of flight mode)
5. You can now select the option "Update my TomTom" and proceed as you did in the past

[sjj1805]

Use the reset pin.

[sjj1805]

2.10.2.750

Latest Version

[sjj1805]

The above "fix" no longer seems to work with Version=2.10.1.500
However I have found another workaround that does work and this method is extremely easy!.

1. Turn on your TomTom connected to your computer
2. disable your internet connection - the quickest way is to put your computer into flight mode.
3. Open TomTom Home2
4. As soon as TomTom Home displays page 1 of 3, restore your internet connection (Take it out of flight mode)
5. You can now select the option "Update my TomTom" and proceed as you did in the past