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Performing a Forced Software Update on a Garmin Marine Device

If a Garmin marine device has problems booting, such as freezing on the Garmin logo or displaying the message Recovery Loader Ready, performing a forced update may help to resolve the issue. A forced update forces the device to install or reinstall a software update from a micro/SD card.

Before performing the following, try powering on the device with no microSD/SD card inserted in any available slot; one or more bad cards can result in a device failing to boot up properly.

Check the following to rule out other causes of this error before performing a forced update:

  • A connected network cable may be damaged. Make sure the network cables are operational and the network is set up correctly. See the chartplotter's installation instructions to see examples of correct network setups

  • The marine device may be receiving power feedback from a connected device that uses Power over Ethernet (PoE). Devices that use PoE must be connected to a PoE isolator. If a PoE isolator is not connected, it may damage the device's Garmin Marine Network board and cause an error message

  • Disconnect all network cables (such as the Garmin Marine Network, Garmin BlueNet™ network, or NMEA 2000 drop cables), shut down the marine device, and restart it

  • Verify that the marine device has adequate power by testing the power cable connector head with a voltmeter or multimeter. Voltage specifications can be found in the device's owner's manual. See Garmin Marine Device Not Powering On for troubleshooting steps if the voltage is inadequate

  • Make sure that if there is a micro/SD card in the chartplotter that it is no larger than 1TB* capacity

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it will be necessary to perform a forced update. See Garmin Marine Device Software Updates for steps to acquire the software update if necessary.

*Not all devices offer support for 1TB capacity cards. To verify your device's compatibility, refer to New exFAT support on Garmin Marine Devices. 

NOTE: Forced updates may not be performed on the following devices:

   • GNX™ 120 wind instrument
   • GNX™ 130 wind instrument
   • GPSMAP® 478 chartplotter
   • GPSMAP® 60 handheld
   • GPSMAP® 76C handheld
   • STRIKER™ fishfinders
   • VHF series


It is strongly recommended to back up the device's user data before performing a forced update, if possible. See the device's owner's manual for backup instructions.

After acquiring the software update, select the device type below for steps to perform the forced update:

ECHOMAP™ chartplotters

Select a device series below for steps to perform the forced update:


ECHOMAP™ 4x Plus chartplotters & ECHOMAP™ 6x Plus chartplotters

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the device Off

    2. Hold down the Up Arrow while at the same time briefly pressing Power button

    3. Release the Up Arrow once the Garmin Logo appears

ECHOMAP™ 7x UHD chartplotters, ECHOMAP™ 9x UHD chartplotters, ECHOMAP™ Plus 7x chartplotters & ECHOMAP™ 9x chartplotters

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the device Off

    2. Hold the Power button and number 4 button

    3. Release the Power button when the Garmin logo appears

    4. Release the number 4 button when Recovery Loader Ready appears

    5. Insert the software update card

The device will now install the software update.

ECHOMAP™ UHD2 chartplotters

To perform a forced update:

    1. With the device turned off, press and hold the power key for 5 seconds until the second long beep sounds

    2. Insert the software update card after Recovery Loader Ready appears (or remove and reinsert the card if there was a software update card already inside of it)

The device will now install the software update.

ECHOMAP™ Ultra chartplotters

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the device Off

    2. Hold the Power button until Holding or Software Loading appears

    3. Insert the software update card

The device will now install the software update. 


ECHOMAP™ Ultra 2 chartplotters

To perform a forced update:

    1. With the device turned off, press and hold the power key for 5 seconds until the second long beep sounds

    2. Insert the software update card after Recovery Loader Ready appears

The device will now install the software update. 


GPSMAP® chartplotters

Select a device series below for steps to perform the forced update:


GPSMAP® 10x0 chartplotters & GPSMAP® 8x0 chartplotters

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the device Off

    2. Insert the software update card

    3. Hold the Power and Up buttons

    4. Release the Power button when the Garmin logo appears

    5. Release the Up button when Holding or Holding Boot Block appears

The device will now install the software update.


GPSMAP® 7x2 / 9x2 (including PLUS) / 12x2 Plus / 10x2 / 12x2 (keyed series) / 7x3 / 9x3 / 12x3 / 16x3 / MFD A12 / 84xx / 86xx / 8700 Black Box / 9000

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the device Off

    2. Hold the power button until Recovery Loader Ready displays

      • The GPSMAP® 10x2 chartplotters & GPSMAP® 12x2 chartplotters are keyed devices that need to have the Up arrow and Power button held until Recovery Loader Ready displays

    3. Insert software update card and a message of Starting Recovery Update will display

    4. When the Software Updater page completes Press the Restart button


GPSMAP® handheld devices


GPSMAP© 78 handheld series

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the device Off

    2. Insert the software update card

    3. Hold the Power and Up buttons

The device will now install the software update.


GPSMAP© 86 handheld series

See Outdoor or Marine Handheld Not Recognized by Computer or Garmin Applications for steps to perform a forced update on a GPSMAP 86 series handheld device.


quatix® watches


quatix® 5 watches & quatix® 6 watches

To perform a forced update:

    1. Install and open WebUpdater

    2. Connect the watch to a computer

    3. Press and hold the Up button

    4. Select Next in WebUpdater

    5. Follow the onscreen prompts to download and install the software update

The device will now install the software update.


Instrument displays 


GHC™ 20 autopilot controller

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the control unit Off completely

    2. Hold the Standby button

    3. Tap the Power button

    4. Hold the Standby button until the update completes

The software update will now be installed.


GMI™ 20 marine instrument

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the instrument Off completely

    2. Hold the Back button

    3. Tap the Power button

    4. Release the Back button when Loader Ready appears

The device will now install the software update.


GNX™ 20 marine instrument | GNX™ 21 marine instrument

To perform a forced update:

    1. Turn the instrument Off completely

    2. Hold the Back and Power buttons until Holding appears

The device will now install the software update.


If the device continues to have boot-up problems after troubleshooting, it will need to be replaced.

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