HOWTO: update the firmware of the Quest

Once in a while Garmin creates a new firmware version. It contains bugfixes (you know you can report errors, don't you?) and sometimes new features. The firmware is the internal program that makes the Quest run.

To use the bugfixes and new features from a new firmware, you need to upload the new firmware to the Quest. First, you need to get the new firmware. You can get it from Garmin or from my Quest Firmware Archive page. The version from Garmin is a self extracting archive (a program containing a ZIP archive), the version from this site is only the archive (no executable to worry about). Both need to be extracted to a seperate folder.

After extraction, you will find three files in the folder:

• the Quest_xxx.txt file (where xxx is the version number). This file will tell you important information as well as the version history. So: read it! =8-)
• the 023101600xxx.rgn file  (where xxx is the version number). This is the actual firmware.
• the Updater.exe file, which is the program which uploads the firmware to the Quest.

Here is how to update the firmware (actually a very simple operation):

	After starting the Updater.exe file, this is what you see. Now is the time to connect the Quest to the USB cable connected to your computer. be sure to select the bottom Connection Setting: USB Device. If you have more Quests connected, select the one you want to upload the firmware to. =8-) If you have this set up, press OK to start the upload.
	The updater first uploads a tiny program to the Quest, which is needed since the current firmware will be erased in the next step. And what is erased cannot run. The screen of the Quest will change to a grey screen reading "LOADER" now. Note that the updater is telling you not what the new firmware version is, but what the current verions is (3.00 in this HowTo).
	Now the updater erases the current firmware from the non-volatile memory, to make room for the new firmware. The Quest screen is still showing "LOADER".
	It then uploads the new firmware to the Quest. This will only take a moment (about 20 seconds). The Quest screen will now show "SOFTWARE LOADING".
	And the new firmware is now loaded on the Quest, which will power down and up automatically, to run the new firmware. You can now press OK to close the updater.