Unlock V7 Navigation 1000 GPS

Unlock the Windows CE environment on a V7 Navigation 1000 GPS device.

The V7 1000 is a great, low cost ($300 CAN), and portable GPS. Out of the box, the major features include a MyGuide navigation system, an MP3 Player and a Movie Player (supports DivX).

There are, however, a few quirks with the device. For example: the Time Zone settings do not seem to stick and the "M" button is not very useful. It was searching for a solution to these issues that lead me into my V7 hacking adventure.

Warning: Modifying your V7 1000 in the manner described within this instructable may void your warranty and could permanently damage your device.

Step 1 Overview

The V7 comes with an AC power Adapter, a car power adapter, a suction cup vehicle mount, a CD with manuals and various data files, and a 1GB SD card (loaded with software and maps).

Other than access to a PC and to a SD Card reader, no additional hardware is required. In addition, the modifications presented here do not require any hardware modification. There is already a pretty good tutorial for adding a USB port to the device available here.

This instructable will cover the following steps:

Accessing Windows Explorer
Fixing the M button "bug"
Speeding up "Fly Over" mode
Accessing the Operating System

Much of the information presented here is not my own work. It is a result of collecting info from various sources across the internet, most of which is targeted at similar devices from other manufacturers. The techniques have been adapted to the specific environment of the V7 1000 device and to my personal preferences. The GPSpassion forum is a great resource for more information.

Comments

[The nerdling]

did this wth my navman f10, but windows ce has a huge chunk taken out of it because it only needs to run 1 app.
anyone know how to get the rest of the operating system?

[scott1202]

GPS is now widely applied for car, outdoor, fitness, specialty and cell phone, etc. It receives signals from GPS satellites, and the quality of signal is determined by many factors, like solar radiation, atmosphere conditions and terrain. Car DVD GPS

[mkanik]

does anyone has the complete addons.txt file? i've deleted my sd card by mistake and cannot restore it from backup img file. can you pls send it to my email [e-mail]?

[Chris001976]

HI. I've sent the GPS to get the upgraded maps. Hat first it worked well. But after some times. I realized that the maps they've install on it. where not has accurate has the original. Tried to install the older version but i get an unsupported maps message. They say they've change some hardware in it but I doubt it. Can you send Your original FlashDisk,

[Bl00dyfool]

Hi Felllows, Recently bough used V7 Navigation 1000 but later noticed there was no card or any map(s) loaded in the device. Please help me how to resolve this issue, where I can get software etc. Thanks Ron

[tannertat]

I can burn you an iso copy of the software CD that came with my 1000 but I need a favour in return - I need the flash folder files that are located in the unit. You can copy the folder onto any 2 or 4 MB SD Card and then zip it and e-mail it to me - once we've established that you can boot your system after you get the iso disk from me. Let me know.

[tannertat]

I followed the instructions for most of the fixes but came to a wall in the MyGuide folder as the zip file and probably a couple of others isn't there. I have a V7 1000 and it was 'taken' from my vehicle and when I got it back it wouldn't work. Now it works some but I can't access the navigation panel - doesn't show at all. Where can I go to obtain the flash so I can reload it?

[evanwehrer]

I wonder if this thing has a serial port, you could possibly add bluetooth

[mosiak]

Hi, I have a question to you.. I would like to unlock my GPS (the same that you describe on this post - My Guide V7 Navigation 1000 GPS) but I`ve got very problems... I was formated all "Flash Disk" !! unfortunatelly and i dont create a copy before... Now I cant load any gps programs... ;/ I need copy the entire contents of the folder "Flash Disk". Please help me [e-mail]

[MOOSE189]

I purchased a v7 1000 in August 07. I love the unit. I sent it in in February of 08 and received an upgrade. Recently my battery went bad and I sent it to MygGuide in Santa Clara for a replacement battery. They sent me a new unit that has not been upgraded so my SD card doesn't work. I am getting no help from them at all. When I turn the unit on to navigate I get a message that some of the map files are locked and it won't let me do anything else. Dose anyone know how to fix this problem?

[wcrov]

Great Job!!! I tried to load my Brazil.fbl (iGo) map into maps folder, but myguide says the map is locked... anyone knows how to unlock this map and make it work? Thanks a lot!

[andremrezende]

Hello, I´m trying to find a Brazil.fbl to download, Could you share this file with me? Thanks a lot.

[Damian7]

Try to download "Igo" from a torrent web site, they have tons of maps, including Brazil. You will have to download a software to your computer to download torrents first, then look for Igo on "torrentz.com" you'll get many options, it will take a while to download the whole thing but once it is done look for the "maps" folder and you'll see it.

[singleparin]

me too, i dont understand step 6, can anyone help us in plain english? my skill level for programming is i guess lower than a beginner's. thanks

[raywilkies]

i have a myguide 3000 and want to play films etc i have got the explorer but keep gettin an error, i also want to change the user language to english , any help please??

[djsabourin]

I got to the part, to speed up the fly over bug, and after i pasted the data into the myguide folder, the system shut down. I turned the system back on, and got an error message. The message reads as this. FortunaODMKeyDoor1119 Exeption occured Callstack dumped to \crash.txt if i click ok, it just goes to the myguide background image, and does nothing else. the thing is useless now!!! Anything I can do???

[jmills616]

It looks like after unlocking I might be able to install Igo/MioMap? for example? I really want to add the "text to speech" TTS functionality. Otherwise I'm going to sell it and get a MIO230 with TTS. Any suggestions?

[jmills616]

I just picked up a v7 NAV700. Will this hack work on it? The v7 site has shut down access to updating. Will any of the other GPS maps work? I've found very little mention of the NAV700 anywhere. I guess it's to new or not very popular.

[Andruha1123]

hello, i own NavTour NT-147 that runs Win CE .NET 4.2 Core. Does anyone know any hacks or tricks, or anything to make it better. I would like to have access to files on device, can any one help me, please!

[wetwilly2002]

OK this is a serious problem the first error I get is cannot find langsync and when i x out i get NNGlauncher [Exception occured Callstack dumped to \crash.txt and from there it freezes up. Help Please

[huff]

I dont understand this step 6. Can someone help me out.

[Mikey_Likes_It]

Great hacks, well explained, nice pics and layout...better explained than the manual that came with the unit! FYI, the MyGuide Navigator 6.1 upgrade is now available and has some nice improvements over the older version. Cheers

[taznjazz]

I prefer:

[modules]
Games = "icons/games.bmp", "", 0
Navigate = "", "\\Flash Disk\\myguide\\myguide.exe"
Explorer = "", "\\"

[Games]
Solitaire= "", "\\Storage Card\\games\\solitaire\\solitaire.exe"
Flux= "", "\\Storage Card\\games\\flux\\flux.exe"
Asia = "", "\\Storage Card\\games\\asia\\asia.exe"
Arvale = "", "\\Storage Card\\games\\arvale\\arvale.exe"

This puts the explorer link on the main screen.

[EdenCrest]

That format doesn't work on the NAV730.

[kronx112]

i try this when i click on explorer and it say: "A system shell must be present to support executing folders paths or shell extensions." this is on device Nav730

[EdenCrest]

[modules]
V7 Navigation = "icons/V7.bmp", "\\Storage Card\\iGO\\iGOpna.exe"
Explorer= "icons/files.bmp", "\\Windows\\Explorer.exe"

It worked for me. Good luck. Let me know what good things you fine.

[kronx112]

hey it works! it load to wince when you did for the 1st time on startup but when you close it and try to go to wince again it won't load wince but load up the explorer. so then I close the explorer but it send me back to the menu screen. then i did a hard boot then it works on 1st run=wince, 2nd=explorer until hard boot. But for me i don't care.........I'm glad it's hack, now i can play my wince games. thanks EdenCrest/dadefatsax (you guys are the BEST!!!!!) i wonder how you know the directory and files in the device? you guys Amazing!!!!

[damasta]

also, does it work with myguide 3300? on yours it's 3000 if i'm right

[damasta]

can you install windows programs on it? ms word or openoffice could be useful

[pigus]

I could use some help. in my stupidity, I erased the flash from my "myguide" and have no idea how to fix it. how can I re-install the system? grateful for any reply.

[wcrov]

Try the one at the link http://www.my-guide.de/support/

There's an upgraded version on http://www.my-guide.de/foto/download/MyGuide3000_070607_R3_FullUpgrade.zip

I hope that give a "CPR" to your gadget...

[Mystakill]

Anybody have any information on hacking the V7 NAV740? It's a bit different from the 1000, but it's still running Windows CE.

[ohno]

anyone manged to install another gps software on this thing? i've tried tomtom an navigon but haven't quite managed to get the settings right yet. any help?

[wcrov]

Very good question ohno!!! Please someome give us some help!!!

[Alan G]

Hi all Can anybody tell me where i can get the sofrware from my dog got hold of my SD card and it won't work and i can't copy it on to a new card. Any help. Regard's Alan.

[effigy3]

I was playing around in the SD card files and I note that the voice files contained in the .zip for each language are .ogg files. I'm going to see if I can create a custom voice/language option using Audacity to edit the .ogg files. Has anyone tried this yet?

[captainronni]

did it work?

[philpw99]

Something extra for the device:
1.
I have the complete command list of IGO below:
TILTDOWN
TILTUP
SWITCH_MAP_COCKPIT
ROUTEINFO
FIND_ADDRESS
PUTPINTOGPS
ZOOMIN
ZOOMOUT
ZOOMIN_DISCRETE
ZOOMOUT_DISCRETE
ROTATELEFT
ROTATERIGHT
MOVELEFT
MOVERIGHT
MOVEUP
MOVEDOWN
FOLLOW_OR_ANNOUNCE
MAINMENU
MINIMIZE
VOLUMEUP
VOLUMEDOWN
TOGGLEMUTE
MUTE
UNMUTE
BRINGMAPTOTOP
GOTOHOME
PREVSCREEN
SETTINGS

I map the M key to FOLLOW_OR_ANNOUNCE, so when I press it, it will tell me the route instruction again.

2.
Also I change the IGOPATH.txt to

[modules]Settings = “icons\settings.bmp”, “settings”, 1Multimedia= “icons\media.bmp”, “Multimedia”, 0Explorer = “icons\files.bmp”, “\\Windows\\Explorer.exe”…..Now explorer will always available in the front, with or without SD.3.More, to change the voice you like, take a look in “Flash Disk\data.zip”. Under “ui\settings” there is a lang.ini file. You can edit it to fit your wayFor example, I use English US as the language but I will like to use the UK female voice as the guidance. So I edit that lang.ini….[languages]lang = “english US”, “ui\settings\flag_usa.bmp”, “English (US)”, “english_m1_us”I change it tolang = “english US”, “ui\settings\flag_usa.bmp”, “English (US)”, “english_f1_uk”Now I can enjoy the voice more while still using the US english as the language. Even though I don’t know what’s the difference between US and GB English.

[captainronni]

do you know what is the largest SD card the unit will accept?.. and does anyone have the new map update?....I just read that the update is by exchange of the original 1g sd card, and sending in the unit along with $100.00 to be exchanged for a 2g SD.....any clues?... thanks RS

[hayanami]

help :( ........ for some reason MyGuide stop working. the error message is Filed to open file: ctype.dat exiting application.