Sunday, January 10, 2010

[Maemo 5 / N900 How To] Install maps without using Map Loader

Posted on 11:18 by SlipKoRnSaad

I was thinking that connecting N900 to mass-storage mode and use the latest Nokia Map Loader 3.0.28.0 will allow me to install my maps without a headache, but i was wrong, it simply does not work...the Map Loader just keeps blinking that it's waiting for a phone (on both windows xp and 7) ! You know, it says the maps application is not open when connected through PC Suite mode and keeps blinking when it's connected through mass storage mode...so i started looking for some work around to this "bug" (?) till i remember an old way to do it, like on the first Nokia's map (ovi maps) releases...

Just to know, Nokia Map Loader downloads the maps as a zip file from http://static.s2g.gate5.de/maploaderzip/0.0.7h/[NUMBER].zip to a temp folder, and then unzips the content to the memory card. [NUMBER] is an ID, each country has its own.

After running Ovi Maps on the N900 once before you add any maps or voices (This will create the required folder structure on your memory card), all you have to do is to :

1. Download the map of your country from the link on the page
2. Unzip the map file, which contained subfolders called 0 to 9 and a to f
3. Connect the n900 in mass storage mode.
4. Open the folder Cities\diskcache (You may need to tell your computer to show hidden files and folders)
5. Copy/paste the downloaded files (the unzipped map files to the above folder on the n900)
6. Windows will pop up a message saying these folders exist. Just select replace with the new items.
7. Disconnect the phone, opened up Ovi Maps and the maps will be there.

I'm not sure we'll have the latest maps releases with this workaround, you have to use a tool like Fiddler to track HTTP update traffic...

Anyway, if you have some questions, feel free to leave them on comments ;)

1 Response to "[Maemo 5 / N900 How To] Install maps without using Map Loader"