@UnXpectedError -- A highly compressed 60 GB disk image is still 16+ GB; the 80 GB Hitachi fitted in EU main units will be larger yet. Better to just repartition & format your replacement HDD/SDD in a QNX 6.5SP1 VM -- see my notes on this over at vwvortex.com: https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/mmi3gp-hard-disk-information.9497663/post-115975309
If you know enough to pull the HDD out of an MMI3GP main unit, installing the QNX VM on a host PC/laptop should be relative easy. Restore the SSS partition from the K0711 update SD, followed by restoring the navdb from @Lysy 's reworking of Audi NAR 6.24.0 release.

Note that your replacement drive needs to be Power-Safe to conform to the QNX6 filesystem driver.

User @Lysy here just recently fitted a 128 GB Samsung SSD in his EU RNS-850 system, so he might also have some remarks for your recovery project (for a lot less than replacing with a new main unit). --g

 

@UnXpectedError
You don't need a disk image for anything. You need a PC with Windows, You need QNX VM ware (will be provided), You need @DrGER s HDD script, which automatically will divide Your HDD into proper partitions, You need Gracenote database (provided) and You'll need a SSD disk with Renkforce adaptor or an original 60/80 GB PATA HDD. Also some skills with disassembling Your glovebox/main unit will be neccessary.

1. First You need to dismantle the glovebox, start from removing glovebox light and unplug it. Then open side cover, find aribag switch plug and remove it as well (yellow), unscrew all You need and You may unplug a hose from air condition to the glovebox (this rubber thick thing). Then Your glovebox will be completely separated. Then lower Your MU, put two VW keys to remove it from the bracket and that's it. I also discovered that our gloveboxes (all of them) have cracked right mounting point. It's due the fact, that metal bracket which holds it, is pushed too much to the back, then tension comes and it cracks. I've repaired mine with a washer and a epoxy glue:

2. Open Your MU, unscrew four pieces from the bottom which holds Your HDD drive, and remove it. Be careful not to loose these blue thermopads (4 of them):

3. You need to assemble Your Renkforce adapter with SSD drive, I used some thick tape to secure it in place:

... end of part one.

 

4. When it's all fitted You need to plug Your drive to a PC (additional PATA->USB will be needed), install VM and apply @DrGER script:

5. You need to download Gracenote database, copy it to USB drive, then mount proper partitions and copy it's content to 187:

6. Put everything back together, pay attentions to these thermopads. Then open Green Menu and check whether the drive is initialised:

7. If so, install complete firmware with User defined mode, then the maps. For NAR You'll need to install full V12 maps with User defined mode, and then my maps in User defined mode.

That's all. There's an additional thread on this forum which explains how to fiddle with QNX and to make these partitions:

https://www.clubtouareg.com/threads/rns850-hdd-problem.302112/

Later I'll post this Gracenote database link.

 

 

This is latest CD database:

895.03 MB file on MEGA

mega.nz

 

Someone get this man a beer ^^^
🍻 🍻 🍻

 

He does not drink any more.... try to keep up!

 

I've stopped drinking years ago, how else do you think i can afford to to fix this thing. And my countries national pastime is alcohol consumption. We even have a date in a couple of weeks to celebrate even though it has absolutely nothing to do with drinking!

 

I wouldn't do anything without @DrGER s help. Also there were so many obstacles, which we had to discuss about... First I used that kind of adapter:

It WILL NOT WORK. Then bought this one:

And it WILL NOT WORK as well, so don't buy it... Only this red one from Taiwan is fully checked. It supports all the features MU uses.

 

And the last thing...

It's very probable that You could skip firmware uploading, because maps installation doubles what firmware is copying to this drive. And if You have already my maps installed, You could skip installing V12 as well. Proper acios_db.ini file will be present at the system, so only database files will be missing. But it's completely up to You what path to choose.

 

See my notes in post #2 about restoring the Speech (SSS) files to partition /dev/hd0t79 (/mnt/sss). The HN+_US software will not have anything else stored to the HDD that doesn't come from the nav database release media.

Gracenote is optional; the system will operate fine without a valid CD-Database in /mnt/gracenode.

And the IDE/mSATA adapter that @Lysy describes is made by Ableconn and sold here in the U.S. on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ableconn-IIDE-MSAT-2-5-Inch-Converter-Aluminum/dp/B017VQT5YW/ --g

 

I wonder what happens, when You'll enable Gracenote via GEM and not have it on the HDD?

 

@Lysy -- No Gracenote CD-Database is mostly harmless; the server process just fails to initialize:

00:52    6 20000     0 Process[91]: 'RUN' '/usr/sbin/gracenote_srvr'
...
00:52    5 10000     2 gracenote_init(73) : Initializing Gracenote with verbosity (0).
00:52    5 10000     2 gracenote_init(162) : Error occured but was not trapped.  Gracenote init will fail(20c) ("Missing database (0x00020C)". Reported in "TOC Lookup (0x0006)".)
00:52    5 10000     2 gracenote_init(168) : Unable to init gracenote database, "Missing database (0x00020C)". Reported in "TOC Lookup (0x0006)".
00:52    5 10000     2 main(53) : Gracenote Init failed, exiting.
...
00:53    6 20000     0 Process /usr/sbin/gracenote_srvr terminated with EXIT_FAILURE
00:53    6 20000     0 Process[91]: 'STOP' '/usr/sbin/gracenote_srvr'

You never notice it's missing if you never play audio CDs released before the database, anyway. I think that it is also used when ripping audio CDs to the HDD Jukebox media database. But given that it's never been updated for MMI3GP, it's just a marketing gimmick, IMO.

@Dannyboy485 -- We were in Dublin a few years back and enjoyed our Guinness from the source. Looking forward to a pint after work tomorrow. Cheers --g

 

Just buy a real IDE/PATA solid state drive, made for upgrading legacy computers. This is what I have in my RNS 510. It will be much faster and more reliable than trying to use an sd card for a hard drive.

 

I like that thought as well. They must be pricy tho?

 

Wow and I went to bed wondering if anyone would reply to this thread. Thanks very much Lysy and DrGER a ton of useful info here.

I had no idea a blank RNS drive could be reloaded in this fashion. Looks pretty straight forward the vm part should be no issue and it looks like you have all the required info to build partitions and load the data..... thats awesome guys 🍻

My biggest issue will likely be sourcing those parts into Canada so i better get started on that.

Last time i went thru this I found info at VWNavi forums......they closed up shop i guess?

 

@casioqv -- This has been discuss on various Audi forums since '14 or so, all ending in failed attempts due to the QNX6 requirement for a Power-Safe device. The Ableconn adapter paired with a Swissbit industrial SSD is the way to go long-term.

@Lysy confirmed that the Samsung PM871 SSD conforms to the QNX Power-Safe requirement, but the device is not rated for automotive/industrial environments (mostly for operating temperatures). The Samsung device is relatively inexpensive, so get two, and when the first fails due to summer (heat wave) or winter (polar vortex) operation, you'll have a spare. --g

 

@casioqv -- This has been discuss on various Audi forums since '14 or so, all ending in failed attempts due to the QNX6 requirement for a Power-Safe device.

Interesting… first I’ve heard of this. Any more info? Virtually all SSDs should have power loss protection… sudden loss of power can happen on any computer. The cheap PATA ssds on Amazon I’ve seen do seem to have power loss protection (plp). Basically, just a capacitor that finishes the write operations if power is cut. Is that the same thing you are talking about?

 

They’re about $50. That counts as free in Touareg parts price logic. They will handle vibrations, cold temps, etc. better than the oem HDD.

 

@UnXpectedError -- Harman-Becker made some MMI3GP main units for Audi & Lamborghini starting in Nov '17 with SSD devices; we think it is this device (sold by a shop in Spain): MP601GECWBC 60GB SSD for Audi VW Tourag Car Navigation Media MMI 3G+
I believe the SSD is an industrial device made by Silicon Motion.

The other comment I want to make on this thread is that the 7P6035664 main unit made by H-B for the 7P Touareg is essentially the same as most other MMI3GP main units made between 2011 and 2018 or so (except for EEPROM and flash memory images). If you found a clean main unit from, say, a wrecked 2013+ Q5 at a local salvage yard for a good price, you could likely recycle the HDD. But the price would have to be right. --g

 

@UnXpectedError -- Harman-Becker made some MMI3GP main units for Audi & Lamborghini starting in Nov '17 with SSD devices; we think it is this device (sold by a shop in Spain): MP601GECWBC 60GB SSD for Audi VW Tourag Car Navigation Media MMI 3G+
I believe the SSD is an industrial device made by Silicon Motion.

The other comment I want to make on this thread is that the 7P6035664 main unit made by H-B for the 7P Touareg is essentially the same as most other MMI3GP main units made between 2011 and 2018 or so (except for EEPROM and flash memory images). If you found a clean main unit from, say, a wrecked 2013+ Q5 at a local salvage yard for a good price, you could likely recycle the HDD. But the price would have to be right. --g

Oh cool, I just bought a 2018 Audi S6 with a date code 12-17. Hopefully it has an SSD. It still has comp factory warranty so i wont be pulling it apart to find out i dont think.

Wow nice price as well! I think thats the winner for the Touareg replacement HDD no?

 

Jesus, this is a legitimate project to getting that fix. I'm not even joking when I say this but I would sell the ****ing thing if I had to go through all that work just to get the rns working again

 

It was working fine before. Just an upgrade

 

I mean the OP whose asking for the disk image. I'm super impressed at your level of knowledge on fixing and modding these rns units though!

 

“If it’s working, take it apart and find out why” -Oilhammer on TDIclub

 

I've tried running computer systems off of flash cards, and USB sticks before, and it doesn't seem to work well long term. You are right that on paper they are fast enough, but there seems to be some other issues. My best guess is that they last for much less write operations, and start to fail before an SSD does... but I don't know exactly what happens.

Maybe that is fine if like you are saying it's not actually running the OS off of the drive, or writing much data to it.

The original mechanical drive in Touareg failed suddenly on cold start during a high altitude mountain camping trip. I'm not sure what temp it was, but it was very cold.... however the diesel started fine.

 

@UnXpectedError -- An adapter is always required to use an SSD device, since the MMI3G main unit uses the IDE interface -- I'm also interested in seeing what's inside the MP601GECWBC (mostly out of curiosity); my guess is that the Silicon Motion SSD is surface mounted to a special-purpose IDE controller (similar to what Harman-Beck did for the integrated 3G data modem module fitted in EU RNS850 main units). We know the Transcend IDE SSD device will not work properly in the MMI3GP main unit. As @Lysy notes, how the IDE/SSD adapter is implemented matters.

@casioqv -- We know that at system startup, the MMI3G main unit mounts the main partitions read-only; this from /usr/bin/hddmgr.cfg:

/* the first entry is the first partition to mount... */
/* only mmebackup1 and persistence are mountet rw */
mount_path_name = -r -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t79 /mnt/sss ;
mount_path_name = -r -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t77 /mnt/nav ;
mount_path_name = -r -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t187 /mnt/gracenode ;
mount_path_name = -r -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t78 /mnt/mediadisk ;
mount_path_name = -w -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t187.1 /mnt/mmebackup1 ;
mount_path_name = -w -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t187.2 /mnt/persistence ;
mount_path_name = -w -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t187.3 /mnt/img-cache ;
mount_path_name = -w -t qnx6 /dev/hd0t187.4 /mnt/pv-cache ;

Unless your RNS850 has a working GEMMI client (for the Google Earth map image overlay), not much data is written to the HDD during normal operation; the other partitions are remounted read-write by the MMI3GApplication or MMI3GMedia processes only for software updates and media imports respectively, as necessary. --g

 

Holly Molly! Another project to back up the HD, to SSD, before it fails 🙄😂

 

Better stock up on glue sticks..... subscribed!

 

I'm not having any luck finding that Renkforce ST-173-7.

Seems to be end of life and out of stock. Are there any other known working PATA to any style SDD adapter?

 

@UnXpectedError -- Look for the Ableconn IIDE-MSAT adapter: http://ableconn.com/products_2.php?gid=69
Sold on Amazon in the US. --g

 

Thank you 🍻 Ordered!

 

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