The software reset from both the toolbox menu and the reset button above the SD card had no effect. In an air of desperation with nothing to lose, we tried the firmware update as described in the “Buyer Beware” thread, but this only resulted in a bricked Sat-nav screen (the radio, bluetooth, etc functionality was unchanged though). We tried various fixes which eventually lost the french keyboard and with no means to select another. This effect was the same on both the original card backup from the G500 utility and the upgrade backup from the Naviextras utility. The on-screen keys were very small and the top line of the keyboard completely obscured the entry field. However, that’s when we found out the virtual keyboard for the navigation facility was missing!! We managed to locate and select the French keyboard from the tools menu which only solved half the problem.

The SD card would stay in the radio/sat-nav unit with no changes to the user experience. A comparison of differences between the original and the update appears to consist of mainly image and icon files. Immediately after this had finished I copied the card contents to the computer’s hard drive before running Mazda’s Naviextras Toolbox software which told us that there were no updates available to purchase!! However, there was a free update which we applied and once again backed up the SD card contents again. So with trepidation we copied the Mazda G500_SD-card_Tool files utility to a 64 Gb SD card and started the process running. By the way, it was not our intention to perform this - just to purchase and upgrade the on-board out-of-date map. I had previously read, and reread, the post Alpine 6.1 fitted to new models “Buyer Beware”, noting that loss of the virtual keyboard was a reoccurring problem when trying to bypass Mazda’s “customisation” with the stock Alpine INE-W920 functionality. The Mazda website listed a Europe map as being available for download but it also warned that his unit would need to have its firmware transferred to a micro-SD card as the new map wouldn’t otherwise fit in the onboard memory. I attempted to update the satnav on the AVN2 unit which appears to be a rebadged Alpine to the latest available map for a friend Richard in his 2014 NC Sport Venture, as his usual garage was not inclined to do it with the explanation that it needed a PC for this operation.

Naviextras map free download