New Tomtom, now what to do first?

the other users who faced the same error tried this instructions and solved the problem as follows:-- We have a result!
After calling the helpline to find it was number unobtainable! I returned the unit to Halfords who called another helpline number. They took my e-mail address and when I returned home an e-mail was waiting with the following instructions which worked.
I now have a fully functioning TomTom! Thanks for the advice fellas:

Thank you for contacting TomTom Customer Support.

In this email you will find the solution for the error on your TomTom. This solution can be used in the following situations:

• The device hangs in the start screen (splash screen)
• An SD-card with a red cross is displayed on the screen
• A picture with a red dot and white cross is displayed
• The device can’t be turned off

If you haven't already done so, please download and Install TomTom Home from http://www.tomtom.com/7602

If you don’t have a full backup of your TomTom yet we advise you to make one before continuing with the steps in this email. You can make a backup by following the steps below:

1. Reset your TomTom device: http://www.tomtom.com/6965 and connect it to your computer.
2. Click on 'Backup and Restore -> Backup' in TomTom Home 2.0
3. Enter a name for the backup and click [OK]
• IMPORTANT: When the software is asking to delete parts from the backup click [NO]

After the backup is made you delete the files from the root directory of the TomTom. Follow the steps below to do this:

1. Reset your TomTom device: http://www.tomtom.com/6965 and connect it to your computer.
2. Open My Computer in Windows, or Finder in Macintosh from your desktop and turn on your TomTom device.
3. On your screen a new removable disk appears, this is your TomTom device, click on the disk to open it.
4. You will see a list of folders and a list of loose files
5. Delete all of the loose files. IMPORTANT: The folders with their content must NOT be deleted.
5. Close the window when all files are deleted by clicking on the [x].

Next we will reinstall the application via TomTom HOME.

1. Start TomTom HOME on your computer
• TomTom Home should automatically check for updates and prompt you to install them, if not:-
2. Click on 'Update my device'. If you get the message 'No Items Available', or there is not an application to download, click on 'Add Maps, Traffic, Voices etc -> Items on my computer', select the application and click on 'Add'.
3. Select the Application update.
4. Click on 'Device -> Disconnect Device', then turn off your device when it is done installing and disconnect it from your computer.
5. On a PC, in the System Tray by the computer clock, click on the 'Safely Remove Hardware' icon and disconnect the TomTom also in this way.

When switching on the device it should boot as normal again.

On your device you may have a corrupt file that is causing the issues that you are experiencing. The solution to this is to completely remove the software from your device and reinstall it again as described in the steps below. Please ensure that you have the latest TomTom Home software installed on your computer:-

You can download and install the latest version of TomTom HOME from the following link:
http://www.tomtom.com/home

Once you have the latest version of TomTom Home installed, please follow these steps:-

STEP 1. Creating a Manual backup of your TomTom

• Charge your unit for at least two hours (preferably via the home charger)
• Perform a reset on your device (see: http://www.tomtom.com/6965 )

If you have not made a backup yet you can do so by making a manual backup of your TomTom. To do this, please look at the following web page:-

http://www.tomtom.com/3171#backup

• Connect your TomTom to the computer
• Open My Computer, you should see the TomTom as a removable drive, double click into it. (on a mac you will see the TomTom as a disk drive on your desktop)
• You will see a list of files and folders.
• Copy all of the folders on the TomTom, one by one to the backup folder.
• This can take up to 1 hour to complete depending on the device.
• If you get any error messages while copying, move on to the next folder and copy that to the backup folder.
• If possible, please make a note of any error message that occur while copying the folders, and make a note of which folder causes the error message.

IMPORTANT: We advise you to follow the next steps ONLY if you have made a successful backup of your device as described in step 1. If you are unable to complete step 1, please reply back with a list of yellow folders that you have managed to successfully copy to your PC and also reply back with any error messages that you receive at this point.

STEP 2. Format the hard-disk,

• Open 'My Computer'
• Right click on the TomTom icon (the device should be seen in drive E,F,G,H,I etc) and select 'Format'.
• Do a full format by selecting FAT 32 and click on Start, do not select 'quick format'. The TomTom is now formatted.
• Disconnect the TomTom from the computer and switch it on. It will load up with a red cross on the screen.
• Reset the TomTom with a paperclip in the reset hole for 30 seconds, see http://www.tomtom.com/6965 in how to do this.
• Once Reset, switch the TomTom off, disconnect it from the computer and then switch it back on again, it will still show a red cross on the screen.

STEP 3. Restore the Folders to the TomTom

• Connect your TomTom back to the computer and make sure it is switched on
• Go to your backup folder on your desktop, double left click into it. You will see all of your backup folders.
• Copy the folders one by one to the TomTom by right clicking on the folder, select copy then open My Computer, double left click onto the TomTom drive and choose paste.
• Turn the device off (with the on/off switch) and disconnect it from the computer.
• Switch the TomTom back on.

STEP 4. Update your device

• Open TomTom Home
• Connect your device to the PC
• A list of updates should appear, if not, click on Update my Go
• Select only the program application update.
• Click on Update and Install.
• Once Installed, open TomTom Home
• Click on 'Device -> Disconnect Device'.
• Turn the device off (with the on/off switch) and disconnect it from the computer.
• Switch your TomTom On to complete the installation.

The Application is now installed, and your TomTom should now be working.

STEP 5. Run the Clear Flash Tool

• Connect your TomTom to the computer
• Close TomTom Home. (on a PC, make sure you close TomTom Home from the system tray in the bottom right hand corner of your screen by the computer clock)
• Download and run the clear flash tool from : http://www.tomtom.com/updates/clear_flash/clear_flash.exe Make sure your TomTom is connected to the computer and switched on when you do this.

• Once Installed, open TomTom Home
• Click on 'Device -> Disconnect Device'.
• Turn the device off (with the on/off switch) and disconnect it from the computer.
• Switch your TomTom On to complete the installation.

The Application is now installed, and your TomTom should now be working.

* IMPORTANT *
If you have any issues with copying the contents of the TomTom to your PC and back again, please let us know and state what error messages, if any, that there are.
Please reply back with the details of what happens.

On your device you may have a corrupt file that is causing the noise distortion when you use the computer voices. The solution to this is to completely remove the software from your device and reinstall it again as described in the steps below. Please ensure that you have the latest TomTom Home software installed on your computer:-

You can download and install the latest version of TomTom HOME from the following link:
http://www.tomtom.com/home

Once you have the latest version of TomTom Home installed, please follow these steps:-

STEP 1. Creating a Manual backup of your TomTom

• Charge your unit for at least two hours (preferably via the home charger)
• Perform a reset on your device (see: http://www.tomtom.com/6965 )

If you have not made a backup yet you can do so by making a manual backup of your TomTom. To do this, please look at the following web page:-

http://www.tomtom.com/3171#backup

• Connect your TomTom to the computer
• Open My Computer, you should see the TomTom as a removable drive, double click into it. (on a mac you will see the TomTom as a disk drive on your desktop)
• You will see a list of files and folders.
• Copy all of the folders on the TomTom, one by one to the backup folder. DO NOT copy the 'Loquendo' folder.
• This can take up to 1 hour to complete depending on the device.
• If you get any error messages while copying, move on to the next folder and copy that to the backup folder.
• If possible, please make a note of any error message that occur while copying the folders, and make a note of which folder causes the error message.

IMPORTANT: We advise you to follow the next steps ONLY if you have made a successful backup of your device as described in step 1. If you are unable to complete step 1, please reply back with a list of yellow folders that you have managed to successfully copy to your PC and also reply back with any error messages that you receive at this point.

STEP 2. Format the hard-disk,

• Open 'My Computer'
• Right click on the TomTom icon (the device should be seen in drive E,F,G,H,I etc) and select 'Format'.
• Do a full format by selecting FAT 32 and click on Start, do not select 'quick format'. The TomTom is now formatted.
• Disconnect the TomTom from the computer and switch it on. It will load up with a red cross on the screen.
• Reset the TomTom with a paperclip in the reset hole for 30 seconds, see http://www.tomtom.com/6965 in how to do this.
• Once Reset, switch the TomTom off, disconnect it from the computer and then switch it back on again, it will still show a red cross on the screen.

STEP 3. Restore the Folders to the TomTom

• Connect your TomTom back to the computer and make sure it is switched on
• Go to your backup folder on your desktop, double left click into it. You will see all of your backup folders.
• Copy the folders one by one to the TomTom by right clicking on the folder, select copy then open My Computer, double left click onto the TomTom drive and choose paste.
• Turn the device off (with the on/off switch) and disconnect it from the computer.
• Switch the TomTom back on.

STEP 4. Update your device

• Open TomTom Home
• Connect your device to the PC
• A list of updates should appear, if not, click on Update my Go
• Select only the program application update.
• Click on Update and Install.
• Once Installed, open TomTom Home
• Click on 'Device -> Disconnect Device'.
• Turn the device off (with the on/off switch) and disconnect it from the computer.
• Switch your TomTom On to complete the installation.

The Application is now installed, and your TomTom should now be working.

STEP 5. Run the Clear Flash Tool

• Connect your TomTom to the computer
• Close TomTom Home. (on a PC, make sure you close TomTom Home from the system tray in the bottom right hand corner of your screen by the computer clock)
• Download and run the clear flash tool from : http://www.tomtom.com/updates/clear_flash/clear_flash.exe Make sure your TomTom is connected to the computer and switched on when you do this.

• Once Installed, open TomTom Home
• Click on 'Device -> Disconnect Device'.
• Turn the device off (with the on/off switch) and disconnect it from the computer.
• Switch your TomTom On to complete the installation.

STEP 6. Install a computer voice

• Connect your TomTom to the computer
• Open TomTom Home
• Click on 'Add maps, traffic and voices -> computer voices
• select the voice of Kate and install it.


The Computer voice is now installed, and your TomTom should now be working.

This solution can be used in the following situations:

• The device hangs in the start screen (splash screen )
• An SD-card with a red cross is displayed on the screen
• A picture with a red dot and white cross is displayed
• The device can’t be turned off

If you haven't already done so, please download and Install TomTom Home from http://www.tomtom.com/7602

If you don’t have a full backup of your TomTom yet we advise you to make one before continuing with the steps in this email. You can make a backup by following the steps below:

1. Reset your TomTom device: http://www.tomtom.com/6965 and connect it to your computer.
2. Click on 'Backup and Restore -> Backup' in TomTom Home 2.0
3. Enter a name for the backup and click [OK]
• IMPORTANT: When the software is asking to delete parts from the backup click [NO]

After the backup is made you delete the files from the root directory of the TomTom. Follow the steps below to do this:

1. Reset your TomTom device: http://www.tomtom.com/6965 and connect it to your computer.
2. Open My Computer in Windows, or Finder in Macintosh from your desktop and turn on your TomTom device.
3. On your screen a new removable disk appears, this is your TomTom device, click on the disk to open it.
4. You will see a list of folders and a list of loose files
5. Delete all of the loose files. IMPORTANT: The folders with their content must NOT be deleted.
5. Close the window when all files are deleted by clicking on the [x].

Next we will reinstall the application via TomTom HOME.

1. Start TomTom HOME on your computer
• TomTom Home should automatically check for updates and prompt you to install them, if not:-
2. Click on 'Update my device'. If you get the message 'No Items Available', or there is not an application to download, click on 'Add Maps, Traffic, Voices etc -> Items on my computer', select the application and click on 'Add'.
3. Select the Application update.
4. Click on 'Device -> Disconnect Device', then turn off your device when it is done installing and disconnect it from your computer.
5. On a PC, in the System Tray by the computer clock, click on the 'Safely Remove Hardware' icon and disconnect the TomTom also in this way.

When switching on the device it should boot as normal again.

Make an account here, for free:
http://www.tomtom.com/myTomTom/myProfile/index.php

Then, install Tom Tom Home:
http://www.tomtom.com/support/support.php?ID=3&Language=1

IMPORTANT:
Make a full backup, better safe, than sorry...
Do this backup vith explorer or similar,
just copy ALL content from device to a folder on your computer.
Remember to set explorer to show hidden and system files.

Connect device to pc, update device via TomTom Home....