I have a Garmin Nuvi260W. How long does it take for new roads to appear on updates/downloads

Go to the Garmin website to update your maps. Depending on your Garmin model you may have free updates - up to 4 updates per year. otherwise they have to be purchased.

You can get details of how to update your garmin nuvi satnav at http://www.fixya.com/support/r5628920-update_garmin_satnav_maps

You can get a manual in adobe reader format from https://support.garmin.com/support/manuals/searchManuals.faces?refresh=true
Click the drop down arrow and if it's a satnav click ON THE ROAD
When the next drop down arrow appears select AUTOMOTIVE if your satnav is fairly new or DISCONTINUED if it's not.
When the third drop down arrow appears select your model of satnav. This will give you a page showing all the documentation for your satnav. Where it says USER MANUAL click DOWNLOAD and it will give you the manual.

What you do is go to Garmin.com (http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us) and register yourself and the unit, They have software that makes the trasnfer work. Be aware that this download process takes FOREVER (meaning more than an hour or two). Just plan enough time, as there is no concept of quick download and run..

Also, consider a subscription, as maps are being updated all of the time.

Navteq, who make the maps for Garmin and many other satnav makers, updates maps every 3 months or so. If they have been told of a new road it will generally appear on the next update unless it's reported too close to the release date. While most new roads are reported to them by the authorities you can report them yourself if you think it should have appeared on the maps by now.

If you want to report a new road or a map error you can do so at http://mapreporter.navteq.com/
There's a guide on how to do this on the left hand side of the site which can be downloaded.

Garmin updates new Maps annually, if new roads were built after the last update you would need to buy the new Map to get the roads...

You need to purchased the MAP update from Garmin so that you can load it to your unit.

No. If you want usefully updated maps, then you have to pay for them. Garmin do offer a "lifetime" maps subscription, but it's only for the lifetime of your product: given that most Garmin SatNav units don't last long enough to benefit from more than a couple of years worth of updates it's usually cheaper to buy the single update option, although the lifetime subscription gives you four updates per year and one-off is just a single annual update.

If your unit also needs updated traffic and camera alerts then it can be cheaper to buy a new satnav.

Your software is old. You need to update and you must use Garmin's WebUpdater. It free. Go here:
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After installing WebUpdater once from the Garmin website, perform all future software updates from your computer. Simply connect your compatible Garmin device to your computer, then run WebUpdater from your computer's "Start Menu" by selecting "Start", "Programs", "Garmin", and finally "WebUpdater"
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 REMEMBER: It takes hours to do a complete a map update.
Unless you bought the Lifetime "maps" you may have to pay for current maps.

You may clck on the link below to download the manual for your unit.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/userManual.jsp?market=4&subcategory=41&product=010-00656-30

if you need further assistance please contact me.

Have you updated the software since you purchased the unit? If not, go to Garmin's site, download WebUpdater and check to see if there is an update to the unit's software. If so, download this and see if it helps. If not, try downloading the same version of the software again. This might help also.