I had to exchange my last satnav as it wasn't working. I have a 'lifetime map upgrade' & am unsure how to download it onto my new one!

There are no free maps. You can buy "lifetime map updates" which costs around 85 Euros. When you go to buy the update from the garmin website it gives you the option of a once off update or a lifetime update. If you buy the lifetime update you get to update your satnav 4 times each year for the lifetime of your satnav. Lifetime in this instance means the lifetime of your satnav not your lifetime.

Satnavs with LT on the name have free lifetime traffic updates included with the satnav.
Satnavs with LMT on the name have free lifetime maps and traffic updates.

NOTE: Lifetime means the life of the satnav not your life

It's only free to download the latest maps if a new map comes out within 60 days of your satnav first accessing satellites or if you have a satnav that comes with lifetime maps. However you can buy lifetime maps. The lifetime map of Europe costs €85 and you get updates every 4 months or so for the lifetime of the satnav.

The basic 1350 model doesn't have free map updates but the 1350LMT model does. LMT stands for lifetime map and traffic updates but of course you're pay extra for the LMT models. Note lifetime means the lifetime of the satnav not your life. It comes with maps of Australia and NZ when bought in one of these countries. If you want more than these maps you'll need to store them on a memory card. You'll have to download them to your computer and then install them to a memory card. You'll find details of how to do this at http://www.fixya.com/support/r5628920-update_garmin_satnav_maps which tells you how to update your maps including how to set up a map on a memory card. I hope this answers your question.

If you're happy with the satnav you have it's cheaper to update. You have the option of buying a once off map update or a lifetime update. That is for the lifetime of the satnav not your life. With a lifetime update, which costs around 120 euros, you get 4 updates each year. This is the cheapest option. However the only problem with this method is that the maps get bigger each time you update and the space on your satnav stays the same. I started off with a full map of Europe and now I'm only able to store Western Europe on my garmin nuvi 760. You can use memory cards to hold some of the map but older garmin satnavs have a problem recognising the maps on memory cards. If you need the full map you might be better buying a new satnav every few years. If you only use part of the map a lifetime update might be the best option.

If you decide to go for a new satnav I would suggest that you go for one with the biggest storage space possible and then get a lifetime update or get a model that comes with lifetime updates like the 3790LMT. You can judge the storage size by the amount of maps it comes with. The 3790 model has the complete USA + Canada and Mexico or the 2370LT comes with maps of Europe and USA, lifetime traffic updates but not lifetime maps.

If it's the 1300 it does not have free updates. The only time you get a free update is if a new map comes out within 60 days of your satnav first accessing satellites. If it's the 1300LMT then it does have free lifetime updates. The LMT stands for lifetime maps and traffic. Of course you're paying for the updates in the price of the satnav. (Lifetime means the life of your satnav not your life)

If yours doesn't have the LMT you can buy lifetime map updatess on the garmin website. Updates come out around 4 times each year but it's up to yourself how often you want to update. The satnav usually displays a message advising you to update when the map is a year old but it will continue to work if you don't update.

You can get information about how to update your satnav at http://www.fixya.com/support/r5628920-update_garmin_satnav_maps

There's only one way to update a garmin satnav without risking destroying it. You can find details of how to do so at http://www.fixya.com/support/r5628920-update_garmin_satnav_maps. To do a once off update will cost in the region of 80 euros. To get a lifetime update will cost around 140 euros. The price varies depending on the map you want to download. This is for the lifetime of the satnav rather than your lifetime.

The nuvi 200 is a discontinued satnav, even though it may only be a few years old, and the problem with it is that it probably won't be able to hold the complete updated map. This means that you'll have to download only part of the map e.g. if you have a map of Europe you may have to settle for Western Europe or Central Europe etc. You can download the whole map to your computer and install the remainder to an SD card. However maps on an SD card rarely work with the nuvi 200.

So it depends on what you want. If you want the complete map it may be better to go for a new satnav and try to sell your old one to cover part of the cost. If you only use the satnav in your own country or state you might be happier to just update and settle for part of the map. Some new garmin satnavs come with free lifetime map updates. They can be identified by the letters LMT at the end of the model name. Of course you're paying for them in the price of the satnav. The problem with the new satnavs is that in 3 years time or so they will also be discontinued and outdated and the full maps will probably not fit on them either.

The only time garmin give free map updates is if a new map becomes available within 60 days of your satnav first accessing satellites. Details of how to update your maps are at http://www.fixya.com/support/r5628920-update_garmin_satnav_maps
The only difference in getting them free or paying for them is that if you're entitled to a free update when you click on the GET UPDATE link you'll either be directed to the payments page if it's not free or to the download page if it is. The cost of a map update is approx 50 euros for a one off update or you can get a lifetime update for around 130 euros. The lifetime update is for the life of your satnav not for your own lifetime.

It's a good idea to back up your favourites before updating just in case anything goes wrong. You can get details of how to do this at http://www.fixya.com/support/r8422587-backup_restore_favourites_garmin_nuvi

Unfortunately the garmin 200W, like most of the garmin satnavs, doesn't have much storage space so you should be given the option to download part of the map only to your satnav. To get the full map the only option is to download the map to your computer. When you go to download the map from the garmin website select OPTIONS. In the options menu select download to computer. This installs a program called Mapinstall on your computer which contains the map. If you need to use more of the map you can then either replace the part installed on your satnav by running the mapinstall program from your computer or install it to an SD card. Note however that while garmin say that nuvi satnavs support SD cards up to 16 Gb some cards don't seem to work in them. Before spending all the time it takes to put your map on the card test it in your satnav first by putting music or pictures on it to see if it works

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.