For the last 18 or so hours, Garmin.com has been unavailable. And, if we know anything about endurance sports its that if a workout isnt uploaded to Strava, it definitely didnt happen. So, Im here to help you get the Kudos you deserve.
Now of course, theres rumors and speculation out there on the cause of Garmins outage, none of it is concrete (and none of it from Garmin, except to say theyre down totally down). What is concrete though is the fact that Garmin and the entire platform is down. Dead-down. Totally unresponsive like your legs the day after a marathon. Ultimately, every company out there has their Oh snap sized outage. No matter how big or small, it eventually happens. For Garmin, today was eventually.
The good news though is that if theres one thing to give Garmin credit for here, its that *EVERY* Garmin wearable, bike computer, hiking handheld, and so on, can be plugged into any computer and easily uploaded to any site you want. Be it Strava, TrainingPeaks, Myspace, or even MapMyRun. And, if you were around this block a few years ago before Bluetooth in watches you might even still remember how to do it.
I note this because not all wearables actually support using a computer during an outage. In fact, surprisingly few do (such as not Polar, Suunto, Fitbit, COROS, and more). Whereas most bike computers do (including Wahoo, Lezyne, Stages, Sigma, and Hammerhead). Ive never really understood why wearable companies are so against it, whereas bike computer companies do it just fine.
In any case, like Garmin.com, thats neither here nor there. So, lets get your workout up to Strava.
Note: For those with much older FR310XT, FR910XT, and some of the FR405/410 models, you can still do things locally, but you need slightly different instructions. See this comment here in the comments section, which outlines the steps. Theres a few variants of how you can do this, none of which is hard. Both variants are outlined below.
Update: Unrelated to this post (but in case people are ending up here looking for a solution), some people have reported issues where their Garmin wont save activities anymore. This is both related and unrelated to the outage issue. Essentially the pattern is all those people had 199 activities on their units. and it turns out that behind the scenes Garmin Connect was clearing out the older activities to make room for the next one when it synced. But with that piece not online, the garbage man didnt clear it out. To remedy this, simply move a chunk (or all) of the files in the Activities folder to your computer. Its the same folder this entire post is about down below in each section, so you can just follow those steps and simply remove the older activities (which have undoubtedly synced long ago).
First, find the cable. Undoubtedly you know where that is, since its what you charge your Garmin with. However, if you have a Garmin Edge device which uses micro-USB (if newer) or mini-USB (if older), just be sure that if its not the Garmin cable (which are literally labeled with Garmin at the end), that its a data transfer cable and not just a charging-only cable. Ive got plenty of micro-USB cables that are charge-only, and they wont work. In short, if the device doesnt show up in your computer, then youve got a charge-only cable.
Step 1: Plug the device in: This is simple. Itll automatically turn on, wait a few seconds.
Step 2A: (non-Music devices) Open Windows Explorer: For this step, Im just showing you where the file is, before we actually upload it. Its a practice run. Once your Garmin device shows up, itll usually have a Garmin icon and a drive letter. Inside that, youll find a folder called Garmin, and then another folder called Activities. Within that, if you sort by date modified, youll find a bunch of files. Your file is the one dated today, or, if not dated like a normal file, then itll be the most recent one.
Step 2B: (Music devices) Open Windows Explorer: In the case of music-enabled devices (like a Garmin Forerunner 245/645 Music, Forerunner 945, Fenix 5 Plus Series, Fenix 6 Pro Series, Vivoactive 3 Music, Vivoactive 4, Venu, etc), these will show up slightly differently. Youll see them listed by their full name without a drive letter, and then below that, youll need to go into the Primary folder, and then the Garmin, then Activity folders to find your activity file.
Step 3: Upload the file: Now, navigate over to your platform of choice, and choose the file to upload. For this example, Ill use Strava. In the upper right corner, select the drop-down + icon, and then choose Upload activity.
Step 4: Choose to Upload File: Now, simply hit Choose Files:
Step 5: Upload the file: Thatll pop-open a dialog box, which allows you to choose the file. Navigate back to the same place as before. Pro Tip: If you still have that Windows Explorer window open from before, then you can click on your file and select Copy, and then paste it into the File Name spot below and itll find it automatically. Either way, hit Open.
And with that youre done! Your workout is now available and good to go and available on Strava! In a few seconds youll be able to edit all the usual fields and save it:
Rinse, repeat for any other workouts during the outage (especially if this thing lasts a while).
First, find the cable. Undoubtedly you know where that is, since its what you charge your Garmin with. However, if you have a Garmin Edge device which uses micro-USB (if newer) or mini-USB (if older), just be sure that if its not the Garmin cable (which are literally labeled with Garmin at the end), that its a data transfer cable and not just a charging-only cable. Ive got plenty of micro-USB cables that are charge-only, and they wont work. In short, if the device doesnt show up in your computer, then youve got a charge-only cable.
And, if you need a dongle to connect to USB-C, then undoubtedly you know where that is. Its probably attached to your Mac, because you still need that thing every day.
Step 1: Plug the device in (unless its a music-enabled watch, then skip to Step 2B): This is simple. Itll automatically turn on, wait a few seconds.
Step 2A: (non-Music device) Open Finder: For this step, Im just showing you where the file is, before we actually upload it. Its a practice run. Once your Garmin device shows up, itll usually be under Locations and just say GARMIN. Inside that, youll find a folder also called Garmin, and then another folder called Activities. Within that, if you sort by date modified, youll find a bunch of files. Your file is the one dated today, or, if not dated like a normal file, then itll be the most recent one.
Step 2B: (Music devices only) Install Android File Transfer: In the case of music-enabled devices (like a Garmin Forerunner 245/645 Music, Forerunner 945, Fenix 5 Plus Series, Fenix 6 Pro Series, Vivoactive 3 Music, Vivoactive 4, Venu, etc), these will show up slightly differently.
Thats because the Garmin wearables are in MTP mode, which is great for music, but sucky for accessing the normal files. Youll need to install a little (and crazy-widely used) utility called Android File Transfer, as well, and then close/quit Garmin Express if you have it installed/running on your Mac (itll block access otherwise). Normally this utility is used to allow Macs to connect to Android phones. But works here well.
Once youve got it installed, open it up (again, remember to fully close Garmin Express first), and then plug in your Garmin device. Itll show up just like below. Then, simply navigate to the Garmin > Activities folder within that to find the file.
Step 3: Upload the file: Now, navigate over to your platform of choice, and choose the file to upload. For this example, Ill use Strava. In the upper right corner, select the drop-down + icon, and then choose Upload activity.
Step 4: Choose to Upload File: Now, simply hit Choose Files (you may need to first select File from the left side):
Step 5: Upload the file: Thatll pop-open a dialog box, which allows you to choose the file. Navigate back to the same place as before. Again, youre going to Garmin > Activities, and looking for the most recent file, updated today, hit Open.
And with that youre done! Your workout is now available and good to go and available on Strava! In a few seconds youll be able to edit all the usual fields and save it:
Rinse, repeat for any other workouts during the outage (especially if this thing lasts a while).
Ok, with that good luck! Note, theres no method available to get things like steps, distance walked, or anything else onto other platforms (never really was, save some corporate wellness programs). That data is actually sitting on your watch in little .FIT files, but by itself it wont sync without Garmin Connect being online. And given thats not online, youre not getting that data.
Fear not though once Garmin.com is back up, that data will simply flow over to your account.
Also dont worry about duplicates on Strava. Its smart enough to easily detect a duplicate file, and so when Garmin eventually syncs your workouts behind the scenes, it just discards duplicate files. This is a feature I test every single day. So it works pretty darn well.
With that thanks for reading!
Follow this link:
How To Upload Your Garmin Workout During the Outage - DC Rainmaker
- Mind uploading - 01 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Mind uploading - 02 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A new way to battle Mexican drug cartels - KLTV - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Mobile Health Screening Units Visit Lowe's Workers - International Supermarket News - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- The quintessential sewing machine - Business Mirror - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- The Future of Windows - Technologizer (blog) - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- SEO Press Release Distribution Site Online PR News Celebrates 10000 Active Users - Online PR News (press release) - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Utilizing Online Mailing Services – Make the Most of Direct Marketing - RisMedia.com (press release) - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Carr's first look at 'Extreme' home - KLTV - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Should you advertise on iPhones? - Smart Company (blog) - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Review: Mega Man 10 - Destructoid - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Had I World Enough, and Time - Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies - March 8th, 2010 [March 8th, 2010]
- Unicast Continues Innovative Technology Enhancements With Latest Release of ... - CNNMoney.com (press release) - March 16th, 2010 [March 16th, 2010]
- Facebook scouts for 'passionate' India head - Economic Times - March 16th, 2010 [March 16th, 2010]
- SXSW: YouTube Launches Partner Program for Indie Bands - Wired News - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Wider Still and Wider! - Bangkok Post - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- P2P Versus The World - Rampage - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Yakuza 3 - The MMOMFG Review - MMOMFG (blog) - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Behind the musings: The annotated high schools column - Chicago Tribune (blog) - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Jihad Jane, YouTube, and Me - David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog (blog) - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Justin Bieber Releases 'U Smile,' Announces Summer Tour Dates - MTV.com - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- FCC announces National Broadband Plan - VentureBeat - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Image hosting on the cheap: a look at three free services - Ars Technica - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- Content Management: Secrets of the Trade - Formtek Blog (blog) - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- FCC's National Broadband Plan: There is a dark side - ZDNet - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- 5 Reasons Old Media Should Buy Facebook - AllFacebook (blog) - March 17th, 2010 [March 17th, 2010]
- "Steal It" and Other Internal YouTube Emails from Viacom's Copyright Suit - Fast Company - March 19th, 2010 [March 19th, 2010]
- Now cafes in monument premises for tourists during CWG - Sify - March 19th, 2010 [March 19th, 2010]
- Google-Viacom court papers leave a lot to the imagination - FierceOnlineVideo - March 19th, 2010 [March 19th, 2010]
- FCC's broadband plan: A possible dream - Washington Post (blog) - March 19th, 2010 [March 19th, 2010]
- The Importance of Using Social Networking for Business; Part I – Facebook - IPWatchdog.com - March 19th, 2010 [March 19th, 2010]
- Recording YouTube Videos - Acoustic Guitar - March 19th, 2010 [March 19th, 2010]
- Who's using location-based social networking? - KC Free Press - March 20th, 2010 [March 20th, 2010]
- iPhone will continue to beckon BlackBerry owners - CNET - March 20th, 2010 [March 20th, 2010]
- Rain leaves its mark on Azalea Trail events - KLTV - March 21st, 2010 [March 21st, 2010]
- Viacom v. YouTube/Google: A Piracy Case in Their Own Words - DailyFinance - March 21st, 2010 [March 21st, 2010]
- Getting a look at next high-tech | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/22/2010 - Philadelphia Inquirer - March 22nd, 2010 [March 22nd, 2010]
- Sprint chews on Apple while lauding 4G Overdrive hotspot - The Tech Herald - March 22nd, 2010 [March 22nd, 2010]
- 'Repo Men' contest -- the nationwide chase is almost over - Los Angeles Times (blog) - March 22nd, 2010 [March 22nd, 2010]
- Viacom vs. YouTube/Google: A Piracy Case in Their Own Words - DailyFinance - March 22nd, 2010 [March 22nd, 2010]
- These iPhone apps will help make March Madness a little more sane - Appolicious - March 22nd, 2010 [March 22nd, 2010]
- Eye-Fi Pro X2 cards have arrived, and you probably want one - tuaw.com (blog) - March 23rd, 2010 [March 23rd, 2010]
- Pharmacist shows who wins, loses with health care bill - KLTV - March 23rd, 2010 [March 23rd, 2010]
- High-Tech Texts! - The Campus Slate - March 24th, 2010 [March 24th, 2010]
- CTIA WIRELESS 2010: Samsung's New Galaxy Brings 4" AMOLED Screen, Social Hub ... - Marketnews.ca - March 24th, 2010 [March 24th, 2010]
- Google must follow Chinese rules or leave - China Daily - March 24th, 2010 [March 24th, 2010]
- Jay-Z Short Documentary 'NY-Z' Premieres Online - MTV.com - March 24th, 2010 [March 24th, 2010]
- DAs clash over Mineola sex ring appeal - KLTV - March 25th, 2010 [March 25th, 2010]
- iSilo for iPhone - BusinessWeek - March 26th, 2010 [March 26th, 2010]
- Questions Abound as "New START" Agreement is Completed - Global Security Newswire - March 26th, 2010 [March 26th, 2010]
- What will Apple do next in mobile services? - Mobile Entertainment - March 26th, 2010 [March 26th, 2010]
- How much is too much to pay for health care? - Anchorage Daily News - March 27th, 2010 [March 27th, 2010]
- The Future of Smartphones: 4G and Beyond - Entrepreneur - March 27th, 2010 [March 27th, 2010]
- Uploading and uplifting: sharing big data files - Earthtimes (press release) - March 28th, 2010 [March 28th, 2010]
- Verizon Blasts 'Outdated' FCC Broadband Plan - NewsFactor Network - March 28th, 2010 [March 28th, 2010]
- Web Host Layered Tech Offers Mezeo-Powered Cloud Storage - Web Host Industry Review - March 29th, 2010 [March 29th, 2010]
- Dropbox: Now one more reason to want a Nexus One - ZDNet (blog) - March 30th, 2010 [March 30th, 2010]
- Exaflood: Politicians Prop Up Dinosaurs, Ignore Cutting Edge Technology - NewsBlaze (press release) - March 30th, 2010 [March 30th, 2010]
- Instructions - Washington Post - March 30th, 2010 [March 30th, 2010]
- Uploading for Life Extension Will Be Valid - Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies - March 31st, 2010 [March 31st, 2010]
- 'Glee's' MySpace Auditions: What Not To Sing - Wall Street Journal (blog) - March 31st, 2010 [March 31st, 2010]
- Memeo iPad Reader: Like the GDrive on your iPad (only different) - ZDNet (blog) - April 1st, 2010 [April 1st, 2010]
- Why are pipe bomb 'how to' videos legal? Answer is alarming - KLTV - April 1st, 2010 [April 1st, 2010]
- Trip to Haiti inspiration for East Texas teen - KLTV - April 1st, 2010 [April 1st, 2010]
- Jason Kilar Leads Hulu To Profitability, But Will He Stay On At Hulu? - TVbytheNumbers - April 2nd, 2010 [April 2nd, 2010]
- Layers for IPad Adds Online Gallery, Pro Options - PC World - April 2nd, 2010 [April 2nd, 2010]
- Shane Dawson, YouTube's Comic for the Under-30 Set - New York Times - April 2nd, 2010 [April 2nd, 2010]
- Hands-On With the Apple iPad — and Your Questions - Wired News - April 4th, 2010 [April 4th, 2010]
- FedEx Simplifies International Shipping with FedEx Electronic Trade Documents - MarketWatch (press release) - April 6th, 2010 [April 6th, 2010]
- Cacoo Lets Multiple Users Create Designs Collaboratively And In Real-time - TechCrunch (blog) - April 7th, 2010 [April 7th, 2010]
- Comcast: Your New Overlord - ITworld.com - April 7th, 2010 [April 7th, 2010]
- Bloggers Photograph Food, We Get Hungry - Switched (blog) - April 7th, 2010 [April 7th, 2010]
- Apple suggests only the iPhone can fingerprint songs - Geek.com - April 7th, 2010 [April 7th, 2010]
- Senior with mental challenges killed along highway - KLTV - April 7th, 2010 [April 7th, 2010]
- Book a Cruise and "Flip" Over a Free Camcorder - CruiseCritic.co.uk - April 8th, 2010 [April 8th, 2010]
- Creation Myths: what the argument that the iPad's not for creating content ... - Huffington Post (blog) - April 8th, 2010 [April 8th, 2010]
- Want market share? Make a brain claim - Marketing Web - April 8th, 2010 [April 8th, 2010]
- 10 Ways World of Warcraft - OUPblog (blog) - April 8th, 2010 [April 8th, 2010]
- Check-in to Foursquare: Latest social media service lands in SW Florida - Naples Daily News - April 8th, 2010 [April 8th, 2010]
- Apple iPhone OS 4 Announcement Makes Users Feel "Finally!" - HULIQ - April 8th, 2010 [April 8th, 2010]