BMW Download Manager – Map Update Errors USB

If you purchase the latest version of GPS navigation maps from BMW you don’t receive a disc/DVD or over the air updates, you have to download a whopping 32GB of data to put onto a USB drive to carry out the update.

That’s all ok as BMW offer a nifty BMW Download Manager that handles the download to make sure such a large file download doesn’t get interrupted. However, they cap the download speed, so what should have taken <1 hour on my 100mbps leased line took 18 hours. I left if going and when it was all done and downloaded it presented me with the following:

So I put in a 32GB thumb drive and it says there’s not enough free space because 32GB is actually only 31.25GB (1024bits in a byte and all that fun stuff) which meant the 31.38GB it said it needed is actually too much to fit on a 32GB USB drive so you need a 64GB drive. No problem, I have 64GB drives around too…

This is where the fun happens, you cannot format a 64GB USB drive as FAT32 you can only format it as exFAT or NTFS but the BMW Download manager rejects exFAT and NTFS file formats and requests FAT32 but you simply can’t have a FAT32 formatted drive larger than 32GB!

I even tried Fat32Formater 3rd party app to try and force the format of 64GB to FAT32 but the BMW Download App still rejected it.

I tried forcing a format to FAT32 using Command Prompt but that returns an error “The Volume is too big for FAT32”

So I’m currently out of ideas. I’ve managed to buy a BMW Navigation Map update but it has to have a FAT32 formatted USB drive larger than 32GB which appears to be impossible.

I will contact BMW support and see what their solution is and update here to help anybody else stuck in the same situation.

22 Replies to “BMW Download Manager – Map Update Errors USB”

  1. Can anyone send me link to download the BMW Manager. It would be a great help and I will provide free FSC Codes if someone needed. Thank you !!

  2. Hi guys,

    What about the FSC key ? (activation key after update) ?

    If i decompress the files directly from the zip that i got from BMW downloader, does the car require a key after update ?

    BMW G30 2017

    Thanks

  3. Hi,
    the trick on Mac is to remove the “hidden” files via the Terminal.
    Delete all files that start with a “._”

    Your usb drive will then be recognized in the iDrive and update can start. 😉
    Even exFAT usb drive format is okay.

    Cheers.

  4. Yes, it’s working.
    1. Use BMW Download Manager to download the road map.
    2. Unzip that file located in C:\Users\your user name\bmw-dlm\dl to a folder on the PC.
    3. Copy the unzipped content to a USB (or a portable disk, I have used a portable disk which has 1000GB free storage.) formatted with exFAT.
    4. Than in the car. It will be started automatically.

  5. I have just run the download manager onto an NTFS formatted 128gb thumbdrive after struggling with a FAT32 formatted drive. Ran the Download Manager and when told to save the file to a USB it wouldn’t go onto the NTFS stick so I FAT32 formatted another USB which allowed me to save the map to. Next step is load into car in the morning.

  6. Hi, Did anyone sort this in the end? I’m currently trying to download/install Road_Map_EUROPE_EVO_2019-2

    I’m on a Mac and have tried various different USB keys including buying a new 64GB just to try and get this to work; but still no joy!

    One question – does anyone know where the BMW download manager stores the files before trying to install them on a USB stick?

  7. Had a similar problem. There’s a free partition utility that will format to FAT32 called Macrorit Partition expert. Worked a treat for a 64gb USB drive. When the files de-compressed, there was no license key displayed. However, when I plugged it into the car, it automatically started to update the files. Did approx 10% in 20 minutes.

  8. Had same problem! I formatted the USB stick with NTFS and now BMW Download Manager lets me save the data on the USB stick.

  9. I contacted BMW Concierge Services and after a lot of complaining they got my local BMW garage to do the update free of charge

  10. Have the same problem but on Mac OSX so I certainly cannot format in FAT32. It’s unbelievable that a company like BMW doesn’t even test its software properly and releases such a lousy app.

  11. Faced the same issue here. I have a 32GB USB stick that Win 10 formats to FAT32, but the EU map is now to large and do not fit into that.

    I selected to use an old Western Digital 250GB external hard drive, and since Win 10 do not format in FAT32 above 32GB (only exFAT) I used a tool from WD for formatting it to FAT32: “External USB/FireWire Fat32 Formatting Utility” (https://support.wdc.com/downloads.aspx?p=34). This tool only works for WD drives, but you might find other USB drive vendors having similar tools, or you can use 3rd party formatting software.

    Still the BMW Download Manager reports non-compatible medium (error: UNZIP0077).

    I then used the advice above extracting the ZIP file manually located on WIn 10 at: C:\Users\\bmw-dlm\dl.

    When i then plugged inn the USB ext HD into my BMW 1series, it detected the the new map on it and started the update more or less automatically, just some few user inputs and it starts updating. It takes a while, but it continues to run even when the “ignition” is off.

  12. I have exactly the same experience when I tried to download the latest map. But maybe I have a solution. If you then locate the file, that “BMW Download Manager” has downloaded. The file name is “Road_Map_EUROPE_EVO_2018-2” and do a manually UnnZip of that file. Then take a 64 GB USB stick and format it with exFAT. Then copy the UnnZip file to the USB stick. I am not sure that the system can read the exFAT format but I am testing this this evening.

    As a follow up I can confirm that the navigations system did read the USB stick with the exFAT file system. I successfully have updated the map to the latest version.

    1. @Ernst – thanks for your comment and suggestion. I kind of came to the same conclusion but before I even tried your method I ordered a 128GB USB drive for something else and straight out of the box this works without the need to reformat as exFAT. So I think there might also have been an issue with the partition table or MBR on the USB drives I was trying to use originally? Glad you found a solution too, hopefully your comment will help others stuck in the same situation who don’t want to rush out and buy a 64Gb or 128GB USB stick.
      Scoopz

    2. How did you get the Activation key(FSC key)?, it’s the last step after the BMW download Manager unpacks on the USB drive.

  13. Hi.

    I have exactly the same experience when I tried to download the latest map. But maybe I have a solution. If you then locate the file, that “BMW Download Manager” has downloaded. The file name is “Road_Map_EUROPE_EVO_2018-2” and do a manually UnnZip of that file. Then take a 64 GB USB stick and format it with exFAT. Then copy the UnnZip file to the USB stick. I am not sure that the system can read the exFAT format but I am testing this this evening.

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