Okay so.. To start off this is not my car so I have limited information on it to begin with..

My grand-dad recently bought a Skoda Superb Estate from a car dealership and we're having problems getting the Columbus out of being in either Dutch or German I'm not entirely sure. I've gone into the language settings and tried choosing English and it'll bring up the message to load and stay on there until it says it failed and reverts back into the previous language again. While it's loading though everything behind the notification is in English. Unfortunately the car came with all the manuals but no CD's or SD cards for the firmware.
Is there somewhere I can go online to download the firmware onto an SD card (I have a blank 64GB SD card). I don't know what year the car is but I know the Columbus System looks like one from 2011? It's definitely not a new system.. I am not currently with the car or owner right now.

 

Can someone please help? 

Normally, I'd point you to the VWNavi forums, but they seem to have been offline anytime I've checked them recently, so I don't know if the site is dead or what.

 

As an alternative, you can try this page. I've checked a couple of the links and they appear to be working as expected. There are instructions on the page as to how to reinstall the firmware etc. Because we don't know what firmware you currently have, it's difficult to tell you which one to go for. If it was me, I'd try the 381X firmware and go from there. Now, again depending on what you currently have, there is the possibility that you will lose all maps, mp3s etc. (despite what the page tells you). And to install a new-ish (as in, in the last 5 years or so) version of the maps, your HDD needs to be formatted with 3 partitions. If your current HDD set-up is with just two partitions, the firmware install might fail, but more likely will just wipe the maps etc.

 

Doing a quick Google brought back this page and this page from posts on here with a similar issue. As you'll see, there isn't a published fix and the most straightforward approach would be to speak with @Rustynuts about a proper repair (or if that is even possible at this point). You might be able to buy a used Columbus online if that is something that you want to consider.

 

Anyways, best of luck with it and sorry that I can't be of more help. If you do find a solution, it would be helpful if you updated this thread for other users in the future.

33 minutes ago, Declan O'Shaughnessy said:

Normally, I'd point you to the VWNavi forums, but they seem to have been offline anytime I've checked them recently, so I don't know if the site is dead or what.

 

As an alternative, you can try this page. I've checked a couple of the links and they appear to be working as expected. There are instructions on the page as to how to reinstall the firmware etc. Because we don't know what firmware you currently have, it's difficult to tell you which one to go for. If it was me, I'd try the 381X firmware and go from there. Now, again depending on what you currently have, there is the possibility that you will lose all maps, mp3s etc. (despite what the page tells you). And to install a new-ish (as in, in the last 5 years or so) version of the maps, your HDD needs to be formatted with 3 partitions. If your current HDD set-up is with just two partitions, the firmware install might fail, but more likely will just wipe the maps etc.

 

Doing a quick Google brought back this page and this page from posts on here with a similar issue. As you'll see, there isn't a published fix and the most straightforward approach would be to speak with @Rustynuts about a proper repair (or if that is even possible at this point). You might be able to buy a used Columbus online if that is something that you want to consider.

 

Anyways, best of luck with it and sorry that I can't be of more help. If you do find a solution, it would be helpful if you updated this thread for other users in the future.

 

Thank you for replying. I came across the same two forum links from this site with my google search.. Not sure I'm going to be able to do the update with SD as they're all saying to use CD/DVD.. I personally dont drive but I usually sort out the navigation systems from cars he's previously bought with no problems.. So now I fee like a lost puppy trying to find a solution for them because when going to other people to sort their stuff out my grand-dad makes terrible decisions and ends up getting duped into something that's either not right for the car or something that really didn't need doing. 

I will be sure to update this thread though if I do end up with a solution  

Thanks again though. Truly appreciated. 

You're correct, it needs to be either a cd or dvd for software upgrade. I couldn't honestly say if someone else / some other site is going to provide valid links for software, that's beyond my knowledge. 😉

would a factory reset be worth a try, that is available through the on screen menus.

3 hours ago, superbdreams said:

would a factory reset be worth a try, that is available through the on screen menus.

 

We had already tried that.. But alas, to no avail. I've decided to have let it beat me on this occasion instead of messing with firmware I don't completely understand. I have been trying to find a solution which I could do for over a week. I think someone with more experience with cars and updating navigation systems should handle this. I did try and if I do find out what was wrong and how they fixed it I will come back here and update this thread to hopefully enlighten anybody else who may have had the same problem with a 2011 model of the Columbus. 

Thank you guys for trying to help me though  It is truly appreciated  

I recently had an unknown problem with my 2012 cars columbus, similar to yours in that settings would not be remembered after the car was off for some time.. the map partition format fixed it for me. I have detailed it here recently.

On 14/11/2021 at 14:07, Bunpire said:

 

We had already tried that.. But alas, to no avail. I've decided to have let it beat me on this occasion instead of messing with firmware I don't completely understand. I have been trying to find a solution which I could do for over a week. I think someone with more experience with cars and updating navigation systems should handle this. I did try and if I do find out what was wrong and how they fixed it I will come back here and update this thread to hopefully enlighten anybody else who may have had the same problem with a 2011 model of the Columbus. 

Thank you guys for trying to help me though  It is truly appreciated  

I have a similar problem,  my satnav and media don't load up now after a year running fine,car says insert satnav dvd? Iv tried restore to factory settings and reset buttons but nothing works , where do u get a dvd from?