How to update the database in the Garmin GTN PC trainers

[Canuck]

I was a bit frustrated when the last release of the GTN trainers for PC used the database cycle immediately before my airport got its RNAV approaches. Today, someone on a different site explained to me how you can update the databases in the PC trainer from your Garmin SD card. Here's what I ended up doing (in case it's helpful to anyone else).

• You have to configure Windows to show hidden and system files in the explorer (this step is important, or nothing else will work). In Windows 10, you go to the File Explorer options, check "Show hidden files, folders, and drives", and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types" and "Hide protected operating system files".
  
  
• On my computer, the Garmin database is under C:\ProgramData\Garmin\Trainers\Databases\ -- make a complete backup of the Databases\ folder and move the backup somewhere else, so that you can restore if you screw up
  
  
• Open the Databases\ folder in one window and your Garmin SD card in another, then copy every file from your SD card on top of the existing files in the Databases\ folder
  
  
• In the Databases\ folder, rename terrain.odb to terrain.odb2 (you might need to delete the existing terrain.odb)
  
  
• Since I subscribe to the Garmin databases, I also had to copy Databases\ldr_sys\nav_db2.bin to Databases\ldr_sys\nav_db2_grm.bin (if you subscribe to the Jepp, you may or may not need to copy something similar to Databases\ldr_sys\nav_db2.bin)

And that's it! When I start the trainer, I see the updated database cycle now, including approaches to my home airport, and everything seems to work.

If it breaks for you, my apologies. In the worst case, you can just reinstall the free trainer.

Cheers, David