Garmin Edge 520 name not sticking

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Level 1

94 points

Garmin Edge 520 name not sticking

After I upgraded from my old MacBook Pro to one that runs Sequoia, my Garmin Edge 520 bike computer shows up every time I connect it as "NO NAME". I can rename it as "Garmin" but this only lasts until I eject it; the next time I connect it, it shows as "NO NAME" again.

Apart from the OS, the other thing that changed when I upgraded is that (since the newer MacBook has only USB-C ports, unlike my old one) I have to connect the Garmin via an adapter - but I wouldn't have thought that affects the naming of the drive.

Is it possible to rename my Garmin (which, after all, functions like an external drive) so the new name sticks?

Danny

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 15.6

Posted on Nov 15, 2025 4:27 PM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

157,692 points

Nov 17, 2025 8:46 AM in response to dnr16

This usually comes down to how the Edge exposes its storage. It presents itself as a simple FAT-formatted USB mass-storage device, and its volume name is actually stored in the filesystem metadata on the device itself. If that metadata is read-only, corrupt, or unable to be rewritten, macOS will happily pretend the name changed for that session but revert to NO NAME the moment the device is unplugged.

As such, see if the following can help:

1. Connect the Edge 520 and wait for it to mount.

2. Open Disk Utility.

3. Select the volume (not the physical device) named NO NAME.

4. Click Rename, set your preferred name, then press Return.

5. Eject the device normally and reconnect it to see if the name persists.

If Disk Utility refuses to rename it or the name still resets, the FAT volume label is likely locked or partially corrupted ...

... and, if that is the case, the next step is to try to repair its filesystem, as follows:

1. Connect the Edge 520.

2. In Disk Utility, select the volume and run First Aid.

3. After it completes, try the rename again.

4. Eject and reconnect to check whether it sticks.

... and, you are right, adapters don’t cause this; Sequoia just does stricter FAT-label validation than older macOS versions.

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Answer 2

Tesserax

Level 10

157,692 points

Nov 18, 2025 5:44 PM in response to dnr16

Unfortunately, I have no way to "test" this out as I don't have this particular Garmin GPS device, nor do.I have a Mac handy that is running macOS Sequoia natively. Mine are all running Tahoe. My Garmins are an older nuvi and a zumo XT for my ATV.

I'm not having the exact issue you are seeing, but have found since Sonoma, that the Garmin Express app (on the Mac) is having more difficulty with upgrading the devices' software/maps. I had to resort to using a Windows 11 VM to get that to work. I'm guessing that Garmin is a bit behind with "keeping up" with the latest versions of macOS.

Sorry, but I don't have a verified solution for you.

Does your GPS use/require an SD Card? If so, that card should be formatted in DOS FAT. In my case, I couldn't use any card with more than 16 GBs capacity.

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Answer 3

dnr16 Author

Level 1

94 points

Nov 18, 2025 2:21 AM in response to Tesserax

That was helpful but when I opened Disk Utility, it turns out the Garmin Edge just shows as an external physical volume (MS-DOS, FAT-16) and doesn't have a separate volume contained on it (the way e.g. my laptop HD does). So neither the First Aid function, nor renaming via Disk Utility, did anything. After ejecting and remounting, it was back to NO NAME.

The second attempt I tried running First Aid after renaming the Garmin instead of before, and First Aid failed with this message: "First Aid could not unmount one of the other volumes in the volume’s container. Click Done to continue." I had to force eject after that, and we're still back to NO NAME. Am I stuck with that?

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