Archos Top 22 Tips for Newcomers to the Forum (and counting)

[Orwells1984IsHereNow]

Are these the main do's and dont's for the newbie?

1. Don't drop the Archos when its playing.
2. Don't buy the official Archos case (it can cause no.1 above).
3. ALWAYS use safe USB disconnect from a PC.
4. Don't defrag or CHKDSK /r an Achos using a Win2k (or higher) PC.
5. Fit a screen protector.
6. Don't bother using Microsoft Media Player 11.
7. Get a USB Host Storage Drive and back-up your files.
8. Charge the battery fully before first use.
9. Download DivXEncoder (or Super)
10. Search this forum before asking questions.

;)

[Andy W]

Excellent, Admin please make this a sticky!

[Bartoman]

The Archos isn't a player for the average pmp user.

They are a lovely thing, but if you want a throw around thing, go buy an iPod. Mine lasted working offshore petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico.

So, yes, Mr. Orwell, These are very good things to go with.

[Andy W]

And I would add....

11. When you do post... give your post a clear and specific title - this helps everyone (Mods like me included!) find it and help (and helps others in the future to retrieve the solution!)
12. State which model line you have, 604, 604 wifi, 504 etc. (and if it's a PC related problem which operating system you have, XP, Vista, Mac etc.)
13. Outline your problem (or tip) as clearly as you can...this is a worldwide forum so UK or US slang doesn't always translate too well (especially to members who might be able to help you really well but who don't have English as a 1st language.... so may not easily understand your request....)
14. Stay on one thread until it's resolved - try to avoid asking lots of different questions on one post.
15. Enjoy the forum!!!! - it's a damn site better/faster place for support than you'll ever get from Archos in sorting out your technical problems and a great place to share your ideas on how best to use these things!

Edit: I've just thought of a number 16...don't drop your Archos even when it's not playing!

[RK]

Also, don't make more threads about your low volume level problems. There aren't any hacks to make it louder, and Archos will not raise it because they would get sued for making people deaf.

To make it play louder, you can...

- Raise the volume levels of your music files with software. (may reduce quality)
- Buy a separate battery powered amplifier.
- Raise the equalizer bars (may reduce quality).
- Get new earphones, the included earphone sound like crap, no bass, and low volume. For best results get small "in-ear" isolating earphones with small drivers, I currently use the black JVC Marshmallow HAFX33B earphones, they are the best inexpensive earphones I've ever had. Much louder then included headphones, and you actually get some impressive bass.

[Bartoman]

I popped the extra few bucks and got the Shure E2C's.

It was worth the few bucks to get the Shure's. The sound level has definitely increased, but after eyars of working in diesel shops, the ol' hearing isn't what it used to be.

So, for those of you who aren't going deaf, spend the extra bucks, and get the shure E2C's.

[Orwells1984IsHereNow]

I have gone down the active noise-cancelling route. I have both Panasonic Enclosed Speakers (RP-HC300) and Sony In-ear Units. For me, the maximum sound level is too much for extended listening periods. I know this type of headphone does not suit the purists; but for me it works brilliantly when travelling by plane, and now I have got used to them. I suppose its the fact that I am not trying to drown-out extraneous noise that makes the un-amplified volume level of the Archos more than acceptable to me.

If you've got money to burn - there's always a set of Bose Noise-cancellers.

[Andy W]

Yep, OK I could go on and on (an on !!! ) about how fantastic my Bose QC2's are on plane trips but back to the point/that list!

17. Don't forget that similar topics come up in 604/504, 604wifi and 704wifi sections so search in all 3 before you post a question.

[Bartoman]

I went the noise canceling route a few years ago, when I was in Guam.

I was loving them until I started getting a ringing in my ears, and did some research.

Turns out that in the noise canceling headphones can make you go a bit deaf, due to the frequency that it broadcasts to block out the lower level sounds that are around you.

i'll see about making a video, and posting it...

[Orwells1984IsHereNow]

Thanks for that info Bartoman,

AndyW wants us back on message so ....

18. Beware of any post suggesting that ArcLibrary can be turned-off...
....because it can't and you might damage your Archos trying to do so.

[Bartoman]

19. Through much checking out through the forum, and I have PM'd people here about this, there is no way to upgrade the harddrive on your Archos.

It's made that way for a reason, and although it would be cool to be able to swap them out, there's not a possible way to do it right now.

[Orwells1984IsHereNow]

A few months ago there was a claim to have successfully swapped out a 504 HDD but the concensus was that you had to be way back on firmware, and as soon as you upgraded the change became permanent.

[Bartoman]

I pm'd StanRex about the 604 HDD swap, and he replyed back with a no-go.

Apparently a ton of people have had this question on their minds (shoot, I know that I have! I want a 604 with a larger than 30gb hdd).

It's a problem with the updating of the firmware.

I've got a personal theory about this. I think that the firmware that you update with puts the hdd size as a set deal. I.E. it doesn't lock the hdd to the Archos, but it looks at what hdd you have in there, and it won't work until the predesignated hdd size is located.

I wonder if you could partition a hdd with the predesignated size, and then format the other partition as extra space...

Like, having 2 harddrives in your archos, but with the firmware on say, the 30gb partition (pretend you have a 604).

what do you guys think?

[roylovelock]

19. Through much checking out through the forum, and I have PM'd people here about this, there is no way to upgrade the harddrive on your Archos.

It's made that way for a reason, and although it would be cool to be able to swap them out, there's not a possible way to do it right now. :(

Made sticky :)

The reason for locking the hhd is GREED nothing else. The player is perfectly ok with swapable drive as prooved on previous firmwares, archos just want to be the company that keeps on taking.
roy

[rhaig]

I got a pelican 1020 micro case for my 604 wifi. You have to cut bottom out of the gasket liner to make the 604 fit, but then it's a perfect fit. get some foam and cut it to fit and you have a waterproof hardcase for 604.

I'm also looking at a pelican 1040 mico to hold the 604, USB cable and headphones.

[nukeypearce]

20. Currently there is no hacked or modded firmware and RockBox doesn't run with the new Generation 4 Players. It's pointless asking where you can get "Mod" firmware with extra features because it simply doesn't exist.

[max999]

Probably a stupid question, but why shouldn't you defrag or CHKDSK /r an Achos using an XP PC (do/don't n┬░ 4)?

I wouldn't know how to defrag it if not through the PC?

Thx,

Max

[Orwells1984IsHereNow]

4. Don't defrag or CHKDSK /r an Achos using a Win2k (or higher) PC.
It's been a source of problems in the past, and definitely shouldn't be attempted without a complete backup of media files. It's got something to do with the Archos being Linux/FAT32 and being defragged with a progam designed for NTFS (Win2K or Higher) via USB. (The culprit in my case was Norton Utilities SpeedDisk running on an XP, it completely screwed up the O/S. )
So I won't defrag an Archos ever again - if you have the media files, plugins and firmware backed up - its just as easy to reformat and reload (which I ended up doing anyway).

21. Checking the HDD for surface errors
So you had a powerout or dropped your Archos during a HDD write?
You can get strange results using a NTFS based PC if you let it check your Archos as an attached drive (USB and Archos need to be recognised during POST). (In my case XP deleted the video folder..! )
The best way I have found is to use Gibson Research's Spinrite 6, but this will only work on USB storage devices that are recognised during POST) because Spinrite operates under DOS. (IMHO Spinrite 6 is the best disk repair utility on the planet )

22. Getting Archos to issue you with new Plugins if your unit has been repaired or replaced
Try this approach ...

Send an e-mail to plugins@archos.com requesting your replacement plugins with the following data...
____
Your First Name:
Your Surname:
Your e-mail address:
Serial Number of your new Archos: CA0????????
Product Key of your new Archos: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XX
Attach a .PDF of the exchange or repair receipt as evidence (important).
____
Ring Archos Technical Support after 2 working days (and having got no e-mail reply) and insist that your request be "escalated" with the Web Team.

(It took me 6 working days to get an e-mail response that the database had been changed so that I could download the new plugins).

If you try the above method, it will put the onus on Archos to "do the right thing". Maybe they will do it faster for you....

[Orwells1984IsHereNow]

23. You intend to sell or exchange your Archos but want to completely remove personal files
Formattig the HDD does not irrevocably remove your old data.
If you never want something restored - don't put it on a hard drive in the first place!
However, the next best thing for the paranoid amongst us is Eraser - "...give it a Gutmann"

[ArchosStyle]

Apart from "don't buy an Archos in the first place..", are these the main do's and dont's for the newbie?

1. Don't drop the Archos when its playing.
2. Don't buy the official Archos case (it can cause no.1 above).
3. ALWAYS use safe USB disconnect from a PC.
4. Don't defrag or CHKDSK /r an Achos using a Win2k (or higher) PC.
5. Fit a screen protector.
6. Don't bother using Microsoft Media Player 11.
7. Get a USB Host Storage Drive and back-up your files.
8. Charge the battery fully before first use.
9. Download DivXEncoder (or Super)
10. Search this forum before asking questions.

Why this? 3. ALWAYS use safe USB disconnect from a PC.

i never disconect it safe i just pull the cable out of my archos and thats it