Created by : alaysias @ Yahoo! Group - archosmultimedia

Date : 08/24/02

Equipment needed -- (see Fig. A)

1 - small flat screw driver

1 - torx driver (T-10 size)

1 - needle-nose pliers

1 - Notebook IDE to Desktop IDE adapter kit (optional)

1 - small flashlight (optional)

Format the new 40GB hard drive to FAT32 and transfer the latest firmware to the root directory. As of today, Archos has not released the USB2.0 or Firewire proprietary cable. Therefore, before we start, I recommend you transfer any type of data you want to use on the Archos Multimedia 20 (i.e. MP3's, MPEG4, pictures, etc.) using your notebook computer or desktop computer with the adapter kit. (See Fig. 1-1 below)

Turn off the Archos Multimedia 20. Place the small flat screwdriver in the hole of the battery cover and carefully push the driver down. The battery cover will pop up. Slowly, remove the battery cover and battery. *NOTE : It is VERY important you know how to install the battery correctly when re-assembling the Archos Multimedia 20. If installed incorrectly, you CAN damage your unit. (See Fig. 2-1)

Using your torx driver (T-10 size), unscrew the top two torx screws. This is necessary to gain access to the Hitachi/Fujitsu drive inside. (See Fig. 3-1)

If you want avoid getting caught on the VOID Warranty bandwagon, do not completely take out the rubber feet (Archos decides to glue the rubber feet to the back body of the Archos Multimedia 20, See Fig. B). Instead, partially remove the rubber feet ( be careful when doing this, the metal part of the body where the screw holes are located can bend really easily, See Fig. C) and leave the back part of the feet alone ( this is where Archos glued the rubber feet and body to). You must partially lift the plastic front cover off in order to remove the front part of the rubber feet.

This is the most difficult and risky step of this guide. There are two ways to accomplish this task in which I believe method B is a much better way of gaining access to the Hitachi/Fujitsu drive inside the unit. Follow one or the other, but please bend with caution :

Method A (I used this method) : Using the needle-nose pliers or your hands, bend the back body in the position as shown in Fig. 5-1. As mentioned earlier, I believe the other method is better because, it is much more difficult to bend the body back to its original shape. If the body is not back to its original shape, the battery and battery cover installation/deinstallation will be much more difficult to handle and become a burden in the future.

Method B : Using the needle-nose pliers or your hands, bend the top part to make it nearly parallel with the back body (See Fig. 5-1). Although this method is better than Method A (in my humble opinion), if the top part is not bent back in its original form, this too, can cause the battery and battery cover installation/deinstallation to become a burden.

I have learned the hard way by not properly bending the body back into its original form, therefore the battery is much more difficult to remove and the battery cover is held somewhat secure (See Fig. 5-2). I can always go back to fix this, but haven't had the time to do so.

Once you have successfully bent the body or top part of the body, slowly and gently, wiggle the Hitachi/Fujitsu drive out from the Archos Multimedia 20. It's best to use your hand to remove it, but you can also use the needle-nose pliers to remove it. If you wiggle the drive too much, you can bend the IDE pins, so be careful. (See Fig. 6-1 for Method A, no picture for Method B)

The Hitachi/Fujitsu drive is out and you'll notice Archos has placed a special adhesive protection on the back and partially the front of the drive. I believe this is used to protect the main board and hard drive from shorting out. Therefore, it is necessary to remove this adhesive protection and install it on your new hard drive. Carefully, peel the adhesive protection off of the Hitachi/Fujitsu drive. The adhesive protection easily curls, so be careful it does not stick to itself. Once finished, install it on the new hard drive the same way it was installed on the Hitachi/Fujitsu drive. (See Fig. 7-1, Fig. 7-2, Fig. 7-3, Fig. 7-4, Fig. 7-5, Fig. 7-6)

At this point, you may or may not want to bend the body back into shape. It would be much easier to bend the body back now than later when the hard drive is installed, but may be difficult to install the hard drive. I have not tested this, so use your best judgment. Do you remember which way the hard drive goes in? Since, the adhesive mostly covers the back side of the hard drive, one would intuitively assume that the back side of the hard drive faces the front side of the unit - and one is right. Carefully install the new hard drive inside the Archos Multimedia 20. Make sure the pins are completely in the hard drive connector. (See Fig. 8-1, Fig. 8-2)

Without completely re-assembling the unit back together, simply install the battery and use the battery cover to hold down the battery. Turn it on and test to make sure everything is working as it should. Test playback of mp3's/mpeg4, recording via microphone, and check the hard drive info. If everything works, proceed to the next step. *NOTE : I have tried using the AC adapter without the battery, but couple of minutes after, it stopped working (I believe it will either shut off completely or the backlight will turn off due to the reset of settings). Be careful if you are attempting to do this if you can't get the battery to stay in place. (See Fig. 9-1, Fig. 9-2, Fig. 9-3)

If you have not done this on Step 8, carefully bend the body back to its original shape. Place the rubber feet back together and install the plastic front cover - you will hear a snap confirming your install. Install the torx screws, battery and battery cover. (See Fig. 10-1, Fig. 10-2)

Turn on your unit again to confirm that the installation is complete. If everything works, you have successfully installed a new drive to your Archos Multimedia! (See Fig. 11-1, Fig. 11-2)

If you have questions/comments, please post it in the Yahoo! Group - archosmultimedia