My archos 604wifi model 42618 have a error: the screen say HDD Recovery usb format disk and not responding

System recovery

If your ARCHOS does not respond correctly or does not start properly, you can try to remedy this situation with a system recovery. Be very careful with this as there are options to erase all the data on your device.

To enter into the Recovery screen

- Turn off the device and wait 10 seconds.
- Press and hold the volume + button while powering on the device.
- Keep the volume + pressed until the Recovery mode starts (white screen).
- To move from one option to another, use the volume buttons. To select an option, press the ON/OFF button.


Recovery mode options

No: Cancels the system recovery.
Update firmware: Allows you to connect your device to a computer in order to copy the latest .AOS file (operating system) to your device and then install it.
Repair System: Attempts to repair the file structure on the internal memory. This does not erase any data.
No: Return to main recovery screen.
Force Touchscreen Calibration: Select this and then select no to leave the recovery screen. Upon restarting, the ARCHOS will immediately start the touch-screen calibration utility.
Check Disk: Check and repair the system partition if damaged.
Start USB MSC: Allows you to connect your device to a PC to access the internal memory.
Format System: Formats the internal memory. All data (music, photos, videos, etc.), applications and settings are erased. "

copied from the Archos online manual

It is indicating that there is a hard drive fault. Here is another users suggested method to clear the fault.
Following some extensive use I switched it on one day to find that it hung on the Archos home screen and kept going in a loop. Luckily I could see the red HDD light flickering so knew that the Archos was trying to do something and that the HDD was recoverable. When I entered into the recovery mode I found that I had an recovery code (101) which indicates a HDD fault.

I used the following steps to recover the HDD:-

1. Connect the archos to the PC using the USB cable (the unit will start but will need to be shut down again by pressing the power button)
2. Press the power button and the 'lock' button together for a few seconds and you should get a basic recovery screen
3. Scroll down to repair disk and select
4. Click on done and wait for a few seconds and you will see the archos as a drive in 'My Computer' (Note that this does take a few minutes)
5. You now need to back up your data, movies, music, widgets etc as the next step is to format the Archos HDD which will wipe it all.
6. Disconnect the Archos, turn it off and then turn it back on again by pressing the power and 'lock' buttons together.
7. Scroll down to format disk and select. The Archos will now delete all files on the HDD and you will get a message asking to connect to a PC and install the update file. This is the firmware file that can be obtained from the Archos website. You'll also notice that the recovery code has changed from 101 to 108
8. Connect the Archos to the PC, wait for a few seconds and you will see the archos as a drive in 'My Computer' again.
9. Drag the firmware update file from your PC where you've downloaded it to directly on to the root drive
10. Click 'done' on the Archos and it will begin to update the operating system.
11. Once this is complete then there should be an update successful message, select done and the archos should restart giving you the nice bubble screen and asking if you want to enable USB.
12. Note that the Archos is now in a 'factory built' condition so you'll need to adjust settings etc according to your preferences.
13. You can now start the long process of transferring your files back to the Archos.

I have the same problem and I do not know how to fix it. The problem with mine is that I have replace the hard drive with a new one so it does not have the original files. Does it connect through the USB connection and does the computer detect it?

If you chose any of these options already your Os is gone.. 
try this solution 
I fixed my son's 605 4 GB had Recovery code (104) on it. This might work for other error codes too. These are the steps i followed 
* Use the computer for this process that you always used for this archos Archos should be plugged in to Pc before starting the process.
* Download the firware Upgrade 2.1
* Plug the Archos to Pc 
* When the white option screen comes up pick the format disk
* Wait until all done do not pick any option on archos after format is done Pc should recognize your archos in 5 seconds 
* Put the firmware in root section of the archos not in any folder.
* Safely remove the usb for Archos from your pc first and then unplug the cable.
* Do not pick any option on the Archos screen
* Just turn it off from the power button by holding it until it turns off
* Wait about 5 minutes and plug it back to pc 
* it will come up with white screen again but this time it will start Update you will see the progress bar moving, wait until it is all done, it will shut off. Turn it back on and  your archos will be back to normal

Sounds like a disk problem. This might work for you ...

Power off the unit

[Optional step - remove battery and use a pen to push the reset button]

HOLD down the LOCK/TV-LCD button as you press the POWER button until the unit starts to come on.

You should should get options to recover the disk (try this first) or format the unit (try this last).

If that doesn't work i would follow the procedure of reseating the HDD connection - see solution for Recovery error code 2 problem.

yes

Carbon Adsorption Solvent Recovery Systems

LAST HOPE !!!

ERROR CODE 102!!!
I JUST FOUND OUT THAT I HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM TOO...AND I WAS ABOUT TO THROW IT AWAY OR GIVE IT TO MY WILD CAT TO PLAY WITH !!! BUT!!! HERE IS WHAT I DID FOR MY LAST HOPE IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM...

FIRST HERE ARE THE DETAILED PROBLEMS I HAD...
*NO RECOGNITION OF MY ARCHOS IN MY PC...
*ERROR SCREEN..."SYSTEM DAMAGE...REPAIR? NO,REPAIR,FORMAT DISK"
*SELECTED ANY OF THE OPTIONS...SAME STUFF...BACK TO THE SCREEN...NEVER ENDING STORY...

OK...THIS IS WHAT I DID...

1 DOWNLOAD THE LATEST FIRM FROM WWW.ARCHOS.COM...TO YOUR PC !!

2.AFTER DOWNLOADING THE LATEST FIRM UPDATE TO YOUR PC... PLUG IN YOUR ARCHOS TO YOUR COMPUTER...

3 YOU WILL NOTICE THE ARCHOS IS NOT DETECTED AND YOU ARE IN YOUR SCREEN ERROR STILL...OK...TURN YOUR ARCHOS OFF BY CLICKING ON THE POWER BUTTON FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS OR UNTIL IT TURNS OFF...(NOTHING ON THE SCREEN BUT BLACK...)

4. THEN...WE ARE ABOUT TO TURN IT ON AGAIN...BUT BEFORE THAT... LEAVE ONE FINGER ON YOUR TV/LCD BUTTON PRESSED !!! HERE IS THE SECRET...THEN TURN IT ON !! BUT...DO NOT LET THE TV/LCD BUTTON RELEASED !! IS LIKE YOUR ARE GOING TO PRESS BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME...AND WAIT FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS...

5. THEN ANOTHER SCREEN WILL APPEAR..SORT OF LIKE...HDD RECOVERY 2...YOU MIGHT WANT TO UNFORTUNATELY FORMAT YOUR DISK...

6. ONCE IT TELLS YOU DONE ! DO NOT PRESS ANY BUTTON... THE PC WOULD NOW RECOGNIZE YOUR ARCHOS...AS A HARD DRIVE..ETC...

7. ONCE IS DETECTED BY YOUR PC...REMEMBER THE FILE YOU DOWNLOAD IT... DRAG IT DOWN TO YOUR ARCHOS..IN THE ROOT SECTION... THAT MEANS...IN NO FOLDERS INSIDE THE ARCHOS...BUT BY ITSELF...JUST LIKE ANY OTHER FILE IN A FLASHDRIVE IF YOU MAY...

8. THEN IT MIGHT ASK YOU AGAIN YOUR PC...YOU WANT TO FORMAT THIS DRIVE...JUST SAY YES....OK...WHATEVER... AND LET IT FORMAT...

9. FINALLY AFTER THE FORMAT SITUATION HAPPENS...YOUR ARCHOS WILL ACCEPT THE FILE...AND IT WILL BE DOWNLOADED AUTOMITICALLY...THEN REOPEN IT TO MAKE SURE IS THERE ALREADY...

10. FOR THE LAST STEP... ENJOY ! MY ARCHOS IS BACK TO NORMAL..IT REBOOT AND EVERYTHING IS FACTORY MADE...HOPE THIS WORK GUYS...AS FOR ME IT DID...
PS. PLEASE BE PATIENT ON THAT OPTION OF THE TV/LCD FOR IT MIGHT NOT WORK RIGHT AWAY...I TRY IT LIKE TWO TIMES BEFORE IT LET ME FORMAT EVERYTHING...BECAUSE YOU MIGHT GET ERROR MESSAGES LIKE..."MEDIA FAILED" ETC... JUST KEEP ON TRYING UNTIL IT ACCEPTS IT.. LET ME KNOW WHAT HAPPENED...

I have the same problem with my Archos 605 Wifi.

I found out that my harddrive was broken. so i replaced it with a new one.

Formatted it, system installed the OS and Media Files.

I downloaded the firmware from the Archos website itself!.

Also this went well. Than i had to confirm with ''done''.

But still i keep cycling through a circle of ''rebooting'' and receiving the ''HDD_Recovery_2'' screen. With the only selectable options:
''USB'' and ''Format''

Please does anyone know the solutions???

Choos 'Repair disk' while connected to your computer, then go onto www.archos.com go into support, downloads, choose your model and clck on download archos..... Then go into my computer click on the archos device after that has finished downloading and drag that file into the archos folder and the rest it does itself.