How to Root the Archos 50 Platinum

The Archos 50 Platinum is a great device.  Along with the usual high-end features like a quad-core CPU, 1GB RAM, a 5-inch display and an 8MP camera, the device also features dual SIM support, which is a great feature if you tired of toting two phones with different connections.  The device currently runs on Jelly Bean and with no indication if there will ever be an official update, rooting it is the way to go if you are looking for something more from this device.  That is what the guide below will show you and you should have a custom recovery (a modified ClockworkMod Recovery in this case) and have root access in no time!

I.  Before You Begin

1.  Make sure that you have the necessary drivers installed before you start.  If you are unsure, use these and then start with the procedure.

2.  Charge your device to 75% or more before you start.

3.  Back up everything you feel is important before you begin.

II.  Necessary Downloads

1.  CWM_SUPER_USER.zip

2.  adb-fastboot.rar

3.  cwmrecovery.img

4.  stock recovery.img

III.  Installing ClockworkMod Recovery on the Archos 50 Platinum

1.  Enable USB debugging on your device by going to Settings > Developer Options and ticking the USB debugging checkbox. [This step is primarily to ensure proper drivers are installed].

2.  Connect your device to your PC and copy the CWM_SUPER_USER.zip file to your device’s SD card.  If there are any drivers being installed at this point, let them do so before continuing any further.

3.  Extract adb-fastboot.rar to a folder on your desktop.

4.  Copy both cwmrecovery.img and stock recovery.img to the adb-fastboot folder.

5.  Hold Shift and right-click on the adb-fastboot folder and click on the Open command prompt window here option to start a command prompt window.

6.  Power down your device and boot it into fastboot mode.  To do this, with the device powered down, press and hold the Volume Up and Power buttons until you see a green screen; now release the Volume Up key and then the Power button.  If there are any drivers being installed at this point, let them do so before continuing.

7.  Run the following commands (ignore the text in brackets as this for information purposes only):

fastboot devices [this should show your device as a string of alphanumeric characters, which means your device is properly detected and ready]

fastboot flash recovery cwmrecovery.img [this will flash the CWM Recovery to your device]

8.  Reboot your device.

You should now custom recovery installed on your Archos 50 Platinum.

IV.  Rooting the Archos 50 Platinum

1.  Disconnect your device from your PC and power it down.

2.  Boot into recovery mode by pressing the Volume Up and Power buttons until you see a green screen, then a red screen after 10 seconds.  Now, release Volume Up button and then the Power button.

3.  Use the Volume Up and Down keys to navigate to install zip from sdcard and highlight it.  Use the Power button to select the option.

4.  Navigate to the location of CWM_SUPER_USER.zip that you have already copied to your SD card and select it to start flashing.

5.  Once done, go back to the main menu and reboot your device.

And you’re rooted!  To verify, look for the Superuser app in your app drawer or download any app like Root Checker Lite from the Play Store.

V.  Going Back to Stock Recovery

1.  Follow the same steps as in Section III.

2.  Rename stock recovery.img to stockrecovery.img.

3.  Run the same commands as in Section III, Step 7 but use the fastboot flash recovery stockrecovery.img command.

If this procedure helped you please thank/donate to the original developers here.