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Archos is one of popular brand for Android device with various Android products from smartphone to Tablet. The support is very good where they release the firmware update as upgradeable way for the device but many people reported some problems where using the latest firmware. As advice from people on many forums, firmware 2.3.20 is the best and stable version for now. So, if you have your Archos device has already upgraded to higher version than 2.3.20, you need to revert back the firmware version. Than for anyone who use lower version than 2.3.20, just upgrade it through the OTA system.

The 2.3.20 firmware Archos version releases at 13 April 2011. This is a stable firmware even though there is a latest firmware. But how if the phone has already upgraded to the latest firmware version of Archos device?.

We need to revert back the firmware to lower version 2.0.71 through Angstrom OS than upgrade to firmware 2.0.54 before flashing to stable firmware release 2.3.20. Please notice, before you do this downgrade activity, please back up your data and phone setting and may void your warranty. This process involves downloading and installing the Archos SDE firmware . Once again, do backup than follow the instruction thoroughly.

There are 2 phases to get the default firmware 2.0.71 through Angstrom Linux OS before it could be upgrade to 2.0.54, The phase 1 step is to remove the 2.0.71 firmware than replace with the Angstrom Linux OS.

- Ensure your Archos has enough battery power, if no, just plug-in the device now.
- Download SDE Developer Edition firmware
- Power off the Archos. Then boot it in recovery mode by holding the Volume – button and pressing the power button. Release the power button but please keep the Volume – button held down. The device will boot into recovery mode.

Recovery mode navigation works as below
Volume + moves up
Volume – moves down
Pressing Power is Enter

- Press Volume – to format system and Press Power
- Press Volume – to Reformat Device and Press Power
- Press Volume – to I understand and press Power. It will then reformat the partitions.
- When the USB Connection menu appears, plug in the Micro USB cable into your computer and into the Archos tablet. The PC will recognize the tablet as a drive letter in My Computer. Copy the SDE firmware file firmware_archos_android_gen8.aos to the tablet. Copy to the root directory ( /) folder on the tablet.

- Once the copy is done, press Power on the Archos Tablet (and remove the Micro USB Cable)
- It will install the SDE firmware, then reboot.
- It will boot into the AngStrom OS. At first this OS looks intimidating, but it is quite harmless.
- It will come up with a new user details screen. Type in a user name, a password, and confirm the password. Then press OK. It will then log in and take you to the desktop.
- Press the ^ key in the lower left hand side of the screen, and press Turn off. You may have to press a few times to get it to respond as the touch responsiveness was NOT very good for me.
- Press Yes to log off. It will then power down

Now we move to phase 2 to installing the 2.0.54 firmware to Archos tablet, please follow the instruction below;

- Download the Archos 2.0.54 firmware
- Rename the file firmware_archos_android_gen8.aos. (If you downloaded the file in the same place you downloaded the SDE firmware file, just overwrite it.)
- Then boot your Archos in Recovery mode by holding the Volume – button and pressing the power button. Release the power button, but keep the Volume – button held down. It will boot into recovery mode.

Recovery Mode navigation works as below;
Volume + moves up
Volume – moves down
Pressing Power is Enter

- Press Volume – to Format System and Press Power.
- Press Volume – to Reformat Device and Press Power.
- Press Volume – to I understand and press Power. It will then reformat the partitions.
- When the USB Connection menu appears, plug in the Micro USB cable into your computer and into the Archos tablet. Windows (or your mac, I suppose) will recognize the tablet as a drive letter in My Computer. Copy the 2.0.54 firmware file firmware_archos_android_gen8.aos to the tablet. Copy to the root directory ( /) folder on the tablet.
- Once the copy is done, press Power on the Archos Tablet (and remove the Micro USB Cable)
- It will install the 2.0.54 firmware, then reboot.
- Now you have the 2.0.54 firmware installed.

After the 2.0.54 firmware has run in to the Archos device, than we should upgrade to the firmware 2.3.20 to get the stable performance from Archos device.