Can't rebuild Android application because Android Studio cant delete the apk folder

Question

Prior to this issue I was having this exact issue:

Unable to clean project in Android Studio

I tried several of the answers in that question but I couldn't seem to get this resolved and I believe I have made the problem worse. I messed with the permissions (per the answers for the question above) but now I get this different error message:

Unable to open 'C:\Users\user1\AndroidStudioProjects\RyderApp\app\build\outputs\apk\app-debug.apk' as zip archive

Building the project again with stacktrace option gives me this:

* Exception is:
org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':app:zipalignDebug'.
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter
.java:69)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:4
6)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.PostExecutionAnalysisTaskExecuter.execute(PostExecutionAnalysisTaskE
xecuter.java:35)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.execute(SkipUpToDateTaskExecuter.java:64)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:58)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExe
cuter.java:52)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.
java:52)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:53)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteAtMostOnceTaskExecuter.
java:43)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecut
er.java:203)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter$EventFiringTaskWorker.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecut
er.java:185)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.AbstractTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.processTask(AbstractTaskPlanExecu
tor.java:66)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.AbstractTaskPlanExecutor$TaskExecutorWorker.run(AbstractTaskPlanExecutor.java
:50)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.process(DefaultTaskPlanExecutor.java:25)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.execute(DefaultTaskGraphExecuter.java:110)
        at org.gradle.execution.SelectedTaskExecutionAction.execute(SelectedTaskExecutionAction.java:37)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:37)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.access$000(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:23)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter$1.proceed(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:43)
        at org.gradle.execution.DryRunBuildExecutionAction.execute(DryRunBuildExecutionAction.java:32)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:37)
        at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:30)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$4.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:154)
        at org.gradle.internal.Factories$1.create(Factories.java:22)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:90)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:52)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuildStages(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:151)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.access$200(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:32)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:99)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$1.create(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:93)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:90)
        at org.gradle.internal.progress.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:62)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuild(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:93)
        at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:82)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter$DefaultBuildController.run(InProcessBuildActionExecute
r.java:94)
        at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ExecuteBuildActionRunner.run(ExecuteBuildActionRunner.java:28)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ChainingBuildActionRunner.run(ChainingBuildActionRunner.java:35)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:43)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.InProcessBuildActionExecuter.execute(InProcessBuildActionExecuter.java:28)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:78)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.execute(ContinuousBuildActionExecuter.java:48)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.execute(DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionEx
ecuter.java:51)
        at org.gradle.launcher.exec.DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionExecuter.execute(DaemonUsageSuggestingBuildActionEx
ecuter.java:28)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.RunBuildAction.run(RunBuildAction.java:43)
        at org.gradle.internal.Actions$RunnableActionAdapter.execute(Actions.java:170)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$ParseAndBuildAction.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:2
37)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$ParseAndBuildAction.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:2
10)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.JavaRuntimeValidationAction.execute(JavaRuntimeValidationAction.java:35)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.JavaRuntimeValidationAction.execute(JavaRuntimeValidationAction.java:24)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$WithLogging.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:206)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.CommandLineActionFactory$WithLogging.execute(CommandLineActionFactory.java:169)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.ExceptionReportingAction.execute(ExceptionReportingAction.java:33)
        at org.gradle.launcher.cli.ExceptionReportingAction.execute(ExceptionReportingAction.java:22)
        at org.gradle.launcher.Main.doAction(Main.java:33)
        at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.EntryPoint.run(EntryPoint.java:45)
        at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.ProcessBootstrap.runNoExit(ProcessBootstrap.java:54)
        at org.gradle.launcher.bootstrap.ProcessBootstrap.run(ProcessBootstrap.java:35)
        at org.gradle.launcher.GradleMain.main(GradleMain.java:23)
        at org.gradle.wrapper.BootstrapMainStarter.start(BootstrapMainStarter.java:30)
        at org.gradle.wrapper.WrapperExecutor.execute(WrapperExecutor.java:129)
        at org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain.main(GradleWrapperMain.java:61)
Caused by: org.gradle.process.internal.ExecException: Process 'command 'C:\Users\sanzi\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\build-
tools\23.0.3\zipalign.exe'' finished with non-zero exit value 1
        at org.gradle.process.internal.DefaultExecHandle$ExecResultImpl.assertNormalExitValue(DefaultExecHandle.java:36
7)
        at org.gradle.process.internal.DefaultExecAction.execute(DefaultExecAction.java:31)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.file.DefaultFileOperations.exec(DefaultFileOperations.java:165)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.AbstractProject.exec(AbstractProject.java:814)
        at com.android.build.gradle.tasks.ZipAlign.zipAlign(ZipAlign.java:78)
        at org.gradle.internal.reflect.JavaMethod.invoke(JavaMethod.java:75)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.doExecute(Ann
otationProcessingTaskFactory.java:227)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(Annot
ationProcessingTaskFactory.java:220)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.project.taskfactory.AnnotationProcessingTaskFactory$StandardTaskAction.execute(Annot
ationProcessingTaskFactory.java:209)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$TaskActionWrapper.execute(AbstractTask.java:585)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.AbstractTask$TaskActionWrapper.execute(AbstractTask.java:568)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeAction(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.
.java:80)                                                                                                             
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeActions(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter
r.java:61)                                                                                                            
        ... 60 more

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 03 '16 at 23:43

2

The best solution is to close Android Studio, navigate to the root of your project folder in command line, and run the gradlew clean command. If you have stuck processes trying to access the file that is unable to be deleted (in this case your app-debug.apk) you might need to force close the offending process in order to run this command. Usually it's an instance of the Java SDK that's the culprit.

edited Jun 03 '16 at 23:43

OneCricketeer

179,855
19
132
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answered Jun 03 '16 at 23:35

Eric Bachhuber

3,872
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26

1

oh ive been running gradlew clean from within android studio. I got it working now. I couldn't figure out what java process were running because windows 10 task manager is a mess. I restarted and did a gradew clean from the command line and it worked – user3712476 Jun 03 '16 at 23:57
Glad you got it working. It's a really annoying issue; happens to me at least once every day or two while I'm working. – Eric Bachhuber Jun 04 '16 at 06:01

Can't rebuild Android application because Android Studio cant delete the apk folder

1 Answers1