How to Fix “The Emulator Process for AVD Has Terminated” Error in Android Studio

How to Fix “The Emulator Process for AVD Has Terminated” Error in Android Studio

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Written By Eric Sandler

The “Emulator Process for AVD Has Terminated” error is a common issue that Android developers encounter when working with Android Virtual Devices (AVD) in Android Studio. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various solutions to resolve this error.

Understanding the Error

This error typically occurs due to one or more of the following reasons:

  • Insufficient system resources
  • Incompatible AVD configuration
  • Corrupted AVD files
  • Hardware acceleration issues
  • Conflicting antivirus software
  • Outdated Android Studio components

Prerequisites

Before attempting any fixes, ensure you have:

  • Android Studio properly installed
  • Administrator privileges on your computer
  • Adequate free disk space (at least 10GB recommended)
  • Minimum 8GB RAM (16GB recommended)

Solution 1: Enable Hardware Acceleration

For Windows Users

  1. Open Android Studio
  2. Navigate to SDK Manager
  3. Select “SDK Tools” tab
  4. Check if “Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM installer)” is installed
  5. If not installed:
  • Download and install it
  • Restart your computer
  • Open Command Prompt as administrator
  • Run: sc query intelhaxm to verify installation

For Linux Users

  1. Check KVM installation:
sudo apt-get install cpu-checker
kvm-ok
  1. If KVM is not installed:
sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils
  1. Add your user to the KVM group:
sudo adduser $USER kvm

Solution 2: Wipe AVD Data and Cold Boot

  1. Open AVD Manager in Android Studio
  2. Click the down arrow next to your problematic AVD
  3. Select “Wipe Data”
  4. Click “Cold Boot Now”
  5. Wait for the emulator to completely restart

Solution 3: Create a New AVD

Open AVD Manager

Click “Create Virtual Device”

Select a device definition (e.g., Pixel 2)

Choose a system image:

    • Recommend x86 or x86_64 for better performance
    • Select a stable API level

    Configure AVD:

      • Set RAM to 2048 MB or higher
      • Enable hardware keyboard
      • Set internal storage to at least 2048 MB

      Click “Finish”

        Solution 4: Update Android Studio Components

        1. Open Android Studio
        2. Go to Help → Check for Updates
        3. Update the following components:
        • Android Studio
        • Android SDK Platform-Tools
        • Android Emulator
        • Intel HAXM (if applicable)

        Restart Android Studio

          Solution 5: Check System Requirements

          Verify Hardware Virtualization

          1 – For Windows:

            • Open Task Manager
            • Go to Performance tab
            • Check “Virtualization” status

            2- For macOS/Linux:

              • Open Terminal
              • Run: sysctl -a | grep machdep.cpu.features (macOS)
              • Run: grep -E 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo (Linux)

              Adjust Memory Settings

              1. Open AVD Manager
              2. Edit your AVD
              3. Recommended settings:
              • RAM: 2048 MB
              • VM heap: 512 MB
              • Internal storage: 2048 MB or higher

              Advanced Troubleshooting

              Check Log Files

              1 – Find AVD log files:

                • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.android\avd
                • macOS/Linux: ~/.android/avd

                2 – Look for errors in:

                  • idea.log
                  • studio.log

                  Clear Android Studio Cache

                  1. Close Android Studio
                  2. Navigate to cache directory:
                  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.AndroidStudio<version>
                  • macOS: ~/Library/Caches/AndroidStudio<version>
                  • Linux: ~/.cache/AndroidStudio<version>

                  3 – Delete the following folders:

                    • system/caches
                    • system/tmp

                    4 – Restart Android Studio

                      Common Errors and Solutions

                      Error: PANIC: Cannot find AVD system path

                      1. Delete the AVD
                      2. Clear Android Studio cache
                      3. Create a new AVD with default settings

                      Error: Emulator: ERROR: x86 emulation currently requires hardware acceleration

                      1. Enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V in BIOS
                      2. Reinstall Intel HAXM
                      3. Disable Hyper-V (Windows only)

                      Best Practices

                      1 – Regular Maintenance:

                        • Keep Android Studio updated
                        • Regularly clean AVD storage
                        • Monitor system resources

                        2- Optimal Configuration:

                          • Use x86 system images when possible
                          • Enable hardware keyboard
                          • Set appropriate RAM and storage

                          3 – Performance Tips:

                            • Close unnecessary applications
                            • Use SSD for Android Studio
                            • Maintain at least 20% free disk space

                            Still Having Issues?

                            If none of the above solutions work:

                            1. Try running Android Studio as administrator
                            2. Temporarily disable antivirus software
                            3. Check for conflicting virtualization software
                            4. Consider reporting the issue to Google’s Issue Tracker

                            Additional Resources

                            Eric Sandler

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