App Starts Emulator but never loads App

[fun...@gmail.com]

Having serious issues trying to test out my apps on the emulator.

Sometimes it works, but most of the time it does not.

The aiStarter is running and I ran the test page URL to ensure that it was, I then click Connect->Emulator and the emulator loads up just fine to the lock screen.

However, that's as far as it gets -> the dialog on the AppInventor page is stuck saying: Starting the Android Emulator Please Wait: This may take a minute or two.

The emulator has loaded fine, its on the lock screen. It's as if AppInventor never gets the message back from the Emulator letting it know that it has started.

As I said the odd time it seems to randomly work!

Anyone else have this issue?

[Johan de Bruijn]

try to unlock it???

[SteveJG]

1)  Most of the emulator connection problems we have seen are a result of not having the most current version of the App Inventor setup software, or that software having been incompletely installed. 

Still, there can be many other issues that could cause the connection to the emulator to fail.  Please read and follow the document below on connection issues:

Click here for Emulator Setup and Trouble Shooting Instructions

If you still cannot get the emulator running after following that document, please post in the forum and we'll try to help you out.

Here is something another user did.   If you are comfortable with a PC and reading files and bat files, it might work for you if the above does not.   D Kromp wrote:

I did everying on the troubleshooting page and nothing worked to connect to the emulator, I would always receive the timeout message and the emulator would not boot. Out of curiosity last night I found that the MIT Companion app APK can be downloaded. So today I installed the Companion APK through the adb command, restarted the computer, and everything worked! 

I have instructions of what I did below and am attaching a .bat file that will automatically install the Companion app (I renamed the Companion app apk to test.apk - If you are worried about my apk, just download the MIT Companion app on your own and change my .bat file to:   adb install "MITAI2Companion.apk"). My directions are for a fresh install of App Inventor 2 - If you already have it installed, skip step 1.

1. Install the App Inventor 2 software – Download from http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/ai2/windows.html - Step 1

2. Boot the emulator by going to C:\Program Files\AppInventor\commands-for-Appinventor  and double click the run-emulator.bat file (wait for it to fully boot and swipe to open).

3. Install the MIT Companion app (make sure emulator is still running) by:

a.       Putting ~installapk-test.bat and test.apk in the same folder as step 2 – I’ve attached these files in a zip since .bat files are not allowed as a direct upload.

b.      Double click ~installapk-test.bat  This should install the MIT Companion app on the emulator.

c.       Wait for the install to complete.

4. Restart the computer

5.  Try the site with a program. Click Connect>>Emulator this should boot the emulator and run everything correctly.

– I’ve had it work on a fresh install this way. If it doesn’t work:

a.       Boot the emulator (either by step 2, or the Connect>>Emulator should have at least booted the emulator).

b.      Swipe to open then click the boxes at the bottom to see installed apps.

c.       Open the MIT App Inventor Companion app.

d.      Attempt the Connect>>Emulator again with this program open.

[fun...@gmail.com]

After a good bit of experimentation I think the issue was with my AVG Free antivirus!

I disabled it and AppInventor seems to be able to communicate with the Emulator now.

Of course this isn't really an ideal scenario. I wonder if there is a way to leave AVG on but have the emulator set to be an exception!!? I can see the exceptions screen for AVG but Im not sure what file to add - Im going to just try to add the emulator.exe to the list and see if that works!

Thanks for the suggestions anyway

[fun...@gmail.com]

Tried just the .exe and the then the entire folder. Neither worked, obviously something else - can see mto find an answer either in any of the other forum posts!

[fun...@gmail.com]

Okay, found the answer to what exactly is causing it in AVG - Its the Web Browsing 'Link Scanner'. If you disable that in Advanced settings the emulator connects fine. Again though, still not ideal having to disable that.

[SteveJG]

@Fun... thank you very much for reporting this, trying lots of things and discovering the issue is your virus software AVG  (which normally is a nice piece of software).  Knowing AVG Link Scanner is causing issues and that disabling it in the advanced AVG setting  allows you to run the emulator normally is valuable information for the entire community.

Great detective work.   5 stars for sharing with the AI2 community.    I am passing this on to the MIT technical staff.   I am certain it will be of great 

interest to them.

Very best wishes,

Steve