Android SDK manager won't open

The question:

So I installed the android sdk for Windows:

http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html (the installation link)

And ran into the path variable problem. So I fixed that by changing “PATH” in enviroment variables to include where my java.exe file is located from the JDK.

But now when I open the android sdk manager, a cmd-like screen just briefly flashes on for half a second then disappears. I have no idea what’s going on and how to get this thing working.

The Solutions:

Below are the methods you can try. The first solution is probably the best. Try others if the first one doesn’t work. Senior developers aren’t just copying/pasting – they read the methods carefully & apply them wisely to each case.

Method 1

Make sure your javabin directory is in your path statement before the windowssystem32 directory.
The SDK Manager uses java and it was finding the one in the system32 folder.

In a CMD window, you can run ‘where java‘.
Don’t forget to restart your CMD after changing the path variable for checking.

Method 2

Alright, I had the same problem, and none of these answers worked for me (I’m running Windows 8). I tried running tools/android.bat and noticed I got some errors there. I investigated further and it seems there is something wrong in the code that finds your Java path.

This is how you fix it:

Open up tools/android.bat in your favorite text editor

Search for this piece of code:

set java_exe=
call libfind_java.bat
if not defined java_exe goto :EOF

Replace it with this:
```
set java_exe=D:Program FilesJavajdk1.7.0_07binjava.exe 
```
where the path is the path to your Java exe.
Run android.bat

(in my case I had to specify the path to java_exe in step 3 with no quotes to make it work.)

Method 3

There are many reasons as to why the SDK Manager won’t open. Rather than trying each one of them blindly, I recommend running the android.bat in a command window so you can read the error message and apply the correct fix.

Method 4

In the latest version of the Android SDK, running “SDK Manager.exe” and/or “AVD Manager.exe” will not open anymore. Even the “Launch Standalone SDK Manager” link in Android Studio, which can be previously found in Android SDK Settings, is now gone.

It is now recommended to perform manual SDK and AVD management inside Android Studio. But for those who do not have an Android Studio or for those who do not like to open Android Studio just to perform SDK management, you can still manage the SDK using the command line tools, “tools/bin/sdkmanager.bat” and “tools/bin/avdmanager.bat”.

This information is available when running “tools/android.bat”. I think this is true for those who currently have Android SDK tooks v25.3.1 and above.

Method 5

Same problem here.
Fixed!
I installed the correct Java stuff, all for 64 bit, because my system is x64, and nothing happened. So I went to C:Users[my name] and deleted the directory .android that has been created the first time the SDK ran, apparently with some wrong configuration.

Then it worked. You can try that. Delete that folder or just move it to the desktop and run the SDK.

Method 6

Google removed the GUI for SDK starting from version 26. If you’re using version 26, try downgrading to version 25. You can still open the SDK from Android Studio.

Source: Is GUI for Android SDK manager gone?

Method 7

There appear to be several ways to launch the SDK Manager:

SDK Manager.exe in the root of the Android SDK.
SDK Manager.exe in sdktoolslib of the Android SDK.
Window -> Android SDK Manager menu in Eclipse
android.bat in sdktools of the Android SDK.

In my case, it looks like android.bat fails on the line:

for /f %%a in ('%java_exe% -jar libarchquery.jar') do set swt_path=lib%%a

As far as what that line is doing… if I manually run: "[path_to_java]java" -jar libarchquery.jar

It successfully returns: x86_64

But when the batch file runs that same command, I don’t know why but it fails with the error message:

Unable to access jarfile libarchquery.jar

So the variable swt_path gets set to an empty string. Everything breaks down from there.

The batch file sets the correct value for the variable java_exe. Others have commonly reported this as a problem, but those workarounds weren’t relevant in my case.

People have recommended commenting out the problem line by adding REM to the beginning of it, and adding a line to manually set the swt_path variable, which is a valid workaround:

REM for /f %%a in ('%java_exe% -jar libarchquery.jar') do set swt_path=lib%%a
set swt_path=libx86

BUT, the critical issue in my case is that it’s choosing to load a jar file from either the libx86 or the libx86_64 folder here. At some point, things were getting confused between the BAT file error, a 32-bit JDK, and a 64-bit Android SDK.

SO, the workaround in my case was to:

Uninstall ALL versions of Java
Install the JDK
- You can either use the 32-bit Android SDK and install the 32-bit JDK
- Or use the 64-bit Android SDK and install the 64-bit JDK
- But the “bitness” of the JDK should match the Android SDK. It appears that either of the 32-bit or the 64-bit will work on a 64-bit computer, AS LONG AS the JDK bitness matches the Android SDK bitness.

Edit “android.bat”

If using the 32-bit Android SDK/JDK, use libx86:

REM for /f %%a in ('%java_exe% -jar libarchquery.jar') do set swt_path=lib%%a
set swt_path=libx86

If using the 64-bit Android SDK/JDK, use libx86_64:

REM for /f %%a in ('%java_exe% -jar libarchquery.jar') do set swt_path=lib%%a
set swt_path=libx86_64

After doing this, I can successfully run the SDK Manager by running android.bat, or from the Eclipse menu (but still not by running either of the SDK Manager.exe files directly).

Method 8

The simplest way is to run the program as administartor.

Right-click the SDK Manager -> Run as Administrator

That should solve the problem 🙂

Method 9

I had the same problem, tried setting path variables and everything. What SDK manager needs is not the JDK, but the actual Java SE end user crap. Go to http://www.java.com/en/download/ie_manual.jsp?locale=en and download that. As soon as I finished installing that, it worked like a charm

Method 10

Try adding the Java path (pointing to the JDK) to the System Environment Variables.

Right-click ‘Computer’ > Properties > Advanced system settings > Environment Variables

Then under System Variables, add a new variable.

Variable   Value
JAVA_PATH  C:Program FilesJavajdk1.7.0

Then edit the Path variable, prefix it with %JAVA_PATH%bin;.

Method 11

Locating the android.bat file in the tools folder worked for me. Funny that it is such a chore to get it to run. In my experience, usually .exe files run as expected. I’m not sure why it doesn’t in this case… strange and annoying!

Method 12

I had something totally different than the other answers.

I ran tools/android.bat and got

java.lang.NullPointerException
        at java.io.File.<init>(File.java:251)
        at com.android.sdklib.internal.avd.AvdManager.parseAvdInfo(AvdManager.java:1623)
        at com.android.sdklib.internal.avd.AvdManager.buildAvdList(AvdManager.java:1584)
        at com.android.sdklib.internal.avd.AvdManager.<init>(AvdManager.java:357)
        at com.android.sdklib.internal.avd.AvdManager.getInstance(AvdManager.java:380)
        at com.android.sdklib.internal.repository.updater.UpdaterData.initSdk(UpdaterData.java:259)
        at com.android.sdklib.internal.repository.updater.UpdaterData.<init>(UpdaterData.java:127)
        at com.android.sdkuilib.internal.repository.SwtUpdaterData.<init>(SwtUpdaterData.java:61)
        at com.android.sdkuilib.internal.repository.ui.SdkUpdaterWindowImpl2.<init>(SdkUpdaterWindowImpl2.java:104)
        at com.android.sdkuilib.repository.SdkUpdaterWindow.<init>(SdkUpdaterWindow.java:88)
        at com.android.sdkmanager.Main.showSdkManagerWindow(Main.java:408)
        at com.android.sdkmanager.Main.doAction(Main.java:391)
        at com.android.sdkmanager.Main.run(Main.java:151)
        at com.android.sdkmanager.Main.main(Main.java:117)

Basically it looked like I had a corrupt AVD configuration, so I went and cleared out my virtual devices and everything started working again! (Files in C:UsersYourUser.androidavd for windows users)

Method 13

I faced the same issue and finally managed to solve it. I then created a step-by-step guide containing the universal fix to help all developers get past this issue asap: http://www.dominantwire.com/2015/03/android-sdk-not-opening.html

All the steps in short:

1.If you have jdk v1.8. Remove it and re-install jdk v1.7.x.x

2.Set paths to jdk and jre bin folders in the environment variables

3.delete (make a backup first) the .android folder present in C: > Users > [user-name] > .android

4.Set the JAVA_HOME variable keeping JAVA_HOME as the variable name and the path to bin folder of jdk as the variable value.

5.Go to [sdk-directory] > tools. Find and right-click on android.bat file and select ‘edit’ to open it in notepad and make the following modifications.

ORIGINAL

set java_exe=
call libfind_java.bat
if not defined java_exe goto :EOF

MODIFIED

set java_exe=C:Program FilesJavajdk1.7.0_75binjava.exe
rem call libfind_java.bat
rem if not defined java_exe goto :EOF

NOTE : Copy and paste your own java.exe path directory as explained previously.

ORIGINAL

for /f "delims=" %%a in ('"%java_exe%" -jar libarchquery.jar') do set swt_path=lib%%a

MODIFIED

rem for /f "delims=" %%a in ('"%java_exe%" -jar libarchquery.jar') do set swt_path=lib%%a
set swt_path=libx86_64

NOTE : If your android sdk is 64bit then mention set swt_path=libx86_64 otherwise if it is 32bit then keep it as set swt_path=libx86

Done! Fire up android sdk from android.bat file or from eclipse. It should open up just fine!

Method 14

I tried almost all the solutions provided here. But nothing worked out. And finally, I downloaded tools(tools_r25.2.3-windows.zip) from the below link and replaced the tools sub-folder in the sdk folder. It started working.

https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html#downloads

Sharing this as an information though it’s an old thread.

Method 15

I recently faced this problem after I installed android emulator using the sdk manager of android studio – which also upgraded my android sdk tools to 26.0.1 (as it was a prerequisite – according to the sdk manager of android studio).

In my case, I simply replaced the tools folder of android sdk with tools folder from an older android sdk. This downgraded the android sdk tools, but now I can open the sdk manager using SDK Manager.exe.

Method 16

Also make sure there is not as JRE before your JDK in PATH on Windows. Oracle always stuffs its own JRE into the path before anything else (I had installed Oracle Lite after I installed the android sdk).

Method 17

Same problem here, I tried all solutions but nothing worked. Then I went into C:UsersUser_name and deleted the “.android” folder and then, the SDK Manager could open normally, and automatically created other “.android” folder.

Method 18

I have solved this issue. If you are not able to open “SDK Manager.exe” from explorer or if you are facing any problem with SDK Manager.

Firstly check Java path is given in Environment Variable. (run Java command on CMD, or run Where Java on CMD as Administrator). If Java command is recognized, there might not be problem with Java

This might be due to broken SDK Tools. To fix it firstly rename tools folder (AndroidSdktools) to tools.old. Now download https://dl.google.com/android
/repository/tools_r25.2.3-windows.zip?hl=id.
After that Extract the downloaded zip files to AndroidSdk hence new tools folder would be extracted with all the contents for SDK. Now open SDK Manager.exe. If it opens your issue is solved. Please note that SDK Manager.exe is a launcher file that launches AndroidSdktoolsbinsdkmanager.bat. if you are satisfied with the answer please Upvote so that maximum users would solve the issue. For further help visit this page https://answers.unity.com/questions/1320150/unable-to-list-target-platform.html

Method 19

Been trying to get the SDK manager to run for a while now following various threads with similar problems I could find.

Another solution to consider is to move android SDK to a dir without spaces in its name.

For instance in my case it resided in:

e:Program Files (x86)Androidandroid-sdk

and would fail.
When moved to:

c:android_sdk_sucks

It worked.

Method 20

I tried all the most popular solutions before and no one worked for me, until I realised that the Android SDK folder must not have any spaces, so I changed it from “C:Android SDK” to “C:Android_SDK”. As simple as that.

Method 21

Nothing helps me from all this answers, but I found the right steps (Windows 7 64 bit):

1) Open android.bat from your sdk folder for editing;

2) Add exactly this two strings:

set java_exe=c:Program FilesJavajdk1.8.0_25binjava.exe
rem call libfind_java.bat

instead of this:

set java_exe=
call libfind_java.bat
if not defined java_exe goto :EOF

Where c:Program FilesJavajdk1.8.0_25 is your jdk folder.
3) Enjoy. SDK Manager will launch from Android studio IDE.

Method 22

I installed Android Studio for Mac. I was not able to access the SDK manager through the IDE. It turns out I just had to have my JAVA_HOME environment variable set. Once I got this set I was able to launch the SDK manager.

Method 23

I’d encountered the same problem. When running the android.bat I found the solution (if Java is installed in the ‘normal’ Windows directory, ie ‘program files’) you need to put quotes surrounding “c:/program files/” etc etc. Otherwise it cannot find java on “C:/program”. (me dislikes spaces)

Method 24

The issue with mine was that I could run SDK manager through double clicking android.bat but not when I double click on the actual SDK manager application. I solved this issue by setting a new environmental variable:

ANDROID_HOME = C:Developmentadt-bundle-windows-x86_64-20130911sdk

restarted my pc and now I can double click on the application and run SDK Manager. Hope that helps 🙂

Method 25

I saw answers that provide workaround solutions by hard coding java.exe location and x86 / x86_64 architecture string in sdktoolsandroid.bat. Those are quick solutions but did not solve the fundamental issue that I am actually curious of.

The actual problem that I encountered is, the batch script is not able to find another script/jar file and thus is failed to proceed. I could say the script was poorly written.

After I made the following changes in sdktoolsandroid.bat, everything works like a charm.

Specifically, I added %~dp0:

set java_exe=
call %~dp0libfind_java.bat
if not defined java_exe goto :EOF

...

for /f "delims=" %%a in ('"%java_exe%" -jar %~dp0libarchquery.jar') do set swt_path=lib%%a

Now, try to launch the script and SDK Manager should come out.

p.s. My installation of OS, Java 8 and Android SDK are fresh and I did not do any of the extra configuration.

p.s. You may still need to configure PATH environment variable so that the script could find the suitable java.exe.

Method 26

I test every way, But only working way was re Installing sdk-manager in same path as old one

Method 27

http://quantumsupport.blogspot.com/2011/03/android-sdk-managerexe-wont-start.html

Create a new user account, either re-install or just start android.bat and it should work did for me

Method 28

I encountered a similar problem where SDK manager would flash a command window and die.

This is what worked for me: My processor and OS both are 64-bit. I had installed 64-bit JDK version. The problem wouldn’t go away with reinstalling JDK or modifying path. My theory was that SDK Manager may be needed 32-bit version of JDK. Don’t know why that should matter but I ended up installing 32-bit version of JDK and magic. And SDK Manager successfully launched.

Method 29

OS: Windows 7- 64 bit, Android SDK: 64 bit

Introduce a new ‘System variable’ named: JAVA_HOME with value: C:Program FilesJavajdk1.7.0_51
Right-click on SDK Manager.exe -> Run as administrator

A check list:

Make sure the java path in system variable ‘Path’ is something like: C:Program FilesJavajdk1.7.0_51bin
There is no space in your folder name, replace something like C:Android SDK with C:Android_SDK
You can find your java with ‘where java’ command in command line

All methods was sourced from stackoverflow.com or stackexchange.com, is licensed under cc by-sa 2.5, cc by-sa 3.0 and cc by-sa 4.0

Android SDK manager won’t open