Android Studio emulator not starting on Windows? 12 fixes that actually work

Last updated: September 18, 2025 · A comprehensive guide to diagnosing and fixing Android Studio emulator startup issues by root cause.

Quick Fix Summary

Android Studio emulator startup failures or unexpected crashes are typically caused by virtualization settings and AVD configuration issues.

Try first: Cold Boot and Data Wipe
Core solution: Pick one virtualization path (WHPX or AEHD, not both)
Additional checks: Update SDK tools and adjust graphics settings

Common Symptoms and Causes

Frequently Encountered Issues

Emulator window fails to appear or closes immediately
"The emulator process has terminated" error message
Infinite loading screen or black screen freeze
"x86 emulation requires hardware acceleration" error
WHPX or Hyper-V related conflict messages

These issues primarily stem from Windows virtualization technology conflicts, AVD configuration errors, or SDK component version mismatches.

AVD Restart and Reset Methods

Start with these fundamental troubleshooting steps.

Performing a Cold Boot

Open Android Studio and navigate to Device Manager
Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the problematic virtual device
Select "Cold Boot Now"
Wait for boot completion (2–3 minutes)

Data Wipe (Factory Reset)

If Cold Boot doesn't resolve the issue:

Select "Wipe Data" from the same menu
Confirm with "Yes"
Restart the emulator after reset completion

💡 Note: Wipe Data removes all apps and data within the emulator.

Virtualization Environment Setup (Critical Fix)

Windows emulator VM acceleration requires choosing one of two options. Running both simultaneously causes conflicts.

Virtualization Path Overview

WHPX (Preferred on Windows): Uses Windows Hyper-V hypervisor via Windows Hypervisor Platform. Coexists with WSL2.
AEHD: Use when you can’t (or don’t want to) run Hyper-V. Disable Hyper-V family features (Windows Hypervisor Platform, Virtual Machine Platform, Core Isolation) and reboot.

Important: Configure either WHPX or AEHD. Enabling both paths causes conflicts.

Android Studio macOS View > Tool Windows > Device Manager menu location

[Figure 1] Device Manager menu path (macOS) · Source: Author capture (Android Studio, macOS) · Related docs: Android Developers

Android Studio macOS Device Manager window with Create device (plus) button location

[Figure 2] Device Manager window with Create device button (macOS) · Source: Author capture (Android Studio, macOS) · Related docs: Android Developers

SDK Tools and System Image Updates

Outdated SDK components can cause compatibility issues.

Essential Update Checklist

Android Studio → SDK Manager
Update in SDK Tools tab:
- Android Emulator
- Android SDK Platform-Tools
- Android SDK Build-Tools
- Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver (when using AEHD)
In SDK Platforms tab, update x86_64 / arm64 system images for your target API levels

💡 Tip: If you need Google Play services, select images with "Google APIs".

Graphics and Boot Settings Adjustment

Configure using the current UI interface.

Device Manager → click pencil icon (Edit) for target AVD → Advanced settings
Try Graphics options in order: Automatic → Hardware → Software
Set Boot option to Cold boot (avoids snapshot errors)
Memory and Storage: keep default; adjust RAM to ~2–4GB if needed

CLI equivalent: -gpu auto (Automatic), -gpu host (Hardware), -gpu swiftshader_indirect (Software).

Process Cleanup and ADB Restart

Clean up lingering processes and ADB server issues.

Terminate Remaining Processes

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc
In Details tab, end these processes:
- qemu-system-x86_64.exe
- emulator.exe
- emulator-check.exe
- adb.exe

Restart ADB Server

cd %LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk\platform-tools
adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb devices

Advanced Troubleshooting Methods

GPU Driver Updates

Update NVIDIA drivers to latest
Update AMD drivers to latest
Update Intel graphics drivers to latest

Security Software Exceptions

Antivirus/Windows Defender may block emulator execution. Add these paths as exceptions:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk
%USERPROFILE%\.android\
(Android Studio installation folder)

Disk Space and Permissions

Ensure minimum 5GB free space (insufficient space can cause boot failures)
Verify read/write permissions for Android SDK/AVD folders
Run Android Studio as administrator if necessary

Command Line Debugging and Force Launch

When GUI solutions fail, command line tools can be helpful.

Direct Emulator Launch

cd %LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk\emulator
emulator -list-avds
emulator -avd [AVD_NAME] -no-snapshot-load -wipe-data -gpu auto

Detailed Logging for Diagnosis

emulator -avd [AVD_NAME] -verbose -show-kernel -debug-init

Quick Virtualization Status Check

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online | Where-Object {$_.FeatureName -like "*Hyper*"}
systeminfo | findstr /i hyper

✅ Prevention Checklist

Regular Maintenance

Regular Cold Boot execution — prevents snapshot errors
Consistent virtualization setup — use only one: WHPX or AEHD
Monthly SDK component updates
Graphics mode — adjust according to system performance
Process cleanup — check for remaining processes after shutdown
Disk space — maintain minimum 5GB free
Keep Windows/graphics drivers updated

Recommended AVD Configuration

API Level: Latest stable (as of Sep 2025, API 36)
ABI: x86_64 (Windows Intel/AMD) or arm64-v8a (Apple Silicon)
RAM: Default or ~2–4GB
Internal Storage: 4–8GB
Graphics: Automatic (try Hardware/Software if issues occur)

⚠️ Important Notes

Running multiple emulators simultaneously may cause resource shortage errors
Potential conflicts with VPN/virtual network drivers
Windows updates may change virtualization settings (recheck after updates)

🔗 References

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