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Android Studio won't run apps due to unsigned driver

Minuous

Lurker
Jan 5, 2023
3
0
I have compiled a program with Android Studio on Windows 8.1 and am trying to run it in the built-in emulator. But when I choose "Run" from the menu, I get this:
"Install Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors
Intel HAXM is required to run this AVD.
Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors is not installed.
Install Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors for better emulation performance."

If I choose Cancel, it doesn't run the program.
If I choose OK instead, it brings up a "Installing Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors" wizard, but it fails because:
"A digitally signed driver is required
Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver
Google LLC
Windows blocked the installation of a digitally unsigned driver.
Uninstall the program or device that uses the driver and check the publisher's website for a digitally signed version of the driver."

It is coming directly from Google so I don't know why it would be unsigned, nor how they would expect it to work in that case. Can anyone help? Thanks.
 
The error message you are seeing is suggesting that you install the Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors, which is a driver that provides hardware acceleration for the Android Emulator on AMD processors.

However, it appears that the driver you are trying to install is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been verified by Microsoft as a trusted driver. Windows will not allow you to install unsigned drivers by default for security reasons.

To resolve this issue, you have a few options:

  1. Install HAXM: Instead of using the Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors, you can try installing HAXM, which is a hardware acceleration engine that is specifically designed to work with the Android Emulator. HAXM is available as part of the Android SDK, which is included with Android Studio. You can find instructions for installing HAXM here: https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator-acceleration

  2. Use a different emulator: If you are unable to install HAXM or the Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors, you can try using a different emulator, such as the Android Studio Emulator or the Visual Studio Emulator for Android. These emulators do not require hardware acceleration and should work on any machine, regardless of the processor.

  3. Use a physical device: If you have an Android device, you can use it to test your app instead of using an emulator. This is generally the preferred method for testing and debugging, as it allows you to test your app on a real device with real hardware and performance characteristics.

  4. Install the unsigned driver: As a last resort, you can try installing the unsigned driver by disabling driver signature enforcement in Windows. This is generally not recommended, as it can compromise the security of your system. However, if you are confident that the driver is safe and you trust the publisher, you can follow these instructions to disable driver signature enforcement: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...bling-signed-driver-enforcement-on-windows-10
 
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Thanks for the suggestions; however, as I have an AMD CPU, presumably Intel HAXM is not going to work? and as I am running Windows 8.1, the instructions about Windows 10 do not match my system.

I lodged a bug report with Google a few days ago; they said they have not tested Android Studio on Windows 8.1 for a while (!) and would try to reproduce the issue there. https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/264616265

In the meantime I am using a real device to test via a USB connection; I also have BlueStacks installed but that is painfully slow.
 
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