Xamarin-android: [Bug] Xamarin.Forms Android Failed to Create App Archive. Copy of the mdbs files failed.

[developersimsek]

Description

[severity:I’m unable to use this version]
On Windows 10 I am using Visual Studio Version 16.8.4. I am no longer able to create an android archive. The last output from Xamarin is this:
Creating directory ‘0708d92989054ec99c2cef4f08e9833d’…
Copying msym ‘Xamarin.AndroidX.AppCompat.AppCompatResources.dll’
Cannot create the archive file because the copy of mdbs files failed.

Steps to Reproduce

1. An empty project has been created
2. Release Archive operation was done after all operations were completed.
3. Copying msym ‘Xamarin.AndroidX.AppCompat.AppCompatResources.dll’
   Cannot create the archive file because the copy of mdbs files failed.

Expected Behavior

Successful Apk or abb creation

Actual Behavior

Creating directory ‘0708d92989054ec99c2cef4f08e9833d’…
Copying msym ‘Xamarin.AndroidX.AppCompat.AppCompatResources.dll’
Cannot create the archive file because the copy of mdbs files failed

Environment

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Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise 2019
Version 16.8.4
VisualStudio.16.Release/16.8.4+30907.101
Microsoft .NET Framework
Version 4.8.04084

Installed Version: Enterprise

ASP.NET and Web Tools 2019 16.8.557.25636
ASP.NET and Web Tools 2019

ASP.NET Core Razor Language Services 16.1.0.2052803+84e121f1403378489b842e1797df2f3f5a49ac3c
Provides languages services for ASP.NET Core Razor.

ASP.NET Web Frameworks and Tools 2019 16.8.557.25636
For additional information, visit https://www.asp.net/

Azure App Service Tools v3.0.0 16.8.557.25636
Azure App Service Tools v3.0.0

Azure Functions and Web Jobs Tools 16.8.557.25636
Azure Functions and Web Jobs Tools

C# Tools 3.8.0-5.20604.10+9ed4b774d20940880de8df1ca8b07508aa01c8cd
C# components used in the IDE. Depending on your project type and settings, a different version of the compiler may be used.

Common Azure Tools 1.10
Provides common services for use by Azure Mobile Services and Microsoft Azure Tools.

ConvertToDevExtremeCommand Extension 1.0
ConvertToDevExtremeCommand Visual Studio Extension Detailed Info

DevExpress Reporting Extension 1.0
A Visual Studio extension that invokes the Report Designer editor for report definition REPX files.

DevExpress Reporting Tools Extension 1.0
Extends Visual Studio with tools required for the Report Designer editor.

DevExpress.DeploymentTool 1.0
A useful tool for deploying DevExpress assemblies.

DevExpress.Win.LayoutAssistant Extension 1.0
DevExpress.Win.LayoutAssistant Visual Studio Extension Detailed Info

DevExtreme.Design 18.1.6
DevExtreme Visual Studio integration package

Extensibility Message Bus 1.2.6 (master@34d6af2)
Provides common messaging-based MEF services for loosely coupled Visual Studio extension components communication and integration.

IntelliCode Extension 1.0
IntelliCode Visual Studio Extension Detailed Info

Microsoft Azure Tools 2.9
Microsoft Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 - v2.9.30924.1

Microsoft Continuous Delivery Tools for Visual Studio 0.4
Simplifying the configuration of Azure DevOps pipelines from within the Visual Studio IDE.

Microsoft JVM Debugger 1.0
Provides support for connecting the Visual Studio debugger to JDWP compatible Java Virtual Machines

Microsoft Library Manager 2.1.113+g422d40002e.RR
Install client-side libraries easily to any web project

Microsoft MI-Based Debugger 1.0
Provides support for connecting Visual Studio to MI compatible debuggers

Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Containers 1.1
Develop, run, validate your ASP.NET Core applications in the target environment. F5 your application directly into a container with debugging, or CTRL + F5 to edit & refresh your app without having to rebuild the container.

Mono Debugging for Visual Studio 16.8.43 (00471f8)
Support for debugging Mono processes with Visual Studio.

NuGet Package Manager 5.8.1
NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio. For more information about NuGet, visit https://docs.nuget.org/

ProjectServicesPackage Extension 1.0
ProjectServicesPackage Visual Studio Extension Detailed Info

Snapshot Debugging Extension 1.0
Snapshot Debugging Visual Studio Extension Detailed Info

SQL Server Data Tools 16.0.62012.31170
Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools

TypeScript Tools 16.0.21016.2001
TypeScript Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio

Visual Basic Tools 3.8.0-5.20604.10+9ed4b774d20940880de8df1ca8b07508aa01c8cd
Visual Basic components used in the IDE. Depending on your project type and settings, a different version of the compiler may be used.

Visual F# Tools 16.8.0-beta.20507.4+da6be68280c89131cdba2045525b80890401defd
Microsoft Visual F# Tools

Visual Studio Code Debug Adapter Host Package 1.0
Interop layer for hosting Visual Studio Code debug adapters in Visual Studio

Visual Studio Container Tools Extensions 1.0
View, manage, and diagnose containers within Visual Studio.

Visual Studio Tools for Containers 1.0
Visual Studio Tools for Containers

VisualStudio.DeviceLog 1.0
Information about my package

VisualStudio.Foo 1.0
Information about my package

VisualStudio.Mac 1.0
Mac Extension for Visual Studio

VisualSVN 7.3.0
Integration with Subversion version control. For more information about VisualSVN, see the VisualSVN website at https://www.visualsvn.com
Copyright © 2020 VisualSVN Software Ltd. All rights reserved.

Xamarin 16.8.000.261 (d16-8@bb99248)
Visual Studio extension to enable development for Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android.

Xamarin Designer 16.8.0.507 (remotes/origin/d16-8@e87b24884)
Visual Studio extension to enable Xamarin Designer tools in Visual Studio.

Xamarin Templates 16.8.112 (86385a3)
Templates for building iOS, Android, and Windows apps with Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms.

Xamarin.Android SDK 11.1.0.26 (d16-8/a36ce73)
Xamarin.Android Reference Assemblies and MSBuild support.
Mono: 5e9cb6d
Java.Interop: xamarin/java.interop/d16-8@79d9533
ProGuard: Guardsquare/proguard/proguard6.2.2@ebe9000
SQLite: xamarin/sqlite/3.32.1@1a3276b
Xamarin.Android Tools: xamarin/xamarin-android-tools/d16-8@2fb1cbc

Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Mac SDK 14.8.0.3 (c51fabee8)
Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Mac Reference Assemblies and MSBuild support.

Build Logs

output.zip

Screenshots

Reproduction Link

Workaround

[kiflay]

I am getting the same issue.

[zimo85]

I am getting the same issue too.
Already tried to reinstall VS.

[developersimsek]

Hi there,
Will anyone be able to look at the issue? The problem looks like a general problem. @samhouts @jsuarezruiz

[renandegrandi]

I am getting the same issue.

[wongsi85]

same issues , i think after update the VS 2019 .before update is okay.

[clinder-its]

Having the same issues (using VS 2019).
After closing the archieve view and reopen it, the apk is shown as built correctly and it works.

[developersimsek]

Yes I noticed that too. However, when you upload the package to Google Play, the application crashes. I guess it's because it's the missing dll. If the dll is missing the error is probably the dll that also comes out. Application crash does not occur in debug.
@clinder-its

[clinder-its]

We did not upload our App to Google Play, but build a Release version that worked on one device. However the behavior is still annoying for us and of course it has to work with Google Play.

Main reason for my message was to confirm the behavior and give some details about our observations for analyzing the issue.

[lucy-ctrl]

Same issue is occuring for me too

[KazyuraVasiliy]

The solution in my case was to edit archives location

[developersimsek]

Hi @KazyuraVasiliy ,

The method you presented offers a solution to the problem.

Thanks,
Good work...

[wongsi85]

The solution in my case was to edit archives location

Tested with your solutions, it's working. Thanks for sharing

[OpenInformaticaTrading]

Same issue here!

[S-Pourali]

thank you @KazyuraVasiliy .Changing "Archive Location" solved my issue.

[bodeg]

thank you @KazyuraVasiliy .Changing "Archive Location" solved my issue.

Maybe the SPACE in the path is the problem??

[BerndFfm]

This is an error I very often have in xamarin forms : The path ist too long for windows, only 256 characters are allowed.

So use very short path names where ever you can.

Archive Location : C:\Archives

solved the problem.

Greetings Bernd

[joaquin171993]

Thank you very much, that is the solution to change the path where the apk is saved :)

[joaquin171993]

The solution in my case was to edit archives location

Tested with your solutions, it's working. Thanks for sharing

Thank you very much, that is the solution to change the path where the apk is saved

[thE-iNviNciblE]

nice it works.

[kiflay]

The solution in my case was to edit archives location

Tested with your solutions, it's working. Thanks for sharing

This method works for me as well