AAPT failing with error code -1073741819

Question

Building the project throws the following error from AAPT. I've rebuilt the project, but it is still failing. I can't find any references anywhere to what this error code actually means. I'm using Java 6, and Android tools r19 in IntelliJ with ActionBarSherlock v4.1.0.

I/O error: Command "C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\aapt.exe package -m --auto-add-overlay --extra-packages com.actionbarsherlock -J C:\Users\Ollie\.IntelliJIdea11\system\compiler\project6.b9f5599b\.generated\aapt\Project.9617c193\production -M C:/Users/Ollie/Documents/Dropbox/Tech/project6/Source/project6/AndroidManifest.xml -S C:/Users/Ollie/Documents/Dropbox/Tech/project6/Source/project6/res -S C:/Users/Ollie/Documents/Dropbox/Tech/project6/Source/actionbarsherlock/res -I C:\android-sdk-windows\platforms\android-14\android.jar" execution failed with exit code -1073741819 

This build failure started happening after I added a dependency from my project to the ActionBarSherlock library project. If I remove that dependency, the project builds fine. If I add it back, it fails again.

Answer 1

I had this problem under windows, I fixed it by removing a @+id in a style item definition in the styles.xml. I spoke to someone else who didn't know exactly why but had found using +id in style files to often cause problems.

Answer 2

Update Oct. 27, 2014 -

the problem is fixed with Android SDK Build-tools rel. 21.0.2, sigh of relief... Guess I'll leave the rest of this post as it was, in case someone with v. 21.0.1 runs into this problem, or if the bug returns in future releases of the tools. Maybe it'll save someone bunging head against a tool-bug wall, reviewing all other posts and their code for a whole day.

Original post from Oct. 18, 2014

A new twist on this old issue... Today, Oct. 18, 2014, after upgrading to just released Android SDK v. 21 on my Windows 7 computer, using aapt.exe from android-sdk\build-tools\21.01\ directory crashes each time with the same exit code -1073741819. Tried all the answers suggested in this thread before my post to no avail. Then just copied the old version of aapt.exe from 20.0.0 (also tried from 19.1.0 tools directory), and in each case it worked fine. No issues (just had to clean-rebuild the project with each version of aapt.exe tested).

Is aapt.exe for Windows, in Android SDK built tools version 21.0.1 broken? Does anyone else see this problem?

Greg