Hi,
I know this is a common issue but I can't find a real solution. Every time I try to run a sketch on the emulator I get the error: Error: Android Virtual Device 'Processing-Android-7' already exists.

I know I can open the SDK Manager and delete the virtual device, but isn't there a way to avoid this? Also, this means I have to restart the emulator every time which takes ages.

From the wiki:

Common problems
IF you get an error that reads “Error: Android Virtual Device 'Processing-Android-7' already exists.”, select “Android SDK & AVD Manager” beneath the Processing “Android” menu, and delete the Processing-Android-7 AVD. It will be automatically re-created the next time you try to run a sketch.

That "If" seems to suggest that you may or may not get the error. So what are the conditions that make the error happen and how can I avoid them in the first place?


Also, this seems to contraddict this other statement from the wiki:

The emulator stays running, even after you hit stop. This is because it takes a fortnight to launch the emulator. You don't have that kind of time.

Yeah, exactly, I don't. But how am I supposed to keep the emulator running if I have to delete the virtual device?


Thanks in advance
m.