Please read carefully. This is not a duplicate. I've spent countless hours searching the internet for the solution to this problem. It started with android studio 3.3. So i updated android studio to the latest version 3.5.2, and I updated gradle to version 5.4.1 and android gradle plugin to 3.5.2, still the error persists.
When i click on sync project, it syncs successfully, but when i want to run the app, it throws an exception: Execution failed for task ':app:mergeDebugResources' I ran it with --debug option, and --stacktrace to get more insights.
here is the stacktrace:
org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':app:mergeDebugResources'. at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$3.accept(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:151) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter$3.accept(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:148) at org.gradle.internal.Try$Failure.ifSuccessfulOrElse(Try.java:191) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:141) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveBeforeExecutionStateTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveBeforeExecutionStateTaskExecuter.java:75) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ValidatingTaskExecuter.execute(ValidatingTaskExecuter.java:62) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.execute(SkipEmptySourceFilesTaskExecuter.java:108) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveBeforeExecutionOutputsTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveBeforeExecutionOutputsTaskExecuter.java:67) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveAfterPreviousExecutionStateTaskExecuter.execute(ResolveAfterPreviousExecutionStateTaskExecuter.java:46) at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.execute(CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.java:94) at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker$1.execute(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:129) at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.execute(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:202) at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.executeNextNode(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:193) at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.run(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:129) at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor.process(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:74) at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.executeWithServices(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:178) at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:154) at org.gradle.execution.SelectedTaskExecutionAction.execute(SelectedTaskExecutionAction.java:41) at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:40) at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.access$000(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:24) at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter$1.proceed(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:46) at org.gradle.execution.DryRunBuildExecutionAction.execute(DryRunBuildExecutionAction.java:49) at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:40) at org.gradle.execution.DefaultBuildExecuter.execute(DefaultBuildExecuter.java:33) at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher$ExecuteTasks.run(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:383) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:402) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$RunnableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:394) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$1.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:165) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:250) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:158) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.run(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:92) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.run(DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.java:31) at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.runTasks(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:247) at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.doBuildStages(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:159) at org.gradle.initialization.DefaultGradleLauncher.executeTasks(DefaultGradleLauncher.java:134) at org.gradle.internal.invocation.GradleBuildController$1.execute(GradleBuildController.java:58) at org.gradle.internal.invocation.GradleBuildController$1.execute(GradleBuildController.java:55) at org.gradle.internal.invocation.GradleBuildController$3.create(GradleBuildController.java:82) at org.gradle.internal.invocation.GradleBuildController$3.create(GradleBuildController.java:75) at org.gradle.internal.work.DefaultWorkerLeaseService.withLocks(DefaultWorkerLeaseService.java:183) at org.gradle.internal.work.StopShieldingWorkerLeaseService.withLocks(StopShieldingWorkerLeaseService.java:40) at org.gradle.internal.invocation.GradleBuildController.doBuild(GradleBuildController.java:75) at org.gradle.internal.invocation.GradleBuildController.run(GradleBuildController.java:55) at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.runner.BuildModelActionRunner.run(BuildModelActionRunner.java:54) at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ChainingBuildActionRunner.run(ChainingBuildActionRunner.java:35) at org.gradle.launcher.exec.ChainingBuildActionRunner.run(ChainingBuildActionRunner.java:35) at org.gradle.launcher.exec.BuildOutcomeReportingBuildActionRunner.run(BuildOutcomeReportingBuildActionRunner.java:58) at org.gradle.tooling.internal.provider.ValidatingBuildActionRunner.run(ValidatingBuildActionRunner.java:32) at org.gradle.launcher.exec.BuildCompletionNotifyingBuildActionRunner.run(BuildCompletionNotifyingBuildActionRunner.java:39) at org.gradle.launcher.exec.RunAsBuildOperationBuildActionRunner$3.call(RunAsBuildOperationBuildActionRunner.java:51) at org.gradle.launcher.exec.RunAsBuildOperationBuildActionRunner$3.call(RunAsBuildOperationBuildActionRunner.java:45) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:416) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:406) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor$1.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:165) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:250) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.execute(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:158) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.call(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:102) at org.gradle.internal.operations.DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.call(DelegatingBuildOperationExecutor.java:36) at org.gradle.launcher.exec.RunAsBuildOperationBuildActionRunner.run(RunAsBuildOperationBuildActionRunner.java:45)
at org.gradle.internal.snapshot.impl.DefaultFileSystemSnapshotter$FileCollectionLeafVisitorImpl.visitCollection(DefaultFileSystemSnapshotter.java:241)
at org.gradle.api.internal.file.AbstractFileCollection.visitLeafCollections(AbstractFileCollection.java:233)
at org.gradle.internal.snapshot.impl.DefaultFileSystemSnapshotter.snapshot(DefaultFileSystemSnapshotter.java:126)
at org.gradle.internal.fingerprint.impl.AbstractFileCollectionFingerprinter.fingerprint(AbstractFileCollectionFingerprinter.java:48)
at org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.transform.DefaultTransformerInvoker.snapshotOutputs(DefaultTransformerInvoker.java:429)
at org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.transform.DefaultTransformerInvoker.lambda$invoke$2(DefaultTransformerInvoker.java:127)
at org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.transform.DefaultTransformerInvoker.fireTransformListeners(DefaultTransformerInvoker.java:219)
at org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.transform.DefaultTransformerInvoker.lambda$invoke$3(DefaultTransformerInvoker.java:117)
at org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.transform.ImmutableTransformationWorkspaceProvider.lambda$withWorkspace$0(ImmutableTransformationWorkspaceProvider.java:81)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.LockOnDemandCrossProcessCacheAccess.withFileLock(LockOnDemandCrossProcessCacheAccess.java:90)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheAccess.withFileLock(DefaultCacheAccess.java:194)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultPersistentDirectoryStore.withFileLock(DefaultPersistentDirectoryStore.java:170)
at org.gradle.cache.internal.DefaultCacheFactory$ReferenceTrackingCache.withFileLock(DefaultCacheFactory.java:194)
at org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.transform.ImmutableTransformationWorkspaceProvider.withWorkspace(ImmutableTransformationWorkspaceProvider.java:76)
at org.gradle.api.internal.artifacts.transform.AbstractCachingTransformationWorkspaceProvider.lambda$withWorkspace$0(AbstractCachingTransformationWorkspaceProvider.java:54)
at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$LocalManualCache$1.load(LocalCache.java:4717)
at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$LoadingValueReference.loadFuture(LocalCache.java:3444)
at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$Segment.loadSync(LocalCache.java:2193)
at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$Segment.lockedGetOrLoad(LocalCache.java:2152)
at com.google.common.cache.LocalCache$Segment.get(LocalCache.java:2042)
... 27 more
Caused by: java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: C:\Users\Freeborn.gradle\caches\transforms-2\files-2.1\5bfb0b3279bf9321cb7d837f84317b2f\aapt2-3.5.2-5435860-windows ... 56 more
From the above, in the last part, there is a java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException C;\users\freeborn.gradle\caches
I thought that may be the problem. I opened the folder on explorer, and the folder says access denied. I tried deleting the folder, still it doesn't work. I restarted my computer, still the problem persists. I cannot delete the folder, I cannot change the permission settings for the folder, it says I do not have authority to change the permission settings of the folder, so I cannot claim the ownership.
It seems like I am the only person having this problem.
this is the main problem:
Could not resolve all files for configuration ':app:_internal_aapt2_binary'.
Failed to transform artifact 'aapt2-windows.jar (com.android.tools.build:aapt2:3.5.2-5435860)' to match attributes {artifactType=_internal-android-aapt2-binary, org.gradle.usage=java-runtime-jars}. org.gradle.api.GradleException: Could not read path 'C:\Users\Freeborn.gradle\caches\transforms-2\files-2.1\5bfb0b3279bf9321cb7d837f84317b2f\aapt2-3.5.2-5435860-windows'.
I have tried everything, now I don't know what to do. If i try downgrading gradle versions, it will work temporarily, and later the problem will return.
