Xcode 4 Error: Error Starting Executable

I ran into problem with testing my app on iOS and Xcode when I am uploading it to my actual devices (iphone and iPad), and I'm wondering if someone knows the issue and can help me out:

Normally when I build my app on my devices, the app is installed and launched on my devices. But as I am preparing for submitting my first app I was testing around and changing the Bundle Identifier, App ID, and Development Provisions (so the issue may have something to do with it), and now, when I try to build my app on my devices, although it's installed on my devices fine, Xcode will not launch the app anymore. Instead, I got this error message:

Error Starting Executable. Error launching remote program: No such file or directory.

Does anyone know what the issue is? And What is this derived data folder about?

Much thanks!


I have also faced that problem. I have closed, restarted Xcode; deleted the application from device and reinstalled it again, then the problem has gone.


Running App from a Clean Slate

For me the problem did not resolve until I did the following in this order:

  1. Delete the app from the device (Do this before trying to debug again)
  2. Quit XCode (Don't just close the project)
  3. Delete the app build folder (example path: /Users/myusername/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/MyProject-fhkaamuyvqhubaezinqbmxbnaufd/)
  4. Restart XCode
  5. Finally -- Try debugging again on the iOS device

The app build folder of step 3 refers to your app's build folder that is a child of "DerivedData". To find this you can reveal your app in finder, then backtrack until you get to "DerivedData" folder and delete the folder above that like "MyApp-crazylongweirdletters". Without this step (3), I could not debug, so this is a critical step and you must quit XCode before you do this step.

For some it appears simply restarting XCode does the trick, but not for me.

I only post this answer because the earlier answers did NOT work for me. Hopefully others banging their heads will find this and get a sigh of relief. :)

Notes:

  • The issue started happening for me when I modified the bundle id of the app.
  • My code signing is and was correct. My provisioning profile was the "Team Provisioning Profile" which should work for any app id (default for "iPhone Developer" automatic profile selector).
  • I was doing a DEBUG build (not release / distribution).

You cant debug (start from Xcode) an application signed with a distribution profile if I remember well... And then you get such messages, gdb failling to attach to process.


I finally found my error!

I was playing around with my info.plist file, and I changed the Executable Name and Bundle and Bundle Display name! As soon as I changed those back to the Defaults (EXECUTABLE_NAME, PRODUCT_NAME, PRODUCT_NAME respectively) it worked perfectly.