Android program crashes before running.when compiled for Debug - android-studio-2.1

Question

I'm developing a program using Android Studio that runs as expected when the normal APK is run, but if I compile it for Debugging, it crashes before the 1st line of code executes, so setting a brake-point on the 1st line of my code to execute, never trips.
I have already
Completely deleted the program from the test target (nexus 7)
Power offed the tablet and then restarted tablet
Power off/rebooted the development machine
Cleaned the project
Rebuilt the project.
The program still runs as expected when compiled/run without debugging.
Crashes after loading, but before running when compiled/run in debug.
Any ideas on how to try and overcome this problem would be welcome.
Android Studio 2.1.2
compileSdkVersion 21
buildToolsVersion "21.1.2
Copy of exception variable after crash
shadow$klass = {Class#613} "class java.lang.Class"
superClass = {Class#1356} "class java.lang.Exception"
2 = {ArtMethod#3613}
17 = {ArtMethod#3628}
numReferenceStaticFields = 0
verifyErrorClass = null
iFields = {ArtField[2]#3636}
stackState = {Object[22]#3602}
3 = {ArtMethod#3614}
0 = {ArtMethod#3611}
errno = 2
classLoader = null
8 = {ArtMethod#3619}
dexCache = {DexCache#3633}
functionName = "stat"
virtualMethods = {ArtMethod[3]#3639}
shadow$monitor = -1294973706
primitiveType = 0
Exception = {ErrnoException#3590}
16 = {ArtMethod#3627}
value = {char[4]#3607}
ifTable = {Object[2]#3637}
vtable = null
4 = {ArtMethod#3615}
suppressedExceptions = {Collections$EmptyList#3604} size = 0
classSize = 468
functionName = "stat"
6 = {ArtMethod#3617}
errno = 2
hashCode = 3540564
referenceStaticOffsets = 0
1 = {ArtMethod#3612}
13 = {ArtMethod#3624}
detailMessage = null
18 = {ArtMethod#3629}
stackTrace = {StackTraceElement[0]#3603}
sFields = null
dexClassDefIndex = 4
componentType = null
15 = {ArtMethod#3626}
status = 10
10 = {ArtMethod#3621}
shadow$klass = {Class#3428} "class java.lang.String"
shadow$klass = {Class#183} "class android.system.ErrnoException"
19 = {ArtMethod#3630}
12 = {ArtMethod#3623}
5 = {ArtMethod#3616}
referenceInstanceOffsets = -1090519040
cause = {ErrnoException#3590} "android.system.ErrnoException: stat failed: ENOENT (No such file or directory)"
suppressedExceptions = {Collections$EmptyList#3604} size = 0
objectSize = 36
detailMessage = null
shadow$klass = {Class#183} "class android.system.ErrnoException"
dexCacheStrings = {String[23663]#3634}
dexTypeIndex = 6
shadow$monitor = -1665173294
offset = 0
14 = {ArtMethod#3625}
numReferenceInstanceFields = 1
Variables debug info not available
21 = {int[21]#3632}
name = "android.system.ErrnoException"
stackState = {Object[22]#3602}
clinitThreadId = 456
directMethods = {ArtMethod[2]#3635}
7 = {ArtMethod#3618}
20 = {ArtMethod#3631}
9 = {ArtMethod#3620}
11 = {ArtMethod#3622}
count = 4
shadow$monitor = -1353303322
cause = {ErrnoException#3590} "android.system.ErrnoException: stat failed:
ENOENT (No such file or directory)"
stackTrace = {StackTraceElement[0]#3603}
accessFlags = 524305

Answer 1

Well, I solved the problem myself. NOT in a way that I'd like to have solved it, or that in any way explained what caused the problem, but the problem was corrected. - I've been in IT long enough to know you need to do backups, and once I remembered I had them, I pulled the backup of a day before the problem surfaced, restored the entire directory tree when the project resided and PUFF, everything worked. Re-applied any code changes I made in the day after the backup (I keep pretty good paper notes on changes) and away I went.
- BUT -
This doesn't explain why the system was working one day and after a night of sleep, the system wouldn't work the next day. And I still have no idea how a person who received the error message I received would go about debugging/fixing the problem if he/she didn't have a good set of backups.
ALSO – it seems that someone downgraded my question. Maybe it did deserve to be downgraded, but I have no idea why it was downgraded. The question seemed reasonable to me. One day late in the evening the system worked, and the next day it didn't and the information the system offered was posted in the question.
I'd be very happy if anyone could explain to me how a person could extract information from the posted log, to find out what was wrong – or – at least explain why the question was improper enough to warrant a downgrade ?
any reasonable comments would be welcome.
Joe Cullity