Fixing a com.google.process.gapps issue [troubleshooting]

So the other day I was a little taken aback when my wife handed me her phone saying there was something at issue.  See, she's been awesome lately at really learning what to do with Android and is getting adept at troubleshooting issues.  So when she threw it to me, I figured something must be up.  But I hoped it would be a simple fix.  What can't I do?

Well, turns out it had me stumped.  She was actually helping her dad troubleshoot his tablet when she found this error.  Every time she started up the Play Store it would immediately close.

What to do?  I'm writing this to help potentially somebody else who may or might be in a similar situation.

tl;dwtr?  An issue with an app being 'disabled'.

I had some issues with some other apps recently doing the same.  Angry Birds, most notably.  An uninstall and re-install fixed it.  But a system app?  Uninstall updates, and let it re-update... that should fix it, but this is the app that does all the updating.  Well, let's give it a shot.

No go.

Reboot?  (usually step 1)... no go.  But now I'm noticing the message "com.google.process.gapps has stopped" (or something similar).  Hrmm...

I made a G+ post about it - to crowd source some answers:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/101838215348734826591/posts/URoWonrHAL8 (thank you to everyone who replied)

Oh, clear cache of the app... right... nope.  Clear cache from recovery?  no

Maybe it's something with the ROM (she's on CM10.1 RC1).  So I went to the CM updater to download a new one.  Error.  Okay...  Let's go to get.cm and download it from the website... also error.

Not good.

So I adb push the file from the computer and flash RC5.  Not fixed.

Clear Dalvik Cache.  Nope.

Fix permissions... still nothing.

Install the Play Store 4.1.10 manually... nope.  But at this time I'm figuring something more than just the Play Store is at issue.

I had exhausted all my normal means.  Had a suggestion to delete just the process.gapps files and redo the files again... others were saying a complete wipe and reflash.

Sometimes there's got to be a simpler answer, and the most drastic remedies aren't necessary.

One thing I forgot to do, which I normally do in these scenarios.  Google the words of the error.

I do that and get a hit.  The first one:  http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-siii-i9300/275106-msg-unfortunately-process-com-google-process-gapps-has-stopped.html

Now that's for the S3, but I thought I'd try it out.

Sure, enough the Download Manager app was somehow 'disabled', so it was WAAY at the bottom of the Apps list, so I would probably never have gone down that far.

Click it, re-enable and blammo, works instantaneously.

Here's what that means I did:

Menu / Settings / Apps
Go to ALL APPS
Scroll all the way to the bottom (that's where the disabled one go to)
Found "download manager", clicked it and chose to 'enable'.

Phew... no delete/reflash for me.  No sys surgery.  And I get to look like a genius (even though I told her what a simple fix it was and how much an idiot I was for not knowing it...).

So thank you Steve Eugenio.

Not sure how that system app got 'disabled'.  It's a great feature to 'hide' and remove some apps that you normally can't (like Rogers ones)... but got to be careful which you do as it obviously can have some big impact on other apps!