How To Fix:Operation Did Not Complete Virus Windows 10

By activating virus affected files, you may affect your computer as well. This is the reason why both third-party antivirus programs and Windows Defender would not let any opening of a file if it is suspected that it will cause a virus attack.  

When you are trying to open the executable file or install any third-party software, you may encounter the error message reading:

“Error 0x800700E1 operation did not complete successfully because the file contains a virus”. 

This problem generally appears if the system files are corrupted. Sometimes, if you download any executable file which is infected with malware, then also you can see this error. 

It is an annoying error but you can quickly solve it on your own. Here, we are going to explain some fixes through which you can easily eliminate this particular error on the system. 

Solve “Operation did not Complete Successfully because the File Contains a Virus” Error

Mentioned below, are multiple fixes to solve the ‘operation did not complete’ virus error on a Windows 10 system. Let’s take a look at them:

Fix 1 – Update Windows Defender

Updating Windows Defender can resolve this error message on your computer. To know more about it, follow the steps as instructed below:

1. Press the Windows button and choose Settings.
2. Double-click on the Update & Security section.
3. On the left panel, select the Windows Security tab.
4. From the right, scroll down the page until you find the Virus & threat protection updates section.
5. Click on the Check for updates button. Now the system will check if updates are available or not. 
6. If yes, then it will automatically download and install them. 

Fix 2 – Disable Windows Defender Firewall

Windows Defender is an inbuilt security software available on Windows 10. If Windows Defender is turned on, you can get the’ operation did not complete’ message on the system. So, you should disable it by following these steps:

1. At first, press the Windows Home button and I key together to launch the Settings window.
2. Navigate to the Update & Security section and select the Windows Security tab on the left panel.
3. On the Windows Defender tab, locate the Real-time protection option and move the toggle from On to Off to disable it.
4. Once it is disabled, restart the system and then try to run the file that was showing the error. 

Fix 3 – Disable Third-Party Security Software

Third-party security software can result in these types of issues on your computer. So, you need to disable it. To do that:

1. Open the Third-party antivirus application main window that you are using on your PC.
2. On that window, go to the Settings section and select the Firewall tab.
3. From the Firewall tab, click on the Disable button to turn it off.

After turning it off, if the problem still occurs then you can simply remove it from the device. To uninstall it, follow the steps cited below:

1. Firstly, launch the Settings window.
2. Double-click on the Apps section and select the Apps and Features tab.
3. Scroll down the page and locate the third-party security software, select it. Here you will find the Uninstall button, click on it to start the uninstallation process.
4. After removing it, reboot your PC and then check to see if the error still shows up or not.

Fix 4 – Add Exclusions for the Folder where the File is Located

While trying to open a certain file, you may encounter this error on the system. So, you need to add this problematic file to the exclusions list and check to see if the issue is fixed or not. Go through these steps:

1. Launch the Settings window and select the Update & Security section.
2. Go to the Windows Defender tab and click on the Virus & Threat protection settings button.
3. On the next page, navigate to the Exclusions section and select the Add or remove exclusions button. 
4. Next, press the Add an exclusion button and choose the File option from the drop-down menu list.
5. Lastly, select the item and then click on the Open option to access a certain file. 

Fix 5- Problems with Windows Explorer

If there is a problem with the Windows Explorer, then it can prevent you from using the system properly while showing the ‘Operation did not complete successfully because the file contains a virus’ error. So, you need to fix this problem immediately. Perform these steps:

1. Right-click on the Windows Home button and choose Command Prompt.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands and then hit the Enter button to run these commands. 

                              sfc /SCANFILE=c:\windows\explorer.exe

                              sfc /SCANFILE=C:\Windows\SysWow64\explorer.exe

1. Once these commands are executed, restart the device and then check if the error message appears or not. 

Fix 6 – Perform a Clean Boot

If your system is filled with distinct applications or a third-party program, they might create conflict and show up this error on the screen. So, you should perform a clean boot process to solve this problem. Let’s take a look into certain steps which you can follow:

1. Press the Win + R keys together to launch the Run box, type Msconfig and then hit the Enter button or click on the OK option. 
2. From the System Configuration window, move to the Services tab and mark on the Hide all Microsoft services button.
3. Then click on the Disable all option. 
4. Next, go to the Startup tab and click on the Open Task Manager link.
5. On the Task Manager window, navigate to the Startup tab and right-click on each application one-by-one and then click on the Disable option. 
6. Once you are done, close the Task Manager and go back to the System Configuration window.
7. In that window, click on the Apply option and followed by the OK button to save the changes. 

Fix 7 – Perform System Restore

One of the easy ways by which you can fix the ‘operation did not complete’ error is to run the system restore. Here are some steps that you can follow:

1. Open the Search box, type System Restore and select the ‘Create a restore point’ from the search result.
2. On the System Properties window, click on the System Restore option.
3. Click on the Next button.
4. In the next window, select the desired restore point and click on the Next option.
5. Then follow the onscreen directions which pop-ups on the screen to finish the process. Once the process is complete, reboot the system. 

Fix 8 – Reset Windows 10

Another effective solution is to reset the Windows 10 system. Follow the undermentioned steps: 

1. Hold the Windows button and press the I key to open the Settings window.
2. Select the Update & Security section and go to the Recovery tab.
3. From the Recovery tab, click on the Get started button under the Reset this PC section. After that, follow the instructions that come up on the screen to complete this process. 

Fix 9 – Remove the Temporary and Cache Files

If you do not remove the cache files from the system then you can also see this error. So, you need to remove it. Take a look at the steps given below:

1. Open the Control Panel window.
2. Locate and select the Internet Options section.
3. On the Internet Options window, go to the General tab and click on the Delete.. button under the Browsing history section.
4. In the Delete Browsing History window, select the items that you want to remove and then click on the Delete option to remove them. 
5. After following these steps, restart the device and then check if the error is resolved or not.

We hope, the above methods are sufficient to get rid of the ‘operation did not complete’ error from the device. Let us know in the comments how these solutions were of use to you.