Are you getting an “Operation did not complete successfully” error?
Here’s the second part of the error, “Because the file contains a virus or potentially unwanted software”.
The error message happens when you’re trying to download a file that might contain a virus.
If the file you’re trying to download is safe, it means that you’ve got the error message by mistake.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix “Operation did not complete successfully because the file contains a virus or potentially unwanted software” on Windows.
- Why did the operation not complete on Windows?
- How to fix “Operation did not complete successfully because the file contains a virus or potentially unwanted software”
Why did the operation not complete on Windows?
The operation was not completed successfully because the file that you’re trying to download might contain a virus.
This happens because you’ve enabled the “Real-time protection” setting in your virus and threat protection setting.
This setting is enabled by default by Windows Security to protect your device.
Real-time protection will stop potential viruses or malware from installing or running on your device.
However, if you know that the file that you’re trying to download is safe, you can temporarily disable the setting.
How to fix “Operation did not complete successfully because the file contains a virus or potentially unwanted software”
Here’s how to fix “Operation did not complete successfully” on Windows:
- Delete the file/app that you’ve just downloaded.
- Search for “Virus & threat protection” using Windows Search and open it.
- Scroll down to “Virus and threat protection settings” and select “Manage settings”.
- Turn off “Real-time protection”.
- Download the file/app again!
Important: If you’re still getting the error message, you need to reinstall the file/app again after you’ve disabled real-time protection to fix the issue.
Further reading
How to Fix “Windows protected your PC” Pop Up
