ERROR_OPERATION_ABORTED - 995 (0x3E3)
The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request.
Updated: Feb 21, 2026
Technical Meaning
The ERROR_OPERATION_ABORTED error code, with the numeric value 995 and hexadecimal representation 0x3E3, indicates that an I/O operation has been terminated prematurely. This can occur due to either a thread exit or an explicit request from the application.
Error Details
This error is commonly encountered in scenarios where asynchronous operations are being managed, such as file I/O, network requests, or device communication. The operation was not completed successfully because of external factors beyond the control of the system or driver handling the operation.
Usage Context
The ERROR_OPERATION_ABORTED can be returned by various Windows APIs and functions that manage I/O operations. It is often used to indicate that an operation should be retried under different conditions, such as when a thread has been terminated or an application has requested cancellation of an ongoing task.
Developer Interpretation
When encountering this error, developers should consider the following:
- Thread Management: Ensure that threads handling I/O operations are properly managed and do not exit prematurely. Thread termination can lead to incomplete operations.
- Application Requests: Check for any application-level requests or signals that might have caused the operation to be aborted. This could include user interactions, system events, or other programmatic actions.
Related Errors
ERROR_OPERATION_CANCELED(0x800704C7): Indicates a cancellation request was issued by the application.ERROR_TIMEOUT(0x80070051): Suggests that an operation timed out, which might have led to its abortion.
FAQ
Q: What does ERROR_OPERATION_ABORTED mean?
A: It indicates that an I/O operation was terminated prematurely due to a thread exit or application request.
Q: How can I handle this error in my code?
A: Review the context of your I/O operations and ensure proper management of threads. Check for any application-level requests that might have caused the abortion.
Summary
The ERROR_OPERATION_ABORTED is a generic error indicating an operation was aborted due to external factors. Developers should focus on managing thread lifecycles and handling application-level requests to prevent such errors in their code.