Recent Windows 11 Updates Generate Mysterious Folder on C Drive

A mysterious inetpub folder on drive C in Windows 11

Unexpected Changes in Recent Windows 11 Update

On April 8, Microsoft rolled out the latest cumulative updates for all supported versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Alongside routine security enhancements, the update designated as KB5055523 for Windows 11 introduced an unanticipated modification to the system drive.

Discovery of the New inetpub Folder

This month’s update has resulted in the automatic creation of a new, empty folder labeled inetpub on drive C. This folder, which has a property size of 0 bytes, is devoid of any additional files or subdirectories. Notably, it has been generated by the system itself.

Can I Delete the inetpub Folder?

The inetpub folder is not protected within the operating system, allowing users to delete it as they would with any standard folder. Current observations indicate that removing this directory does not harm system functionality or disrupt any applications. Given that it occupies no space, users may opt to leave it intact without concerns about storage usage.

Relation to Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

Speculations suggest that the appearance of the inetpub folder may be connected to Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), a web hosting platform that has been part of Windows since 1995. Although present in modern Windows versions, IIS is deactivated by default and must be manually enabled via the “Turn Windows features on or off”settings. Consequently, the existence of the inetpub folder under normal circumstances is not expected.

Awaiting Clarification from Microsoft

As of now, Microsoft has not provided any official statement addressing this occurrence. It remains unclear whether the appearance of the inetpub folder is a bug that inadvertently made its way into the public update. We will continue to monitor the situation and will update this article with any new information. For those interested, detailed release notes regarding the April 2025 cumulative updates for Windows 11 can be accessed through the provided link.

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