Windows 11 KB5055523 Update Creates Unwanted “inetpub” Folder

Following the installation of the Windows 11 KB5055523 (24H2) update, an unexpected folder titled “inetpub” has been noticed appearing on Windows installation drives. This occurrence has been flagged by various sources, including Windows Latest, which revealed that this folder can manifest even on systems lacking IIS (Internet Information Services).

inetpub in File Explorer created by Windows 11 KB5055523

If you’ve spotted the “inetpub” folder inexplicably pop up on your device, there’s no need for alarm! It is classified as harmless and safe to delete. It’s important to understand that the folder isn’t arbitrarily named; it is conventionally associated with IIS.

According to Microsoft’s support documentation, IIS is a web server platform created by Microsoft, primarily utilized by developers. Although regular users won’t need this feature, developers might install IIS to host local websites and applications for testing purposes.

Ordinarily, the inetpub folder should not appear on standard personal computers where IIS isn’t activated. However, a possible bug related to the update seems to lead to the automatic creation of this folder.

To determine if your system is affected by this phantom folder, simply open your Windows drive (typically the C drive), and you’ll find inetpub among the top folders.

Why is the inetpub folder being created by Windows 11 KB5055523?

While pinpointing the exact reason is challenging, multiple factors could account for this situation:

Windows Update deployed KB5055523 automatically since it is categorized as a “security patch” containing important fixes.
Although not specifically addressed in the update’s changelog, it’s plausible that certain adjustments related to IIS components were included, perhaps for testing purposes.
This could have led to the temporary activation of IIS or some associated functions. It’s possible that the update altered Windows features or added web-related tools, resulting in the creation of the inetpub directory as a byproduct.
If IIS inadvertently gets enabled, even partially, it triggers the system to create the C:\inetpub folder, which can be safely ignored.
The C:\inetpub directory is designated as the default repository for web content, which includes sites hosted through IIS.

Inetpub empty folder in Windows 11 KB5055523

As depicted in the preceding screenshot, the folder is empty, reflecting a size of zero bytes. This is attributed to the fact that IIS is not being used to host any websites. If it were, Windows would generate a wwwroot subfolder within inetpub to store web pages, logs, and configuration files.

Interestingly, on all tested systems, IIS remains deactivated:

Unexpected appearance of inetpub folder on clean Windows 11 installations

Our observations revealed that the “inetpub” folder was present not just on our regular PCs but also on clean installations of Windows 11 24H2 after applying KB5055523.

Notably, the update’s changelog does not reference IIS or any web server features, yet it introduces enhanced Copilot+ functionalities that leverage semantic search indexing.

It’s conceivable that some of these features might trigger underlying web service dependencies, leading to the folder’s creation without the need for IIS to be explicitly enabled.

Ultimately, only Microsoft can clarify the reasoning behind this occurrence.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the inetpub folder safe to delete?

Yes, the inetpub folder is harmless and can safely be deleted if it appears on your system. It does not contain any critical files for typical users.

2. Why did the inetpub folder appear after the KB5055523 update?

The folder’s appearance is likely due to a bug in the KB5055523 update, which may have inadvertently enabled some IIS features even if IIS is not actively used on your device.