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2w ago

Microsoft Confirms 'inetpub' Folder Creation in April Windows Updates

The folder, associated with IIS, appears on Windows 10 and 11 systems but poses no risk to performance or stability.

A man at a desk using a laptop and holding his hands up, while having a confused look on his face
Will Dormann spotted an errant 'inetpub' folder
inetpub folder in a C:/ drive.
inetpub folder in a C:/ drive.

Overview

  • Microsoft's April 2025 cumulative updates for Windows 10 and 11 create an empty 'inetpub' folder on the system drive, even on systems without Internet Information Services (IIS) installed.
  • The folder is intentionally created by the updates, as confirmed by Microsoft, though the company has not disclosed the specific purpose behind this behavior.
  • The 'inetpub' folder is empty, owned by the SYSTEM account, and its presence does not impact system performance or stability.
  • Users have reported the folder's appearance widely, leading to speculation about tweaks to IIS components, but Microsoft advises against deleting it.
  • This phenomenon reflects a recurring quirk in Windows updates, with similar cases documented as far back as 2016.