This week, Microsoft released security updates for Windows 11 and various other products. If you have implemented the security update on a Windows 11 device, you may have observed an unexpected occurrence following the mandatory system restart.
Upon navigating to the root of drive C in File Explorer, you could have found a new directory labeled inetpub. The timestamp of its creation aligns with when the update was installed. When you open this folder, you will notice that it is empty.
Significantly, Microsoft did not reference this folder in the update’s changelog, leaving its function ambiguous at first look.
For those with a background in Windows, you might remember that inetpub was commonly the default directory for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), situated on the C drive, and was used by the service to house web content.
However, a point of concern arises upon checking the installed features; you may discover that Internet Information Services is not included. IIS requires manual activation, as it is not enabled by default. This indicates that the update did not automatically install the service, which is reassuring.
We observed the unexpected emergence of the inetpub folder on systems running Windows 11, version 24H2 following the installation of update KB5055523. Our colleagues at Neowin have reported similar findings.
What Happened?
Microsoft has not yet responded to this issue, and the reason behind the folder’s creation post-update installation remains unclear. It is possible that a glitch in the update caused the folder to be generated.
Nevertheless, the inetpub folder does not have any particular protection measures in place. You can easily delete it by right-clicking on the folder and selecting delete, or by pressing the delete key after highlighting it.
Since the cause of the folder’s emergence is still unknown, there is a possibility it may reappear after future updates, including the next security patch for Windows 11.
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