Windows 11 version 24H2 users confused by the appearance of an empty folder named ' inetpub ' after the April 2025 update need not worry. This is not a bug, but an intentional security measure by Microsoft, and the folder cannot be deleted. So, what should you know about it?
For your information, this folder appears even if the user does not have IIS ( Internet Information Services) web server software installed. Many people assume it is safe to delete it because it is empty. However, Microsoft has now confirmed that this folder is important for fixing security vulnerabilities, which attackers can use to access or modify system files/folders without permission.
Microsoft explains on their FAQ page that this folder needs to exist to ensure the system is protected after security updates are installed.
"After installing the updates listed in the Security Updates table for your operating system, a new %systemdrive%inetpub folder will be created on your device. This folder cannot be deleted regardless of whether Internet Information Services (IIS) is active on the target device. This behavior is part of a change that improves protection and does not require any action from IT administrators and end users."
Additionally, it does not require any further action from the user or IT administrator, but must be maintained in the system even if IIS is not used. So, do not delete the ' inetpub ' folder. Its existence is to close a security hole that could expose the system to attack if an attacker has physical access to your device. We have yet to confirm other details on the news. So, we should wait for more confirmation from Microsoft.
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