Did You Delete the Inetpub Folder? Here’s How to Bring It Back
1 min read
Summary
The inetpub folder is a core folder in the Windows operating system that holds internet publishing content and is located in the C drive of Windows systems.
The folder remains empty unless the user uses Microsoft’s Internet Information Services (IIS) to host websites.
While the inetpub folder was previously hidden, it is now visible by default on all Windows 11 devices, leading some users to delete it, including hackers who could introduce backdoors and overrides of user account privileges.
If users delete the folder, Microsoft advises they follow instructions to recover it, including carrying out updates, as the folder is recreated during updates even if deleted.
Users who do not want to wait for the next Windows update can enable Internet Information Services to recover the inetpub folder with subfolders including log files, temp files and wwwroot.
However, those who do not want to have these subfolders can repeat the process and disable Internet Information Services again.
