Skip to contentGo to the directory tree
Windows Directory Tree
  1. C:
  2. Windows
  3. System
FolderRisk: Caution
  • Legacy from XP

System C:\Windows\System

Folder inherited from Windows 3.x/9x for 16-bit applications; nearly empty, kept for compatibility.

Updated on By AltF4 Formation

What it’s for

C:\Windows\System dates back to the 16-bit versions of Windows, where the system libraries lived. It remains so that older applications that look for their files in System rather than System32 find a valid path. Current Windows uses System32, and SysWOW64 for 32-bit code on 64-bit Windows, which no longer runs 16-bit applications at all.

What it contains

  • Very few files, possibly none.
  • No current system component: everything is in System32 and SysWOW64.

Risks and best practices

  • Leave it alone: it is part of the standard tree and legacy programs may query it. Cleaning it frees nothing.
  • To “fix” an application with a DLL, do not drop it here: put it in the application folder or use the compatibility settings.
  • A recent or unexpected executable here is suspicious. Few tools watch this folder, so it can hide code: check its signature.

Useful commands

Fenêtre de terminal
# Signature of any executables and libraries
Get-ChildItem "$env:windir\System" -Include *.exe, *.dll -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
    Get-AuthenticodeSignature | Select-Object Path, Status

Report a mistake