Popup for language change

[amigo]

I deleted Public and Template folders.
Now I'm getting a pop up that reads:"Update Standard Folders to Current Language
You have logged in in a new language.
You can automatically update the names of some standard folders in your home folder to match this language.
The update would change the following folders. Popups    Templates.
Note that existing content will not be moved.
Keep Old Names    or    Update Names"Now my google password isn't accepted?
Have I been hacked or did I mess something up? I'm 78 so anything is possible.
Note: I logged in on a second laptop and the popup was in what looked to be an oriental language.
Thank you.
Amigo

[stevef]

Have I been hacked

Unlikely

did I mess something up

Maybe, the desktop can get confused - there's a similar post at
https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/other...-language/

From what I understand, the system is offering to recreate the deleted directories, but the pop up is not very clear about what it is doing and the reason it gives about logging in using a different language is not appropriate.

If you accept, it will recreate the directories.

Please can you open a terminal and type or paste in the following command.

Code:

cat ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs

and post back with the result.

Not sure what is happening with your google password - it may be a different problem.

[amigo]

Here's the "reply"

cat ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs
# This file is written by xdg-user-dirs-update
# If you want to change or add directories, just edit the line you're
# interested in. All local changes will be retained on the next run.
# Format is XDG_xxx_DIR="$HOME/yyy", where yyy is a shell-escaped
# homedir-relative path, or XDG_xxx_DIR="/yyy", where /yyy is an
# absolute path. No other format is supported.
#
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/Desktop"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/Documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/Music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/Pictures"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/Videos"

[amigo]

By the way. I put the two folders back in place before I posted. The "popup" appeared before and after I put them back.

[stevef]

OK,  the blanks in the entries for TEMPLATES and PUBLICSHARE seem to confirm what you deleted and is possibly why the reason for the popup.  I can't exactly replicate what you are reporting, but it may well continue asking until you either accept the correction or tell it not to ask again.

Which options do you choose when the popup appears ?

I still don't understand about your google password symptoms or what you meant about using a second laptop.

[amigo]

I didn't choose. I clicked on the x. So it keeps coming back, of course.
As for the password. It appears I was entering something amiss.
My concern was that I did something that allowed a hack.So I disconnected the newer laptop, and plugged in an older one, which runs linux lite too. When the same thing showed up on it (but in an oriental language) and nothing had been altered on that laptop..... it threw me.That's when I came to the forums.
And today I received notice from the bank a debit card was used... and it wasn't us.
Didn't take anything so I don't know what's going on....
I thought maybe, if a language change was being asked for, someone in a foreign country had gotten in???
I've had it happen before, on Windows. That's why I went to Linux.Thanks for your help and guidance.

[stevef]

For your newer laptop.
The pop up offering to re-name standard folders is part of a process to deal with a language change and makes sense in that context.  The dialogue gets triggered if the standard folder names don't match the langauage in use.  A side effect is that it also gets triggered if any of the standard folders have been manually deleted.  In this context, the wording about language having changed is unfortunately confusing.

If you want to re-create the standard folders select 'Update Names'.
If you don't want the folders re-creating, check the 'don't ask me again' box and 'Keep Old Names'.

For the older laptop.
Currently unexplained - if you want to pursue it more information is needed.

For the password.
Hope this was a mis-type - these things happen. In isolation, you probably wouldn't be troubled, but following straight after the unusual pop ups it would naturally raise concerns.

For the notice from the bank
Be wary of unexpected contact.  You should resolve this with the bank but make 100% sure you are communicating with them.

[amigo]

Thank you. That helps. And I will follow up on your advice.
Great to be part of this community.BlessingsAmigo

[amigo]

Amigo back with bad news. The bank notified me that someone from Korea had tried to use one of my bank cards. I noted previously that an oriental language note had popped up on my older laptop. It's running 5.8 and I had just ran an update on it. Seems I have been hacked.I also had a language note pop up on my newer laptop, which is running 5.6. It was in English but something other than American English.
I run updates all the time on this, but..... looks like it may have been gotten into this also.If anyone can guide me from here..... or do I need to get a new laptop?ThanksAmigo

[stevef]

For the attempt to access your bank account - can only repeat the advice to resolve this with your bank.
Be very careful to ensure that you are dealing directly with your bank - not someone impersonating them.

Following good practices like:
not using the same username/password combination across multiple platforms
maintaining 'difficult' passwords
avoiding potentially dubious websites
not clicking on email links
etc all remain important to avoid providing easy attack vectors for malicious activity.

For your newer laptop running 5.6
There is a plausible cause and effect for the re-name pop-up being triggered as you had deleted two of the standard folders.
Has something changed to make you think that there is someting more to this?
You have added a bit more information this time.

It was in English but something other than American English

What exactly does this mean ?
If you were coerced or somehow manipulated into deleting the folders by somebody else then it could conceivably be part of a scam.

The foreign language pop-up on the older laptop running 5.8 is unexplained at the moment.
From the Linux point of view, it is unlikely the update you ran before it occurred is a direct cause.
If you did nothing obvious (like deleting the standard folders) to trigger it more investigation would be needed to determine the mechanism.  You could begin by providing the information for this machine.

Code:

cat ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs

The important thing is that if you feel either or both systems could be compromised you should stop using them - at least don't go on-line with them.

do I need to get a new laptop?

Probably not. Selecting to erase the disk as part of a fresh install should remove any existing programs from the disk.
Download the iso and set up the bootable media using a known clean system.  You used to be able to buy USB/DVD from the Linux Lite shop, but I can't see the option at the moment.