Most of the files in my Desktop folder on Linux Mint suddenly disappeared, and I did not intentionally delete them. I had several GOG games installed there through Heroic, and Heroic now reports that the games are unavailable. I also had a Yakuza 0 playthrough in progress, so I am worried about losing the save files.
This happened sometime after a recent Linux update. Around the same period, I installed DVD playback components, attempted to reformat a USB drive, and switched between KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, and Ubuntu-style desktop environments. I also briefly saw permission prompts from a process called kded5, and my system forgot my Wi-Fi password several times. Could switching desktop environments or the update have caused the Desktop folder to be replaced or cleared? How can I determine whether the files were deleted, moved to another location, or are still recoverable—and how can I prevent this from happening again?
3 Answers
The update, kded5 prompts, and Wi-Fi issues do not by themselves prove that the system was hacked or that an update erased the folder. KDE and Cinnamon can coexist, but mixing desktop packages and configurations can produce confusing paths and settings. Check the exact path shown by the file manager, compare it with Heroic's configured install locations, and review the file manager's trash as well as recent filesystem activity. Once you know what happened, keeping games in a dedicated Games folder rather than Desktop and maintaining backups will make this much safer.
Changing desktop environments normally should not delete personal files, although it can make it easier to accidentally use a different Desktop directory or home-session configuration. Heroic game saves are often stored separately inside the Wine or Proton prefix, so the installation files disappearing does not automatically mean the saves are gone. Check the prefixes and the game's usual save-data locations before assuming the Yakuza 0 progress was lost.
This is not just a case of missing desktop icons. If the files are gone from your home directory's Desktop folder and Heroic cannot find the installation paths, the files were either deleted, moved, or you are looking at a different home/Desktop location than before.
Before reinstalling anything, check the file manager for other similarly named Desktop folders and use Disk Usage Analyzer to search for unusually large directories. Also verify that you are using the same user account and home directory as before. If the files were genuinely deleted, avoid writing lots of new data to the drive until you decide whether recovery is necessary.
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