Cannot enter some folders

[claydoh]

the Files item in Ubuntu’s Activities column, a column of items appears next to the Activities column

A screenshot, maybe? I myself have no idea what this is.

Error opening directory ‘/home/myname/Pictures’:too many levels of symbolic links.”

This can sometimes be from a linked directory somehow looping back to itself somehow. How? I don't know.
Links are common, even if you didn't make them yourself.
Those items in the column you mention are links to actual directories, for example.
Those folders in Dolphin's left sidebar are links.

Maybe my computer has been hacked!

Highly and extremely unlikely

Something is amiss, but more info (screenshot?) will be helpful.

[wtb32141]

When I click on the Files item in Ubuntu’s Activities column, a column of items appears next to the Activities column. Those items include “Music”, “Pictures”, “Videos”, and “Downloads”. Each of those 4 items has a red x inside a square box just to the left of each of those quoted items. When I click on any of those 4 quoted items (say “Pictures”, for example), I get this message: “Sorry, could not display all of the contents of ‘Pictures’: Error opening directory ‘/home/myname/Pictures’:too many levels of symbolic links.” That note re “symbolic links” mystifies me because I have created no links at all. The “Pictures” and “Downloads” folders contain some very important files, but I cannot access them.

Have you any thoughts about the problem and its solution?


Addendum: I have used LibreOffice mainly to write books. I never have needed to create a link of any sort; so I am telling the truth when I say that I never have even tried to create a link. And I live alone; so no one but I ever uses my laptop! Maybe my computer has been hacked!