Strange folder on desktop after Big Sur 11.3 update

Nowhere can I open anything that tells me what these "modifications" or "customizations" were.

If you had made them, you would know. If you don't see anything you modified, ignore them and delete the folder.

then surely this is a case of Apple saying , “Oh there’s nothing wrong let’s create a problem.”

There was a problem, you were just not aware of it because you don't alter the configuration files.

For those that run websites, tweak the SMB configuration, or various other things, having those config files just deleted was a problem. Now, Apple moves the changed files out of the way so you can have a reference of what you changed.

You never did any of that, so you are completely unaware that it was a problem.

Just delete it each time. It is irrelevant to anything, unless one has altered settings not in the normal domain of most users. Relax, be happy and rest assured it is nothing relevant to Phishing :)

An Aside - mentioned update to Big Sur 11.3 which is out dated. As of this writing there is an 11.4 that fixes bugs and Security Issues in earlier versions and should be installed

At least by members conversing there is some explanation. However, It would be better if Apple took that responsibility for itself.

They did. The explanation is in the PDF in the folder. I can't understand why that isn't clear. Seemed completely obvious the first time I read through it.

So is the version that popped up after update was installed (Configuration folder, private folder, etc folder, group.system-default text ) MY VERSION or APPLES version? I cannot find any other version in my library...so I'm guessing this is my version (which I don't remember making changes to). So where is the apple version supplied for me to compare the 2, as mentioned above?

PS Not that I know what anything means on the text edit, but some of it sure sounds weird, and it was changed at 1am when I am NEVER on my computer), but I do sometimes accidentally leave it on overnight.

This was added during the update. A assume this is a special security group. You should not delete the content if you don't know what you do. Please, anyone that have no knowledge about this files don't touch them. If you save the file in wrong format this will not longer work.

If the folder/purpose does in fact have a meaning, then a PDF with instructions should be included in *every* Relocated Items folder.

The folder probably only has meaning to about 1% of the users. If it has no meaning to you, ignore it or delete it.

Apple would have no idea whether it has meaning to your or not. Only the user who had made changes would know that they made changes.

To let Apple know your views on this issue, you can use

http://www.apple.com/feedback

And how can one PDF with just text be 1.2 MB?

You can compare the file group.system_default with the file called group which you find inside the folder etc. In many cases the content will be the same.

diff /etc/group ~/Desktop/Relocated\ Items.nosync/Configuration/private/etc/group.system_default

And how can one PDF with just text be 1.2 MB?

Note the special extension .lpdf which, as far as I know, means "localised PDF". If I recall correctly, some older versions of macOS started out with About Downloads.lpdf and About Stacks.lpdf in the Downloads and Documents folders respectively. While I never tested it, I always assumed they contained the same information in multiple languages, and showed only the user's own language when opened in Preview.

As Apple, as ever, made no comment when they upgraded Big Sur once again, and it is probably irrelevant. I just wish that they would stop causing problems and leaving us to deal with them, instead of testing things properly and releasing them without bugs. In the history of OSX's there has not been this particular issue before Big Sur that I can remember.

I beg to differ. If there is no issue why is this folder appearing on our screens on each update since Big Sur arrived? The confusion and discussion is enabled by Apple creating an intrigue, which they are choosing to do. If it is irrelevant why is the folder being created and to what end? This has not happened before in any OSX that I can remember so, why is it happening now, and why is ]t nor explained by Apple? Using their customers as free labour seems t have been bought into wholesale by Apple users, regardless of the fact that their products are vey expensive in the first place.

We used to have CD's for OSX's and the free nature of OSX's now by slow download appears to have created a loose structure of putting out OSX's and updates that are not properly tested or fully functional. This undue haste means that all users are expected to tolerate extra updates and messing about forever onwards.