Tiger 10.4.8 on a iBook G4 - quirky occurence!

[mickeyglitter]

Okay, this is weird. Well, it's more than weird, actually.

I haven't installed any Tiger updates on the Mac recently and I haven't installed much of anything new on the Mac for a long time, except the newest version of iTunes and that was last week.

So, imagine my surprise this afternoon when I got home and flipped on the machine like I do every day and it was almost like an entirely NEW computer.

Seriously. This is the low-down, from what I can tell so far:

1. Tweaked login screen: as I left it this morning.
2. Usernames for the machine: as I left them this morning.
3. Wallpaper: ditto 1 and 2.
4. Dock: as I didn't leave it this morning, i.e. the default, shipped-from-the-factory dock.
5. Firefox: as I left it this morning (bookmarked tabs are fine).
6. Thunderbird: instructing me to set up a new email account. I've lost all my saved mail and address books.
7. iTunes: asking me to agree to the EULA and telling me my previous library has been moved and labeled damaged.
8. Screensaver: as I left it this morning, but my hot-corner is gone.
9. Dashboard: as I left it this morning, but my hot-corner is gone. Wait. Sloth-Cam is set now only to Times Square, NYC.
10. Files: seemingly all fine on this front.

I don't get it. The only thing I did differently was skip the File Vault step instead of continuing with it, as I normally do. But I've skipped it before, if I've been running late and never had this happen.

Anyone have any ideas? I logged out and logged back in, I rebooted the computer...but it's still the same.

--Mickey

[eric2006]

What's in your /Users folder? If one character on a user file is changed, or if an entire user folder is missing, OS X will create a new user.

FYI - you originally posted in Apple news, Rumors, and Discussions. Next time, Mac OS X & System Software would be a better section to post in, and more people would be able to help you.

[mickeyglitter]

Thanks for that, this is the first time I've posted here. I'm going to repost it now in the right group.

Also, I checked my /Users folder and I see the three usernames, plus two more with my name. I guess I just don't understand how it happened at all.

[eric2006]

Well, try creating a new account, with admin. powers. Look for the user file that has all of your stuff in it, and re-name that EXACTLY as the "short name" in your main user account reads. OS X will have created another user file that is exactly your short username (which is the blank account you are seeing now), so re-name that yourusername2 or something.