Running Tiger 10.4.8 on an iBook G4...quirky behavior!

[mickeyglitter]

Okay, this is weird. Well, it's more than weird, actually and I don't know what to do. I posted this earlier in another group, but it wasn't the right one. So, here goes.

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.

Also, Eric2006 suggested I look at my /Users folder and I did; all I see are my three usernames, plus two additional folders (Mickey 1 and Mickey 2). I don't see any dates coinciding with when this happened.