After deleting a user's folder (home folder) in Mac OS 9.1, you are unable to use Mac OS X as that user. The Dock may contain several generic folder icons instead of applications; the user's desktop items, user-specific System Preference settings, Documents, Library, Movies, Music, Pictures, Public, Sites folders and contents may be lost.
Solution
The following two scenarios cause this issue:
1. You dragged the user's folder, or the entire Users folder to the Trash and then emptied the Trash.
Solution
Do not manually delete the Users folder or user's individual folder through the Finder. To properly delete a Mac OS X user, use the Users pane in the Mac OS X System Preferences application.
2. You created a user with the same name in the Mac OS 9.1 Multiple Users control panel, and the existing folder was deleted.
Solution
In the Mac OS 9.1 Multiple Users control panel, if a new user is created with the same name as a Mac OS X user, the following message appears:
Alternatively, you may wish to use a different user name. If you clicked Delete and the deleted user's folder was the only user created for Mac OS X, you may need to reinstall Mac OS X.
However, if you previously created another (admin) user name, you may log out and log in with that name. You may then recreate the original user name in the Users pane, without reinstalling Mac OS X. However, the user's previous settings and documents will not be restored.
Notes
2. You should always avoid deleting Mac OS X user folders while started up from Mac OS 9.1. Use the Mac OS X System Preferences to manage Mac OS X users instead of the Mac OS 9.1 Finder or Multiple Users control panel.