Lost users folder (Mavericks)

[unkleE]

I have a somewhat unique problem. My wife purchased a Macbook Pro with OS 10.9 at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately she hasn't been able to use it until now because Apple uses plastics that give off a gas she is very sensitive to. And this delay has led to a problem, which I cannot work our because I am only familiar with Snow Leopard.

When we bought the computer, we ran the standard software to copy everything across from her old G4 desktop Mac. I can't remember now what options I chose, but most of the files seem to be there, and all I thought I had to do was copy across the files she's updated in the last 7 months, which I have done.

But when I came to transfer files in her music folder, I couldn't find a music folder on the new Macbook, and I realised there was no users folder either.

Then I realised I haven't a clue about the file structure and how user accounts appear in the file structure. I presume she must have a user account to do anything at all, but I don't know where it is.

So my questions are these please:

1. Is it possible to be running the computer, have a desktop etc and have no user accounts?

2. If there is no users account, how do I set one up now?

3. If there must be a users account, how do I find it? (The Apple support documentation says search for 'Home' directory, but that search reveals nothing.)

Thank you.

 

[Weaselboy]

If you have her Mac up and running and can see the Desktop with the menu bar across the top, that means you are logged in to a user account. It is not possible to run the machine without a user account.

Click on the Desktop then click the Go menu at the top of the screen. Then select Go to Folder... at the bottom and paste in the text below and enter. That will open a Finder windows in the users folder where you should be able to see the Documents and Music folder etc.

~/

 

[2984839]

Try this command in a terminal and post the output.

ls -al /Users