Sounds like /home has become detached from the OS.
Log in as described above (using the root account settings) and check whether /home is mounted or not.
Also check out the user names and IDs through PCC.
Checked user names and they seem to be OK. Don't know how to check whether /home is mounted or not.
I checked the logs and found this in syslog
Dec 11 07:23:24 localhost userdrake[3658]: copied recursively /usr/share/mdk/faces/fish.png to /usr/share/mdk/faces/maurice.face.icon
Dec 11 07:23:52 localhost userdrake[3658]: copied recursively /usr/share/mdk/faces/lightning.png to /usr/share/mdk/faces/maurice.face.icon
Dec 11 08:52:48 localhost kdm: :0 '[2542]: Cannot update authorization file in home dir /home/maurice
Dec 11 08:52:48 localhost kdm: :0 '[2542]: Cannot chdir to maurice's home /home/maurice: No such file or directory
Dec 11 08:54:24 localhost kdm: :0[2655]: Cannot update authorization file in home dir /home/maurice
Dec 11 08:55:10 localhost kdm: :0 '[2695]: Cannot update authorization file in home dir /home/maurice
Dec 11 08:55:10 localhost kdm: :0 '[2695]: Cannot chdir to maurice's home /home/maurice: No such file or directory
Dec 11 08:55:51 localhost kdm: :0[2808]: Cannot update authorization file in home dir /home/maurice
Dec 11 08:58:30 localhost userdrake[3171]: copied recursively /usr/share/mdk/faces/sunset.png to /usr/share/mdk/faces/maurice.face.icon
Dec 11 09:01:01 localhost userdrake[3171]: Creating new group: maurice
Dec 11 09:01:01 localhost userdrake[3171]: Adding user: maurice
Dec 11 09:01:01 localhost userdrake[3171]: copied recursively /usr/share/mdk/faces/leaf.png to /usr/share/mdk/faces/maurice.face.icon
Dec 11 09:01:01 localhost userdrake[3171]: launched command: usermod -a -G audio,video,lp,cdrom,cdwriter,dialout,floppy,users,polkituser maurice
Does this help?