I am totally new to the whole mac thing and have just bought my first iMac, second hand, 27" late 2009 model, I have been trying to change everything from the previous users names to mine when I got stuck trying to change the home folder name...

I tried everything to change it but nothing would work, I seen a tutorial online on how to do it using terminal, suso, I didn't really know what I was doing but I gave it a go, entered the existing name and then entered my name, I then confirmed with password, everything seemed fine, I restarted my computer and when I booted up I had lost everything, all the apps had gone, mail, files, everything?! This mac had the full adobe 6 suite on and I'm really gutted, I had also transfer loads of things over from my pc, which are no longer there!! Is there any way to get this back? Like on a pc, running the pc from a week ago? Any help would be much appreciated as I don't really know what I'm doing, thanks

It appears that you really screwed things up. If the machine had CS 6 on it, the seller should have provided the discs and registration info. Since that machine shipped with Snow Leopard, you should start from scratch. Boot with disc one, launch Disk Utility from the Utilities menu, select the HD, erase and reformat it, then select zero out data from the security options. Once the HD is wiped clean, quit Disk Utility, and select install the operating system. Once installed and it reboots, personalize the machine to suit your needs. Once up an running, see these:
Switching from Windows to Mac OS X,
Basic Tutorials on using a Mac,
Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts,
Anatomy of a Mac,
MacTips,
Switching to Mac Superguide, and
Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Mountain Lion Edition.
Additionally, *Texas Mac Man* recommends:
Quick Assist,
Welcome to the Switch To A Mac Guides,
Take Control E-books, and
A guide for switching to a Mac.

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