New X user can't keep preference selections

[Bob Geiger]

Hello all,

		I'm a long time Mac user, first time X user. I bought an iMac DV 400 
that came with Jaguar installed and 320 Megs of ram.
		
		I can not seem to keep any preferences I make on the machine after 
logging off or shutting down the machine. My Dock loses the setting for 
magnification and size, and the Mail app keeps asking me to input my 
mail data to create a mailbox. I'm at my wits end and after trying 
quite a few things and looking on the web decided to join this list. 
Can anyone shine a light on my problem, I just know its a newbie 
mistake.