Could Konqueror Components Clobber Ubuntu Installer User

Ubuntu 9.10 Desktop
Some server components, konsole, and Konqueror installed.
No compiz or any other accelerator installed.

Last week, I rebuilt my workstation. A disk was replaced under warranty. The user who installed Ubuntu eventually could not log into the desktop (Gnome) without getting a small X-term appearing in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. I have since fixed the problem by reinstalling and using frequent logouts and reboots to see if the original problem could be re-created.

Other users, most of whom were also admin who could use sudo and were created after the installing user, could log into Gnome just fine. The installing user was fully deleted and re-created (home directory) and not installed with its backed up information. This still did not fix the problem.

My question is this. What could be left behind and possibly in which files by the installing user that would still affect this user even after that user was completely removed and re-created?

The only thing I have not done on the re-installation, is I have not installed Konqueror. I did installed konsole, as I did the first time.

I don't want to install Konqueror and have the same problem occur again at least without a place to look for a solution, so I don't have to re-build the entire workstation.

Thanks for any advice or thoughts.