root unable to login???

[ajeetraina]

This morning I tried to login as root in fedora machine it throws:

sh-3.00 # passwd root
passwd:unknown user name 'root'

I checked the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files and surpriswed to see the /etc/passwd.OLD file and shadow- file there.I deleted the file.
Now when I am trying to su - in runlevel 1 then its says user 'root' not found..though root user is already there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
# useradd root
useradd:unknown gid 100
No group named "mail" exists,craeting mail spool with mode 0600
-----------------------------------------------------------------

I have very critical project running on this machine and unable to login in runlevel 3 or 5.

HElp???

[Calipso]

aren't you already running root since your prompt ends in a # ?

Maybe you booted into single user mode...if so, I think in order to change password all you have to run is passwd by it self.

[ajeetraina]

Sir,I am already in single user mode runlevel 1 coz I am not able to login as root or user in runlevel 3 or 5.The root home directory and other user home directory are all not working.

[JohnT]

Possibly the PAM module has been damaged .Uninstall and reinstall the RPM from your distribution disk.