Can't login to my new install.At the prompt I enter root and press enter again when asked for password.I am dual-booting with Absolute so I can mount my root partition and look in /etc/shadow but I don't know what I'm looking for or how to fix it.

Do you enter a password for root when asked or just hit enter? Your statement does not make that clear. (at least to me) Did you create a root password? (might be a stupid question depending on how you answered the first question )

Whatever you see in /etc/shadow will be encrypted so I don't know how much use it will be to you.

when you installed slackware did you remember what the root password was? i usually write it down and hide it in my wallet behind my money, also try the password with the capslock button pressed if i am not carefull i accidently hit the capslock with my left pinky finger when typing,

also at the lilo boot prompt you can run: Linux init 1 (or is it runlevel 1) and reset a new root password unless that has been disabled...

in /etc/shadow you will see the first line similar to this: change it to this and you can log in without a root password and set a new password for root...

if you feel you need another opinion, just wait and somebody should reply, i trust my own work but it never hurts to get another opinion...

You're right Franklin, I didn't make myself very clear. I was under the impression that I didn't have to set a password for the initial boot. I edited /etc/shadow as Okie suggested and was able to login without a password. Thank you both very much.