There is no need to login as root to run the mandrake update program. Just start it as a normal user and you'll be asked for the root password. That's all. There is actually never a reason to start the graphical desktop as root.
also
urpmi.addmedia main
ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/Mandrak.../Mandrake/RPMS /base/hdlist.cz
is not the right syntax. It should be something like
urpmi.addmedia main
ftp://mirror.mcs.anl.gov/pub/Mandrak.../Mandrake/RPMS with ../base/hdlist.cz
Notice the 'with' and that the path to the hdlist.cz is the relative path from where the rpms are (you'll have to check where the hdlist.cz is).