OK, first:

Using a USB key to boot, is pretty simply; When you install Linux, you're given options as to how you want to handle booting, and, one of those options, is to install the whole thing on a USB Key, which makes it so that when you dual boot, it will load whatever OS you have on there by default, and only boot Linux when the key is inserted. Slackware for example, allows you to install to either the MBR, the root partition in case you already have a Boot Loader, such as boot Magic, or, a USB drive, Floppy Disc, and so on. So that's common.

Second, if you forget root's password, drop it into single user mode and change it that way. Why you took so much time on this without learning about single user mode is beyond me.

Third, WOW.... Donald, you can't change a password for root without firs being logged in as root with passwd.

Your other option is simply cracking the password file.

As for what version it is:

uname -a

That shows you what version you have for the Kernel, and what type of distro it is.

I've done very similar things back when I'd install Linux on a machine where my Mom was going to use the machine, and She doesn't know much about boot loaders, so instead of using Boot Magic, or Lilo, or Grub, I'd instead just have it install it onto a Floppy or USB Drive. This way, when you turn the Computer on, it boot straight into Windows, and only boots the Linux Partition when a Floppy or USB drive you created during install is inserted.

Single user mode CAN be protected, so it won't always work, but, unless you're dealing with someone who knows something about Unix security, you can simply boot into single user mode, and do whatever you want.