Cannot start from install disk

We have a multi mac household and I'm pretty sure (but not positive) the 10.5.4 install disk belongs to this computer (MacBook Pro). I really need to use Disk Tools but when I try to start with the DVD I grinds for a couple minutes then just sits there with a gray screen (no apple logo). I've tried:
Inserting the disk normally, clicking on install and clicking the restart button as required.
Holding down the "c" while starting
Holding down option while starting
Holding down "d" while starting (for hardware test)
Zapping the PRAM
Changing the startup volume in the settings
..but I always get the same result as above. I have to hold down the power button to get it to shut down, then restart with the trackpad depressed to get the disk out.
Questions:
1) Does anyone have another idea I should try here?
2) Is the gray screen I'm seeing a symptom of trying to start with the wrong system disk?
3) How does one know if the install disk is the right one for the machine?
Many thanks!!!

While the media issues get sorted out, I can offer a workaround to completing the disk repairs, sans Install DVD (BTW, that's why the latter day media came only one to the box; they rolled everything together into a single dual-layer DVD). Normal disk repairs require booting from alternate media because the OS is doing multitasking, that is, accessing the boot media thru various concurrent processes. If multitasking is disabled, the issue disappears.
So, since you're in the Leopard world, I offer two choices. Best would be you download and install the latest release of the AppleJack utility ( http://applejack.sourceforge.net/ ), this is the premier power-user disk repair utility, which we Lion users miss dearly. AJ comes with a quick and easy installer that simplifies the process of getting it ready. Else you will have to do some command-line stuff by hand.
How to proceed; get this down somewhere, cause the Mac won't be usable till you finish. Restart the Mac and hold down the Option Command S keys. This gets you into Single User mode. No graphics interface here and all commands have to be typed on the screen, just like Grampa did back in the dawn of the Computer Age. After the # prompt appears and if you previously installed AppleJack, just type applejack and the return key; follow onscreen instructions, at least do steps 1, 2 & 4. If #1 shows any errors, redo until it comes out clean. When finished, return to quit and restart as indicated by the AppleJack prompt.
If you did not install AppleJack, type the following command exactly as written, followed by the return key: fsck -fy Wait until the # prompt reappears (may take awhile), repeat if any errors are indicated, then type reboot and the return key to restart the Mac. Not as thorough as AppleJack, but this will fix your HDD.
There, you will have now gone deep into the belly of the Unix beast running on your Mac. This is the non-graphics, non-fancy version of Disk Utility, just like computers were done before graphical GUIs.Since only a single process (fsck) runs in Single User mode, it is able to fix the disk without the multitasking issues. Of course, if you can't get a clean and error-free fsck run, the HDD has problems it can't fix (just like it may happen with DU) and you will need more help. BTW, fsck is the Unix geekcode for File System ChecK.

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