IMac wont boot up & cant reinstall OS

When I turn on my iMac, I get the usual apple logo, but then this logo is replaced with a flashing symbol which looks like a no entry sign, a circle with a line through. Sometimes it changes to a folder icon with a question mark. When I tried reinstalling OS I get an error message and it asks me to try reinstalling again. Also, now my install disc is stuck in the CD drive! I know my Mac is low on hard disk space, but no other problems seem apparent. Any suggestions?

Hi,
I've searched and searched, but I can't seem to find a similar problem.
I bought an iMAC 24" 2.8GHZ 2GB RAM about 3 months ago that came with Leopard 10.5.1 . I updated to 10.5.4 and everything was working fine for 3 months. Better days....
The problem was I downloaded some iTunes Updates (there seemed to be other updates that had downloaded as well). I didn't give it much thought and didn't view the updates.
I rebooted and I briefly saw a some type of "boot" error. I should have looked more closely - alas I didn't give it much thought. It wouldn't boot up and stayed in the Grey Screen with the apple logo.
I read the forums and saw that "Archive and Install installation of Leopard" was what I needed to repair the corrupt image but save my files. I tried this but it didn't complete the installation.
After a few hours I turned it off and tried other things. The "Disk Utility" said no errors, but I preformed the extended check and it said:
Alert! Apple Hardware test has detected an error.
4HDD/11/4000000004:SATA(0,0)
Searching on this error doesn't seem to help.
Where I am at now is to run the "Repair Disk" under Disk Utility, but that gives the same result as when I try to do the "Archive and Install installation": They both seem to hang, and the installlation CD (Leopard 10.5.1) makes a repetitive 5-10 second routine where it makes some digital bleeps, whirrs & turns a few times, goes silent and repeats.
I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and let the "Archive and Install installation" run. It's been running for 5 hours now and is still stuck in the "Time Remaining Calculating"..
Woe is me, I now know that I should have a backup, but I don't. The wierd thing is though - I wasn't actually upgrading my software. I just went to Update iTunes when it didn't recognise my iPod.
What should I do? I'll be gutted if I lost my bands vocal recordings as the singer flew down to do it? I feel like a mug now that I didn't at least burn a DVD.
Can I boot up with a Knoppix CD to see if my directories are still there? Is it stuck because it's trying to locate the previous systems directories? Should I just say "thats life" and reformat with a clean install?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Marty.

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    dudix wrote:
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              iMac - model: iMac12,1
              1 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 4 cores
              4 GB RAM
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              ST3500418AS disk0 : (500.11 GB)
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              [loaded] com.sophos.notification.plist 3rd-Party support link
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              [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist 3rd-Party support link
              [loaded] com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist 3rd-Party support link
              [loaded] com.sophos.uiserver.plist 3rd-Party support link
    User Launch Agents:
              [loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist 3rd-Party support link
              [failed] com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-[...]@me.com-SharedServices.Agent.plist 3rd-Party support link
              [loaded] com.divx.agent.postinstall.plist 3rd-Party support link
              [loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist 3rd-Party support link
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              iTunesHelper
              BitTorrent
    Internet Plug-ins:
              Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.4.4.2 3rd-Party support link
              FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 12.0.0.38 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link
              OVSHelper: Version: 1.1 3rd-Party support link
              Flash Player: Version: 12.0.0.38 - SDK 10.6 3rd-Party support link
              Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
              DivXBrowserPlugin: Version: 2.2 3rd-Party support link
              QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
              SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.0.0 3rd-Party support link
              JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Outdated! Update
    Audio Plug-ins:
              BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
              AirPlay: Version: 1.9 - SDK 10.9
              AppleAVBAudio: Version: 2.0.0 - SDK 10.9
              iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
    3rd Party Preference Panes:
              DivX  3rd-Party support link
              Flash Player  3rd-Party support link
              Flip4Mac WMV  3rd-Party support link
              Growl  3rd-Party support link
    Bad Fonts:
              None
    Old Applications:
              /Library/Sophos Anti-Virus
                        SophosAntiVirus:          Version: 8.0.8.1 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
                        SophosAutoUpdate:          Version: 8.0.15 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
                        SophosUIServer:          Version: 8.0.21 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
                        InterCheck:          Version: 8.0.8.1 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
              VLC:          Version: 2.0.1 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
              Sophos Anti-Virus:          Version: 8.0.21 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
              Spotify:          Version: 0.8.4.93.gd9f49c35 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
              Install Spotify:          Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.5 3rd-Party support link
                        /Users/[redacted]/Downloads/Programs/Install Spotify.app
    Time Machine:
              Time Machine not configured!
    Top Processes by CPU:
                   2%          WindowServer
                   2%          EtreCheck
                   0%          Google Chrome
                   0%          hidd
                   0%          SophosUIServer
    Top Processes by Memory:
              438 MB          firefox
              139 MB          InterCheck
              119 MB          com.apple.IconServicesAgent
              106 MB          Google Chrome
              78 MB          mds_stores
    Virtual Memory Information:
              370 MB          Free RAM
              1.59 GB          Active RAM
              1.25 GB          Inactive RAM
              813 MB          Wired RAM
              397 MB          Page-ins
              0 B          Page-outs
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  • IMac wont boot from CD

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    Clean the disk?
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    Order a replacement disk from Apple, buy jewel cases that suspend your disk, the plasic/paper sleeves Apple provides aren't good.

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    EDIT:
    Just thought:
    If i reinstall the OSX - Will my files already upload onto the new OS install? As i have a feeling that Windows does that when upgrading - whether its the same for Reinstalling is a different matter i s'pose.
    Message was edited by: Tom.Rhodes

    Boot with your install disc, launch Disk Utility from the Utilities menu after selecting your language, and repair the disk. You can't repair the boot volume. Now some other tips. Reinstalling Snow Leopard only replaces all the OS components and basic Apple apps, such as TextEdit, Mail, and Safari, but leaves everything else in place. There's no chance of losing data unless it's already corrupted and lost anyway. There's no need to muck around with the windoze stuff, which, IIRC, won't work anyway.

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