Installation failure - macbook now not working

Question

Hi,  Hoping you can help!!
I have a macbook from 2008. I am not very computer literate but decided yesterday to update my software and download Yosemite OS X overnight. This morning I woke up and my computer advised that 'OSX could not be installed on your computer. File system verify or repair failed. Quit the installer to restart your computer and try again.'
There are very few  options showing on my screen that I have access to:
On  the top tool bar there is an apple icon that gives me the following options:
1) startup disk - I click on this and it gives me the option ' select the system you want to use to start up your computer.' The only option is the Macintosh HD OS X 10.6.8 - When this is highlighted the option is then to restart and the message ' you can't change the start up disk to the selected disk. Startup disk could not gather enough information on the selected disk.' There are no other system options!!!
2) restart
So . . . I clicked restart
The computer initially states ' installing on "Macintosh HD"about 22 minutes remaining.' Then the same thing happened ( 'OSX could not be installed  on your computer. File system verify or repair failed. Quit the installer to restart your computer and try again.') ( I have tried this four times now).
3) shut down
So I clicked on shut down and then restarted . . . same thing happened ( I have tried this three times now)
Next to the apple icon is the startup disk option. When this is clicked:
1) About startup disk ( Version 13(404)
2) Shutdown - ' you can't change the start up disk to the selected disk. Startup disk could not gather enough information on the selected disk.'
3) Quit Startup Disk -  'OSX could not be installed  on your computer. File system verify or repair failed. Quit the installer to restart your computer and try again.'  Restart
I cannot access my main menu to uninstall, it's a complete catch 22. The OS X progam did not install correctly but I am unable to uninstall it or use a different software. All I can do is continue to restart and the same thing happens over and over
Ay suggestions??Thankyou
PS I did have enough space available   - approx 35GB
                        MacBook

Answer 1

Hi Jon
I think you're being somewhat unfair.  The repair guy can only give a diagnosis from the information he has available at the time, which was a completely dead screen. The screen springing back to life is new information he didn't have.
I can't comment on the $115 charge. As with car repairs, it's always cheaper to do your own, but laptops are at least 10 times more difficult to repair than desktops. I'm happy to dive inside a desktop computer but I've always left laptops to the professionals.  I'll also add that I always buy the extended warranty for a laptop.
Bob