Is my HD dead?  Mini won't boot but I can still Xfer my data from it??

Yesterday I installed the recent updates for Java, Security, iTunes, and QT. after it was done I got a message that one or more did not successfully install, and that I could use the finder to try again (or words to that effect). I also got the restart/shutdown box you typically get with these updates. I chose one, the restart I THINK but not entirely sure.
My Mini has not restarted properly since. I get the grey apple screen for a while, then the blue screen with my cursor, then the same blue screen with the swirly ball, and that is where it hangs.
When I boot with the install/recover disk that came with my mini, I get the install box as normal, but on a blank blue screen, no icons. I repaired permissions, but when I tried to repair disk it wouldn't because the HD couldn't be unmounted. I rebooted again with the install DVD and was able to begin repairing the HD, but in the end it said it was not repairable. I cannot remember the errors exactly, but they mostly were incorrect data in catelogs and such.
Next, I rebooted holding the T down to see if I could at least recover my files and that worked. I hooked up my mini with the wife's macbook via firewire and it let me drag and drop my data on to her desktop. I could also open things like pictures and documents that I have saved to my mini. This has me holding out hope I guess.
Since I cannot repair my HD, at least with the install disk anyway, could I have a conflict in my system folder that I could delete while my two macs are firewired together? Any help would gladly be welcomed.
Dave

Hi Dave,
Unfortunately, I don't know how to "back out" a single or multiple software updates, especially since you can't boot into safe-boot mode. (well, I don't know how in safe boot mode either).
If you have the disk space on an external disk, make a full copy of your system. If you don't have enough space, make sure that you get your entire user directory at a minimum.
Make sure that your backups are good.
You may have to do a system install over your current system. Read this for your install options: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1545 Try to perform the least intrusive install first, with the "erase and install" as your last option.
David

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