My MB Air is stuck on a grey screen each time I put my password in

Hello,
When I start up my MB Air and put my password in, it just goes to a grey screen and gets stuck there. Occasionally it does come on, but mostly it does not.
I have a Macbook Air 2011 using OSX Mavericks 10.9.3
Here are some possible causes:
I think it could have something to do with Safari and Firefox, which I've had problems with lately:
Safari - Since I've had this problem with logging on, Safari wasn't working properly. I could only get onto the home pages of websites, and nothing more. Nothing happened when I clicked on links, and I couldn't type anything into Google. I since fixed this problem by disabling an extension.
Firefox - Lately whenever I've opened Firefox, it has automatically gone to an update, failed the update, and then went to Firefox. The first time I was able to get onto my computer Firefox went into a major update which took ten minutes to download, and then Firefox crashed, and now the Firefox icon looks different (it looks like a piece of paper with a ruler pencil and paintbrush).
Also, my computer Hard Drive memory only has 5.3 GB left, and I always get messages saying my disk is almost full.
In any case, this stuff about Safari, Firefox and my disk space is just suggestions of problems I've been having lately, but my main problem is that I keep getting stuck on the grey screen (I can worry about Firefox and the hard drive later).
So any help at all would be appreciated, on how to reliably get my computer started again!
Thanks!

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

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