Please Help! Macbook won't boot up after attempted Leopard install (Wont bo

Ok so I'll go through EXACTLY what has happened to my laptop in the past day.. please note that the laptop was NEVER moved from the desk while this has all happened. Also a couple other things you should know.. I had Applecare, but 6 months ago when i sent it in to replace the harddrive -- they said they found some water damage, and it would cost $700 to replace... so i just put in the harddrive myself for $50, and it has worked fine since... So I'm pretty sure I can't turn to Applecare anymore...
Alright...
Yesterday
One of my memory sticks went bad on me... (i had 2- 1gig sticks.) I took the bad one out, and the computer seemed to run fine on the single stick of memory.
Last night
I started to install leopard as an update over 10.4, seemed to work fine, though it was slow -- and finally i got to the leopard installation complete thing (please reboot the computer)... so I did...
It starts loading up... shows the mac symbol with the loading circle thing... but wait, Oh ****, i was probally was supposed to take out the cd... So i turn off the macbook by holding down the power button... and I eject the cd, and then try to start it up...
Not loading... ****.
So after some mulling i decide, alright -- i'll reinstall again...
I boot to the cd drive, choose my options, start the install, and go to sleep..
This Morning
I wake up.. the install hasn't moved at all... It's still at the same place where i left it..
****... so again I manually shut it off, and try and restart to boot from the CD again..
NO GO....
If I hold down C to boot from DVD
The computer attempts to read the disk.. CD drive seems to power down.. then try again.. Then it ejects the cd, and goes to the Apple logo with the spinning circle, but never loads. I've tried it with My old 10.4 disk, and the new leopard disk. Same result on both. neither disk seems scratched either.
If I just boot up regular
It goes to the apple logo with spinning circle.
SOOOO...
I tried resetting the PMU, and PRAM
Is it likely that it is my superdrive gone bad, at a horrible time? If so I guess i'll just buy one on eBay and replace it myself. Is there any way to test it?
Could there by another problem wrong with it?
Please help me troubleshoot this! I'd be very appreciative -- I'm a poor college Computer science student that needs his computer to work for his classes.
Thanks All!
Message was edited by: chrysanthemum

Could there by another problem wrong with it?
Yes. You need the two RAM modules, or at the very least the remaining one RAM module must be for sure securely seated. If not securely seated with only one module, the result is as you've seen.
i was probally was supposed to take out the cd...
No, not necessary. After that, the very delayed loading was totally normal, sounds as if you were just impatient.
Message was edited by: myhighway
Oh, and check the AppleCare agreement, as to the best of my recollection, you can should be able to get a refund, pro-rated for time left.
Check how full your hard drive is now. I'm not clear if you've yet erased your HD or how many systems you've installed - if not erased perhaps it's full up.
A PRAM reset should allow you to boot from the install disc, access the Install Discs's System Profiler, and see what things look like. Also, you should be able to boot to the Apple Hardware Test - while you do need a working optical drive to do so, you don't need any hard drive at all, and it doesn't sound like either one has been lost.
Message was edited by: myhighway

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