Power mac G4 - Startup hangs at gray screen

Hello all,
I have a Power mac G4 - mirrored drive door model. 512mb of RAM; 833mghz - about 50+ gigabytes of storage remaining.
I recently starting using this mac again, here is what happened:
Power mac G4 was running 10.2.1 - had never been updated; it also was capable of running classic os9 (even though I never used it)
Started using machine again a few weeks ago; let "software update" install 10.2.8 update - everything worked fine
Put computer into target disk mode to transfer files to my new macbook pro (13") - using firewire connection
While trying to connect (migration assistant) - window froze will calculating the amount of space that the "user" on the power mac totalled - power mac appeared to be frozen
Did a hard reset / power down of the power mac G4
Upon restart, power mac G4 goes through all start up functions up to gray screen with apple logo (with spinning wheel) and then goes to a darker gray screen (without the logo) and spinning wheel
Dark gray screen with spinning wheel hangs indefinitely - I've let it stay there for hours on end hoping it will resolve but it doesn't
Here's what I have done so far:
Placed power mac G4 into target disk mode again in conjunction with macbook proI can see all the files on the power mac G4 (and have already copied them to the macbook pro) - so I don't think the hard drive is damaged
Disconnected all non-apple peripheral devices - only had a card installed in the back - but took that out - issue persisted (did not replace card in back)
Removed one non-apple RAM stick - issue persisted
Replaced non-apple RAM stick and removed apple RAM stick - issue persisted
Reset PRAM
Started computer in single-user modeused fsck and tried to have system check/fix issue; no matter how many times I re-run the command to repair it never comes back with a message saying no issues found - instead it keeps returning with a message saying that the issue was repaired "system modified"
Started computer in verbose modestartup seems to hang when this appears:
"/System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOs/loginwindow: (ipc/send) invalid destination""LayState: cannot map display interlocks."
"/System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOs/loginwindow: kCGErrorFailure: CGSNewConnection""Cannot connect to server"
"/System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOs/loginwindow: kCGErrorInvalidConnection""Connection called with invalid connection"
Tried re-installing with system discsThe only discs I received with the power mac G4 when I purchased are orange and say "SSW version 8.6" on it" ("iMac Software Restore" and "iMac Software Install")
Computer does not respond when holding down "C" key at startup with either disc in the drive
When holding down "option" key at startup, the computer shows the bootable choices as ONLY the internal HD - not either of the CDs I mentioned above; I wonder if it no longer recognizes the original CDs because I updated to 10.2.8 from 10.2.1 before the issue?I also have an install disc for OS X 10.4.7 - for a friend's iMac (G5)
When holding down "C" key at startup with the OS X 10.4.7 in the drive I get a kernel panic
When holding down "option" key at startup, the computer shows the bootable choices as the OS X 10.4.7 in the drive AND the internal HD
When I choose the OS X 10.4.7 in the drive I get a kernel panic
When I choose the internal HD the startup hangs at the gray screen I mentioned above
At this point, I don't know what else to do. I believe the computer is still good because I can see everything on it when I put it into target disk mode; it just refuses to make it through the startup/login process. I have read discussion threads that suggest re-installing the OS using another computer - but I don't know how to do that. I also wondered if there was a way to tell the computer to re-install the software using the original CDs - but from the command line (in single-user mode)?
Someone - PLEASE HELP!

Sorry, SU Single User Mode, OF Open Firmware as these 2 where mentioned before.
As a test, let's try disconnecting the HD & see if it booys to any mode without it attached.
It could be the User's files or login messed up, if you want to try something a little more desperate...
Reset OS X Password Without an OS X CD...
http://theappleblog.com/2008/06/22/reset-os-x-password-without-an-os-x-cd/
It'll boot like a newly setup Mac, but all your stuff should still be there once filling out the stuff.
Except you could just use Target mode and move or rename that file.

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