boot problems

mac Mini
1.83ghz
2gb ram
80gb HD
SuperDrive
Lacie external FireWire Dvd burner lightscribe

i was wiping my HD and re-installing Tiger from a backed up copy. It got to about 30 percent done, then showed an error something about Essentials. Said I needed to restart and retry install. well I did same thing happened. I tried to replace the backed up disc with my restore disc that came with my Mini but didnt work. I tried booting from the disc by pressing C. All that happens is when it`s trying to boot a folder in cirlce with a line through it flashes a couple times. Then it`s replaced by the usual apple icon with the loading wheel spinning below it. I have let it try to load for close to a half hour, it never gets past the white screen with the logo on it

thank you for any and all help in advance
Chris

How were you installing from the backup - Firewire/USB/second internal drive and was it a back up of the original system install on the same machine? Is the machine this is happening on the Mini as if it is not, the Tiger system restore disc will not work?

Always best if you provide machine details.

It was from a FireWire external DVD drive. And actually the folder icon that pops up on the screen has a question mark in it. Not the circle and line

The copy was not from the mini's restore disc it was a copy of tiger from when I upraded my iBook. The disc was easier access than the restore disc. The disc was a backup of a tiger disk not a system restore disc.

The restore disc is for the Mini and yes it is the disc that came with the machine. It is the machine that is having issues.

Sorry I am writing this on my itouch. So please bear with me

Anyone got any ideas please.
can't really afford to take it to a tech