Macbook Pro won't go past the white loading screen!

Ok, so a couple of days ago my MBP was running fine with no problems or glitches. However, while I was looking something up online, the computer froze. I thought nothing of it, so I let it sit. Forty-five minutes later I got pretty nervous. I tried moving the mouse, but as soon as it moved the cursor disappeared. So, after 30 more minutes, I went to a last resort. I flipped the Macbook over and pulled out the battery.
After trying to turn it back on after that, the MBP went to the usual white screen with the Apple logo. The gray gear-type thing on the bottom started to rotate, but that's as far as it got. I left it like that for hours but nothing.
So I turned it off and tried booting from the installation CD. That worked, so I opened up the Disk Utility. Thankfully, it seemed as though my hard drive was still intact after verifying it. Still, I couldn't do anything other than that.
So I decided to do an archive install to at least be able to use my computer and keep my old files (which I really need). However, the install froze at about 15% and stayed there. The mouse still moved, but the installation didn't. I left it overnight to try and see if it would work out the problems, but it didn't progress. Seeing as it wasn't moving at all, I had to turn off my computer mid-install

So now, I pretty much don't know which way to turn.

(Not sure if this is a hardware or software problem, sorry if it's software)

So you're saying that you were:

- able to boot the computer with the "installation CD"
- were able to run Disk Utility...and it said that the hard drive was ok?
- you then tried to reinstall the OS...and that's when the computer froze during installation?

My initial thoughts are something is wrong with the hard drive...but if Disk Utility (while booting from the CD/DVD)...say it's ok..then it shouldn't be the HD.

- Nick

Yepp, all of that is true. I thought it was the HD as well but when I clicked "Verify Disk" and it scanned it and what not, it said that the "disk appears to be OK". So I'm not worried about the disk that much. Also, when I clicked on it on the list, it gave me some information on it, such as the amount of gigs I've used which was perfectly accurate. Idk :/

Do you know how full your hard drive is...or was...before the problem?

If it's too full...you won't be able to do an archive & install.

- Nick

I had plenty of space, about 70 gigs

qtip2293 said:

I had plenty of space, about 70 gigs

Click to expand...

Another option to try is...instead of an "archive & install"...just do a clean install.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Another option to try is...instead of an "archive & install"...just do a clean install.

Click to expand...

Well, I really need to keep all of my old files intact, and from my understanding, I can't with a clean install.

qtip2293 said:

Well, I really need to keep all of my old files intact, and from my understanding, I can't with a clean install.

Click to expand...

We're kind of running out of options.

Do you have the original "gray" disks that came with the computer when new? Maybe this was the CD you were booting from before. On one of the disks is a hardware test program...you could try running this test...as a double check...to see if the hard drive is good/bad.

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

On one of the disks is a hardware test program...you could try running this test...as a double check...to see if the hard drive is good/bad.

- Nick

Click to expand...

I don't believe I do, but then again I'm not sure. The disc that's in my drive now is a Mac OSX install CD and the other one says "Applications Install". I don't remember a 3rd disc with a hardware test.

leanne Yes

Wait, nevermind I just read the writing on the 2nd disc about the test haha I try that, thanks.

Is the CD/DVD disk you've been using black or gray?

- Nick

qtip2293 said:

Wait, nevermind I just read the writing on the 2nd disc about the test haha I try that, thanks.

Click to expand...

Ok...nevermind my previous post. Do the hardware test on CD#2.

- Nick

I believe it's gray but I have another problem now. In order to use the 2nd disk, I would have to eject the current disk in there. However, I can't eject it because OSX won't boot without it. So even if I can get to the disk utility, I would be ejecting the OSX, which it won't let me do.

qtip2293 said:

I believe it's gray but I have another problem now. In order to use the 2nd disk, I would have to eject the current disk in there. However, I can't eject it because OSX won't boot without it. So even if I can get to the disk utility, I would be ejecting the OSX, which it won't let me do.

Click to expand...

Believe me...you're not the first person to do this.

Read this:

Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test

- Nick

I still have no way of getting the OSX CD out to put in the other one. How can I eject it?

Nevermind, I'm an idiot. I'm trying the 2nd disk now

Sigh. Now it doesn't recognize the 2nd disc.

qtip2293 said:

Nevermind, I'm an idiot. I'm trying the 2nd disk now

Click to expand...

Is that because you remembered to use the "eject key" in the upper right of the keyboard?

- Nick

qtip2293 said:

Sigh. Now it doesn't recognize the 2nd disc.

Click to expand...

Did you follow the instructions for doing the hardware test in the link I provided earlier?

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Did you follow the instructions for doing the hardware test in the link I provided earlier?

- Nick

Click to expand...

Actually, no. It couldn't recognize the disc, therefore I couldn't run the test. I believe I read something that said if the firmware password was enabled, I couldn't do anything different on start-up (singer user mode, verbose, etc.). And for some reason I can't remove it. Very annoying...