Gray Screen and Disk Utility error..UGH

Ok, I have the Macrbook Pro ( 2008)....I can't even tell you which Os as I can't get into the computer to tell you.

Long story short (I'll try): Got a spining Beach ball, forced quit, then gray screen with apple logo and spinning wheel, then got the ? mark icon, then black screen, inserted installaition disk...
after much playing around ( pwer buttons, hitting C's, shifts, shift-command-v, command-option P R and numerous other combinations). I was able to get it to read the disk and did a disk utility. I did repair on HD and got "Invalid Node structure, volume check failed and filesystem verify or repair failed". I can't even go to the apple at the upper left to click on about this mac to get what system I have. I have no dashboard either. Does this mean my HD crashed?

Not necessarily, although it's not out of the realm of possibility. My next step would be to run the Apple Hardware Test:

Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test

I did the AHT and it said "No trouble found".

I have the installation disk in and when asked where to put it, no choices. I can't seem to reinstall it ?

I haven't been able to eject the disk since I put it in.

I also ran the advanced hardware test and that showed no trouble found. It did eject my installation disk out. Still getting the apple logo with the spinning wheel........any suggestions?

I did repair on HD and got "Invalid Node structure, volume check failed and filesystem verify or repair failed". I can't even go to the apple at the upper left to click on about this mac to get what system I have. I have no dashboard either. Does this mean my HD crashed?

Click to expand...

It may be time to change out the hard drive. Usually, the error you received above indicates that the drive has failed or is failing. The Apple hardware test and extended test is good at catching memory errors and other certain type of errors, but I have found that it sometimes skips past hard drive problems.

Based on what Disk Utility said above, it looks like that drive may be defective. Before you press on though, you might consider trying to get at your data on the drive if you have not been making backups. Data recovery software is expensive but may be able to help out.

Try Data Rescue 3. It's $99 but you can download a trial copy first.

I took it to the apple store. I need a new hard drive. They will try to recover what they can. It also seems I can't find my adobe PSE6 disk....so I guess I'll be forking out some money...