Can't finish snow leopard install, hangs at apple logo?

Everytime I run my install it will get to 45 minutes and then be stuck at the apple logo with the spinning wheel. When I try to boot from the disk also this happens. I'm pretty sure my drive is working as it can read other discs. This is also the retail disc with the snow leopard, 10.6. Disc utility tells me everything is verified, and I have also run applejack. I'm currently at 10.5.8 on a late 2006 macbook a1181. Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 gb. I know my laptop can run this but I keep getting stuck at this screen.