macbook install problems :(

[kammron]

the dvd drive quit working on my macbook,
the apple store recommended a reinstall,
but the installation failed,
and now i only have about 1.5 Gigs remaining on my hard drive.
the install dvd is stuck in the drive...
i have tried accessing files on the macbook through my imac to free up space.
is there any other way to do this?
how can i get a fresh OS without losing all my files?

 

[pjarvi]

Get an external USB drive and back your data up. Or, go through the Applications folder and look for any programs you never use and delete them to free up space. Do you use: GarageBand, iMovie, Quicken, etc... Mac's tend to have some trialware on them, just like Windows PC's do.

 

[kammron]

i would normally but right now its a brick.
i can only access the startup disk for os x
or through firewire.
the initial install i did to fix the disc drive took up a large amout of space,
but didnt install successfully