Deleted /etc/, can't boot from DVD I accidentally deleted the files in /etc/ (yes into /private/etc) and my iMac gets stuck on a blue screen after the initial apple logo now. I tried to boot from install DVD but it hangs at the apple logo when I do that.

Any suggestions on how to fix or reinstall the OS?

This is an iMac with OS X Snow Leopard.
See Startup key combinations for Intel-based Macs (HT1533) for a list of available key combinations during startup. In your case you should use either of


C: Start up from a bootable CD, DVD, or USB thumb drive (such as OS X install media)
Option ⌥: Start up in Startup Manager, where you can select an OS X volume to start from. In your case the volume to select is the OS X Snow Leopard DVD