General Starter Diagnoses

My friend's volvo is dead. Wont turn over to check for spark, not sure how to check for fuel on a volvo, but I dont hear the hum of a fuel pump. Turn the key and you hear a faint click from the starter area.

I thought that the starter is basically just an electric motor right? So regardless of the condition of the rest of the engine, if the solenoid sends power to the starter, and the starter has a good ground, the thing should at least crank, right?
I got a screwdriver and jumped the power from the battery to the negative post on the solenoid. It sparked but didn't turn. I jumped from the battery directly to the starter housing and starter/solenoid ground and it didn't turn over (sparked like hell though). So I figure the starter itself is FUBAR right? (I already tried macking it with a rock, no luck)
Thanks for any help.

Your hypothesis is correct. The starter should turn over the engine even if you have no fuel and/or no spark.

The parts stores will bench test starters for free. Pull it out and head for the nearest Auto Zone, Pep Boys, Checker or whatever is in your area.

sometimes the solenoid sticks, mine did this after we stopped to eat on a trail, whole unit was submerged in mud.

take a BFH and hit the solenoid, mine started working agian...dunno if i was lucky or not, I carry a spare because I'm too lazy to change it in the Private part numbing cold up here

Before you go too much further with the starter, make sure the engine is in fact able to turn over. You can sometimes just grab onto the fan belt or a convenient pulley (make sure IGNITION is OFF!) and see if you can move it, or get a wrench on the crankshaft pulley and try turning it. You shouldn't have to turn it more than a couple of degrees to ensure that it's free, but if you do, make sure you know which direction it's supposed to rotate, because some timing belts really hate going the wrong way.