Xp will not boot with DVD drive connected

I am only trying to connect one drive, the new one and the jumper is set to master. I do not know what IDE cable type I have, is there a way to look at it and tell?

I guess I should say Windows will not load. I starts to I get the boot menu, then the screen with the XP logo and the showing the blue dots running through the bar. That's where is stops. I then have to just turn off the power or it would just stay that way. I have tried to get into safe mode with the drive connected but I am not able to. I get the list of drives, then nothing. However with the CD and DVD drives not connected, Windows will load and I have no problems.

Here's a link to the cable types -> http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/confCable80-c.html

"I get the list of drives, then nothing."

In reply to my question of Safe Mode this is confusing since Safe Mode does not issue a list of drives after you select it. As such I have to think you are unaware of what Windows Safe Mode is and that it's a pure hardware hang. For this I would recheck the rules about drive cables and jumpers and test the drive on another PC.

Bob

To check the jumper settings and the BIOS. If you have the DVD drive on the same cable as the hard drive, then most likely the hard drive is set to Master. You would then set the DVD drive to Slave. Stop the boot process by going into the BIOS screen and check if the BIOS can report the hard drive and the DVD drive and report back with that info. If you get that far, that info will tell allot.

My hard drive and DVD are connected by separate cables. The dvd is set as Master as it is the only drive on that cable. I reconnected it and went into the Bios. Bios reports both the hard drive and the DVD drive. When I came out of Bios Windows did load. However, I then tried to log on as administrator, started to load then rebooted. I tried 3 times and each time windows would load, but then reboot when I attempted to go into my Windows XP sign on. I have two grown kids who share my computer, so I have Windows set up with accounts for them, but I am the only one with Administrative rights.

Boot SAFE MODE and create a new Admin account. Try to boot normally and try that new admin account.

Bob

It can matter.

Booted Safemode with DVD drive connected. Created new administator account. Went into device driver, and drive was listed. Tried to run PC Doctor to test the Cd drive, kept saying no cd in drive. Booted normally, and logged into new admin account. Same problem. Started loading, then reboot.

Ide cable is 80.

Ok, boot safe mode one more time but head to the EVENT VIEWER (use google or help and support if you need to catch up on this tool.)

See if XP tells us why it was unhappy.

Bob

Following are some of the errors, under system, service control management. I don't understand what I'm looking at here.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7000
Date: 7/12/2007
Time: 9:13:50 PM
User: N/A
Computer:
Description:
The hpdj service failed to start due to the following error:
The executable program that this service is configured to run in does not implement the service.

And system error

Event Type: Error
Event Source: System Error
Event Category: (102)
Event ID: 1003
Date: 7/12/2007
Time: 8:56:22 PM
User: N/A
Computer: YOUR-
Description:
Error code 10000050, parameter1 f14c1000, parameter2 00000000, parameter3 f78993a6, parameter4 00000000.

Do you have such? http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-208653.php noted where someone forgot to uninstall it.

THIS ONE ISN'T WHAT I'D FOCUS ON!

http://www.google.com/search?q=Event+Source%3A+System+Error+Event+Category%3A+%28102%29+Event+ID%3A+1003 finds plenty of similar pleas for help but it's time to drill down into that event and see if it told more.

Bob