rsh2009,   If I'm correct, Windows is trying to look at the USB drive to boot. I had a similar problem with the sons iPod connected. Restart your computer and press F1 and enter the bios. Look for boot sequence and change the order. Move the USB to the bottom of the list.     Rick
I have a Dell Inspiron 530 desktop with Windows XP SP3. I also have a Fantom external USB 250 GB drive connected to my machine. Sometime last year (maybe after one of the updates or software installs), I noticed that if I try restarting my computer with the external USB drive connected, it won't restart. It just hangs with the message "Windows is starting ..." and nothing happens. If I shut down windows & turn off my external hard disk, then it restarts fine. This was not a problem when I bought the computer and connected the drive. It worked fine for almost 6 months till suddenly I started facing this problem of XP not restarting with the drive connected. Any idea what could be wrong? Thanks
Windows XP won't restart when external drive is connected