Unless there is something wrong with the configuration of
the USB HD, the only thing I can suggest is to give Windows
a TON of time to figure out what to do with the USB HD
for "a boot or two"...
Windows sometimes "chokes" for a while during boot while it
tries to figure out something, but once it "figures out stuff" the
booting after that seems to proceed fine.
I have had this happen with various USB devices, and thought
I would have to have them disconnected while booting, but eventually
noticed that I can leave them attached (or not) at random once
Windows got used to seeing them during a boot...  YMMV.
(There was nothing wrong with any of those devices...)

                                  Rick Glazier

-----
From: "Paul J. Traynor"
> I have a computer that has been acting strangely. I have formated the hard
> drive and reinstalled windows xp on it. All goes well with everything but
> whenever I have to reboot the computer it just hangs on a blank dark screen
> with no message or anything. What I have discovered is that if I have my
> external USB drive attached to it this problem occurs but if I disconnect
> the drive then windows xp will boot fine.

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