Windows boots slowly after installing HDD

[pabvr81]

I have a new system, recently installed and old 120GB IDE hdd, now Windows XP takes forever to boot up, the drive its set up as slave. The IDE cable is shared with a DVD+-RW drive. I have another 250GB SATA drive, in wich the o/s is installed. I need to make this system boot up at a decent speed. Can you help me please?

EDIT: When I disconnect the IDE drive, the system boots up normally. The drive has some music and files in it, no o/s.

PC specs:

Athlon 64 X2 3800+
2GB DDR2
DVD+-RW Drive
Asus Nforce4 motherboard
Windows XP SP2

 

[Liquidlen]

I wouldtry seperating the HDD off of the IDE channel with the ROM drive.It is not a good idea to put them on the same channel.
I would make the HDD the Master on the Primary CH and the Rom the Master on the Secndary.
See if that helps

 

[tipstir]

I wouldn't mix IDE HDD with SATA HDD in the system You could take that 120GB and put it in external case making it a USB2 drive. That way you don't have about slowness problem

 

[Rick]

Optical drives don't play nice as master to slaved hard drives...

I recommend switching the other at the very least (Hard drive = Master, Optical drive = Slave) or putting them each on their own cable (recommended). You may also want to slave the 120GB to your new, master drive... Just a matter of preference.

tipstir's advice of an external USB enclosure is a great idea and that's definitely the way to go anymore. But I do have to say there's no problem with 'mixing' IDE and SATA drives.