When I tried to boot my PC today it wouldn't get past the start up screen. It loads for about 30 seconds as it normaly does, but then the hdd light stays on. The hdd light was solid for about 10 MINUTES when I decided that it is not going to get any further and rebooted the computer. I tried booting into safe mode with networking which didn't work so I rebooted again. This time I tried safe mode without networking which worked perfectly. Because it worked in safe mode and not with networking makes me think there is something wrong with a networking driver. In safe mode I went to msconfig and checked /BOOTLOG and /SOS. I also looked at event log, but it only listed stuff from my safe mode boot. It did have many errors though. I will post them if you would like to see it. After this I rebooted AGAIN and this time I went to normal mode. Actually this time everything seemed to work until I got to the desktop. The mouse cursor stayed a hourglass and the hdd light was solid so I eventually turned it off.

It has been working fine for about a year and didn't install any new hardware.

Specs:
Windows XP Pro 64-bit Edition
AMD Athlon duel core 3.2GHz
8GB of RAM
2 SATA hard drivesI'd start with opening the case, cleaning everything with compressed air, reseat RAM, and all cards.
I'd also TRY to start with 1 RAM stick at a time.I really don't think any of that will help because I forgot to mention that it works with a Linux CD. It has internet and everything it normally would with Linux. I don't think it is a PROBLEM with the hardware. The problem is with Windows.Will it boot to Windows CD?Yes it does boot to a Windows CD, but if you are suggesting a reinstall or repair then that is not what I want to do. I PROBABLY could have done those things already, but chose not to because I want to fix the problem. Eventually, if it seems hopeless then I might consider reinstall or repair, but for now I want to fix the problem.

The computer usually locks up while booting but occasionally it makes it to the desktop. I decided to replace explorer.exe (made a backup first) with filemon.exe (a utility that LISTS all files being accessed). When I logged in it loaded filemon instead of explorer and it began to list the files that were loading. It locked up when it reached services.exe so that means it is probably a windows service that is causing the problem. I did a bootlog and I will post the results below. I also copied the errors I found in event log and some of them occurred more than once, but I am only posting one of each.

Sorry for the long post.

bootlog:
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Cdfs.SYS
Service Pack 2 9 9 2008 19:01:17.375
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\hal.dll
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\KDCOM.DLL
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\BOOTVID.dll
Loaded driver sptd.sys
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\WMILIB.SYS
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\System32\Drivers\SCSIPORT.SYS
Loaded driver ACPI.sys
Loaded driver pci.sys
Loaded driver ohci1394.sys
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\1394BUS.SYS
Loaded driver isapnp.sys
Loaded driver pciide.sys
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\PCIIDEX.SYS
Loaded driver MountMgr.sys
Loaded driver ftdisk.sys
Loaded driver dmload.sys
Loaded driver dmio.sys
Loaded driver volsnap.sys
Loaded driver PartMgr.sys
Loaded driver atapi.sys
Loaded driver disk.sys
Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\CLASSPNP.SYS
Loaded driver fltMgr.sys
Loaded driver KSecDD.sys
Loaded driver Ntfs.sys
Loaded driver NDIS.sys
Loaded driver Mup.sys
Loaded driver crcdisk.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\AmdK8.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\fdc.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\serial.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\serenum.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\parport.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\i8042prt.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\mouclass.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\kbdclass.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\usbohci.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\usbehci.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\imapi.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\cdrom.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\redbook.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\HDAudBus.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\nvnetbus.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\nv4_mini.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\ASACPI.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\VMNetSrv.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\audstub.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ksthunk.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\rasl2tp.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\ndistapi.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\ndiswan.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\raspppoe.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\raspptp.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\msgpc.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\psched.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\ptilink.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\raspti.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\rdpdr.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\termdd.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\mcdbus.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\swenum.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\update.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\mssmbios.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\ramdriv.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\NDProxy.SYS
Did not load driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\NDProxy.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\flpydisk.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\NVENETFD.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\usbhub.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\ADIHdAud.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\AEAudio.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\Senfilt.sys
Did not load driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Sfloppy.SYS
Did not load driver \SystemRoot\SysWow64\Drivers\i2omgmt.SYS
Did not load driver \SystemRoot\SysWow64\Drivers\Changer.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Fs_Rec.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Null.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Beep.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\vga.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\mnmdd.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\DRIVERS\RDPCDD.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Msfs.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Npfs.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\rasacd.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\ipsec.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\tcpip.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\netbt.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\wanarp.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\drivers\afd.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\netbios.sys
Loaded driver \??\F:\WINDOWS\system32\Drivers\vmm.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\VD_FileDisk.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\SCDEmu.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\rdbss.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\mrxsmb.sys
Did not load driver \SystemRoot\SysWow64\Drivers\hwinterface.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Fips.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Fastfat.SYS
Did not load driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\rdbss.sys
Did not load driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\mrxsmb.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\wdmaud.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\sysaudio.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\splitter.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\aec.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\swmidi.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\kmixer.sys
Did not load driver \??\F:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\Drivers\FILEM701.SYS
Loaded driver \??\F:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\Drivers\FILEM701.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\CdaC15BA.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\CdaD10BA.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\secdrv.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\srv.sys
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\Cdfs.SYS
Loaded driver \SystemRoot\system32\drivers\kmixer.sys


event log:
Event Type:Error
Event Source:Disk
Event Category:None
Event ID:11
Date:9/9/2008
Time:6:15:42 PM
User:N/A
Computer:THEWHITECOMP
Description:
The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk0\DR0.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.


Event Type:Error
Event Source:atapi
Event Category:None
Event ID:5
Date:9/9/2008
Time:6:13:24 PM
User:N/A
Computer:THEWHITECOMP
Description:
A parity error was detected on \Device\Ide\IdePort2.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.


Event Type:Error
Event Source:DCOM
Event Category:None
Event ID:10005
Date:9/9/2008
Time:6:13:14 PM
User:N/A
Computer:THEWHITECOMP
Description:
DCOM got error "The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it. " attempting to start the service SENS with arguments "" in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.


Event Type:Error
Event Source:Application Popup
Event Category:None
Event ID:1060
Date:9/9/2008
Time:5:38:01 PM
User:N/A
Computer:THEWHITECOMP
Description:
\SystemRoot\SysWow64\Drivers\hwinterface.sys has been blocked from loading due to incompatibility with this system. Please contact your software vendor for a compatible version of the driver.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.I'm not sure, why you don't want to try Windows repair, but anyway...
It looks like last two errors are Windows related, and Windows repair may help.
First two errors seems to be hardware related, in my opinion.
Second one, "atapi.sys" seems to indicate your optical drive.
I'd try to disconnect any optical drives, you have there, and see, if it changes anything.K, I unplugged the optical drives and turned on the computer and it worked. It said I need to reactivate windows in 3 days. I figured I would reboot once more after that to check if it worked a second time. It didn't work the second time. I am really getting annoyed by the inconsistency of the problem. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.As I said before, I suspect system files messed up on a top of optical drives problems.
If you can to Windows again, try running sfc /scannow.
If not, try Windows repair. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FIXED IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its been working for about a day now with no problems. The blue screen o' death appeared saying unmountable_boot_volume when I was booting up the computer. So I turned it off, opened it up, and plugged the SATA cable for the hard disk into a different port on the motherboard. That seemed to fix all of the problems I was having. The cable could have been loose or maybe the SATA port wasn't working properly. It's another one of those big problems with a simple answer. Thanks for all the help though!Nice job!!