Very strange... Go through these steps. Use msconfig to disable all start-up items 
to decrease boot time (safe mode eliminated them as culprits).

1. Look in the BIOS, but I have never seen different settings for cold vs warm boot. 
You must cover that base first though. You might, however, change it from HD first 
to a: first, for example. Then re-boot and change it back.

2. Boot from any floppy/CD (install, os, etc). No need to take action; Let the boot 
complete, remove the disk, and use CTRL-ALT-DEL to re-boot. Note if you get the error 
(post results here). Let xp load and re-boot. Note if you get the error (post results 
here).

NOTE: If you are worried about going in the case, skip 3 and 4 at this point.

3. Look at the hardware. Is this a PATA(IDE) or SATA disk?
Either way, replace, if possible, the data cable. It may simply be pinched, just 
moving it around some may help. Re-boot, etc.  The power cable is also suspect, to 
a lesser degree.

4. Try the disk on the other channel. Just leave the optical drive off here. Re-boot, 
etc.

5. NOTE: You should only have to do this once; Change it back after re-boot/test. 
Clear the Windows Paging File http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314834 
If the value exists, note what you change it from. If you can boot from a CD (like 
linux) you can delete c:\pagefile.sys and achieve this without entering the registry. 
Testing this will take a shutdown then a re-boot.

6. Use the Recovery Console for "chkdsk c: /p", "fixboot" and "fixmbr". Re-boot AFTER 
EACH FIX???? COMMAND! They are not as dangerous as a BIOS flash, but not to be tried 
lightly either.

Recovery Console = http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/en-us

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