Windows 7 - IDE Slows Windows 7 boot

Hi everyone.
I installed Windows 7 Pro over a week ago now, changing from XP pro.

From the first time i had installed and tried to run windows 7 it has taken over 10 minuites to load windows, it just seems to hang on the windows 7 logo.
I started to notice more problems when trying to watch AVI files from the IDE HDD, sometimes the sound and video quility would be gritty and the windows media player would eventually stop responding.

Today i disconnected the IDE HDD and when i attempted to boot up it took under 20 seconds.

I know the simple solution would be to replace the IDE HDD with an SATA, but i was wondering if anyone could perhaps help me figure out why Widnows 7 is unstable when the IDE HDD is connected.

I've had the IDE HDD for 3 years, it doesn't seem to be dying or have any problems with it when running Windows XP.
Partition is NTFS and it has NOT got an operating system installed, it is purely used for storing AVI files.

I appreciate any help given.

Regards Shaun

Long boot time don't necessarily mean there's a bad hard drive - typically long boot times point to device drivers - and Win 7 typically needs different drivers from XP. How long does it take to boot into Safe Mode?

I would run chkdsk /r (note the space before the "/" on the drive in question from a command prompt and allow it run at next boot. Depending on the size, or what it finds, it could take many hours (I've seen more than 24) and it may appear hung - walk away and check in later.

Alternatively, run the diagnostics from your drive's maker - Hard Drive Diagnostics - listed by maker