DOM Load function

I have issues with the DOM LOAD function. I CANNOT find the reason why 
it doesn't fill the Document with the xml file content:

$xmldoc = new DOMDocument();
$xmldoc->load("data/slides.xml");

In debugging, I can see the creation of a DOMDocument but the load 
function return True (1) and a empty Document $xmldoc:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<album>
         <slide url="data/327.jpg" rel_URL="show_craft.php?id=327" 
title="Art. 327"></slide>
         <slide url="data/330.jpg" rel_URL="show_craft.php?id=330" 
title="Art. 330"></slide>
         <slide url="data/311.jpg" rel_URL="show_craft.php?id=311" 
title="Art. 311"></slide>
         <slide url="data/239.jpg" rel_URL="show_craft.php?id=239" 
title="Art. 239"></slide>
         <slide url="data/275.jpg" rel_URL="show_craft.php?id=275" 
title="Art. 275"></slide>
         <slide url="data/IMG_2691.jpg" rel_URL=" " title="Art. 
IMG_2691"></slide>
         <slide url="data/IMG_2684.jpg" rel_URL=" " title="Art. 
IMG_2684"></slide>
         <slide url="data/crafts 023.jpg" rel_URL=" " title="Art. crafts 
023"></slide>
</album>


I use XAMPP 1.7.7.  In php.net, under DOMDocument::load page, there is a 
post  that says "Function will not work if using XML DOM PECL module".
In my phpinfo() there is only the "PECL Module version 2.0-dev $Id: 
sqlite.c 306939 2011-01-01 02:19:59Z felipe $ " under SQLite section 
enabled.
I tried many things like changing xml path, replacing the xml file with 
a simpler one from, for example, w3schools but with no avail.
I still get an empty document and no errors. I don't know where to bang 
my head since it looks like it's only me having this issue (search the 
web extensively).
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you

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  <javascript:void(0);>