You may have a couple of things going on per your description. The cable attaches from the rear right. It may be best to pull the 5 retaining pins, roll the belt off the front, drop the deck and slide it out about a foot to the right. You will see a tensioner pulley that has a smooth end- that is where a 1/4" flat washer goes, then the cable spring, then a small hitch pin or cotter pin. To the rear, you will see where the plastic body of the outer cable slips into and is retained by a larger hitch pin. Re-hang the deck and install the belt. If all is working freely, the belt routed as it should be, and the cable is good- the belt should turn the blades. Now about the shutting off part. Does it seem like the when the deck handle is engaged, that a switch is shutting off the engine? The normal cause for this is an un-plugged or defective seat switch, but there could be other causes. Let us know how you do or if something seems different.