new xp install will not boot from HD

had xp running on an old 500MHz celeron system. built a new system with a7n8x, xp2400+, and crucial pc2700 ram. hd is a 40GB maxtor that had a 14GB system partition and a 26GB storage partition.
took HD out of celly, put it into new a7n8x.
from within xp setup, i deleted the 14gb partition, then selected it to install new xp. this changed the drive letters around, so that the storage partition became the c: drive and the system partition became the d: drive.
have tried installing xp twice now. both times i get an error message saying that it cannot boot from the selected drive and check the configuration.
hd is connected to the primary ide slot, to the end connector, and the jumper has been removed, as it is the only device on the cable.

any ideas? is it possible that it will not boot because the system is installed on the d: partition as opposed to the c: partition? i have tried setting the boot device to both hdd-0 and hdd-1 and neither has worked.

If possible...use Partition Magic to redo your partitions...sounds like both partitions might of gotten messed up when you changed them around...

Also...you have formated the partitions?

i don't have partition magic.
i deleted the partion and did a full ntfs format on the smaller partition before i tried to install xp.

i'm considering plugging the hd into my other system to see what exactly is going on.... maybe doing a full format from there...

Check your PM's...

i'm reformatting the 14gb partition... the 26gb is now unallocated.
i'll start over and see what happens.

weird.... i cannot get windows to install on the 40GB drive in the old or new systems, but i did get it to install on an 80GB hard drive on the old system. i put the 80GB drive with windows on it into the new system and it's stuck at the 'detecting ide drives' phase.
then i put the 80GB drive with xp on it into the old system and it worked. i put it back in the new system and it didn't work. then i connected the power cable and now it works.


still... i wonder why installing xp on the 40GB wd caviar (ata66) always gives a "error loading operating system."