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The answer to your problem is that WinXP has something called WPA. It is an anti-copy protection feature built into XP.
Unlike older OS's you cannot install the OS on a HD in one machine and move it to a new machine and have it run.
Essentially what it does is detect every component and serial number in the system it is being installed in. It then has an algorithm that it uses to award points for new components added over a time period to that system. When enough points are accumulated WPA shuts down the OS. You have to contact MS and go thru the requstration process to reactivate the system
This mean you cannot install XP on one system and move the HD to a new computer. Even if you have 2 absolutely identical machines you cannot move the HD with XP installed because the serial numbers of the components differ and XP will shut down.
By reinstalling XP in the system it detected and set everything up for the machine it is now in, that is why it now works.
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