WINDOWS XP CD BOOT

Windows XP will boot install onto a new “WD 400BB” same is true for a “WD 400JB” hard drive, but will not make the hard drive bootable, “XP works great” but is only bootable from CD, virus is off, boot sequence is (A: HD CD), restore command’s will not make it bootable (another level of learning), do I have to boot from a floppy and then run the setup? I have read that there are 147 steps to installing XP, Why?