HDD swap, OS re-install on bare and on old machine

HI. Im requesting help with my install of a used HDD onto my existing machine.
What i have: Machine is HP Pavillion using Vista Home Prem.
What im trying to do: Install a different HDD with the Windows OS on it onto my HP comp.
Further detail of problem: The HDD im installing is from a Hp laptop that ran W8 home but possibly had it win10 upgrade, that i no longer own/have. The laptop had a display problem which probably was the hardware as a cause of it. The HDD runs fine, just the OS was corrupted. I used my Vista to dskchk it and fix anything else it can do. But, since i gave the broken laptop away, i am unable to log on to this HDD because of the BIOS its designed on. I kept the HDD anyway to have as extra storage and has been sitting around for a time. Recently, i need a new windows version since vista is outdated. I try to use the laptop HDD as my new OS. But, in seeing that w8 uses UEFI structure to boot from the laptop MoBo, i cant log in. Looking at the drives using disk manager utility, it seems the OS partition became unbootable when i used the format disk feature on it back when i first got the HDD. I recall that this volume wasnt tagged as such as far as i believe. Since i dont have a system recovery disk from HP and knowing i cant boot in this HDD due to uefi, searching online lead me to believe i can change this by changing the disk partition style from gpt to mbr so i can boot it on my bios. I blatantly deleted all the volumes on the disk, excepting the hidden X partition and also copied the recovery folder from the recovery part and the registry file found on the OS part to my internal HDD.
Basically , i want to keep my vista os still running, swap the laptop hdd in the machine and re-install the w8 it had factory installed at it bare essential with what is left there. Know this too, this is a OEM version of w8 from HP and when i use a system repair disk(intentionally meant for win10 from another OEM provider), it restores the OEM x drive partitions.
What else: Am i in the wrong and missed doing something to install this HDD or OS it once had? Or i completely cant because of the measures of it? Even though the product key is missing, cant i call in to get a new one in its place once i can install a OS? It is a legit copy. Im trying to avoid asking HP for anything, like a replacement copy, or buy a copy of windows, IF possible. I know i need a working OS which is what im trying to do.

Welcome to the forum. The drive won't boot due to wrong drivers you need to remove all partitions then you can use the drive do you know if the PC is capable of running win8? You would have to buy a new copy of Windows but before doing that you need to know it will run and you can get all the drivers for it

Hi Sumeria. I checked a couple places for if my machine can run W8 or 10, confidently yes since i have a 64 bit vista version, plus, i put in a hdd that was able to boot without any hassle, albeit so briefly i took it back out once i knew my comp can run win10. I figured that this hdd im installing is dependent with the laptop it once belonged to, i were only hoping i could run it on my machine by chance. It seems there is a workaround to this? The problem is the missing OS it had on it. I now have it pared down to two partitions plus its hidden x part atm from its former 6 parts. I wanted to get the original OS working on it again. Mind, the hdd runs fine on my machine, just the install is giving a headache. I mistakingly placed this thread on general support instead of on the install thread. What can be done to make this work?

Hi again. I figured some of this out. Samuria, you are right on all what you answered me with. Since my hdd isnt loaded with a os , there weren't any drivers to install by. Seeing from the registry I copied from it, it said win 10 home. I figure it had upgraded, so I used a win10 iso disk and installed it onto a partition. I got it to install fine, as I am now typing to this forum with the new os install. BUT, being it was a impartial install from a hdd that win8 is erased off plus from oem laptop that's using other equipment, I cant activate this machine on the version I installed. So, its only half the solution and I have to face the next portion of getting it registered with MS. My concern is if I call MS, would they provide a new key under these conditions I cause. I'll just have to find out. Thanks for a response btw.