The Mother Board

I need your help I don't know if I made a mistake. I was told on my -Hewlett Packard windows vista home premium oem- I don't have a solid copy of windows since I swapped my dead mobo for another that I could use. Now I have read in the past snippets of the license agreement and I faintly remember some of it. Remembering what I can it said something along the lines of the oem manufacturer sets its own blah blah blah, something something end user agreement. I know the rogue department of microsoft has been removing articles pertaining to this so I need your help to understand why. I just didn't know and still don't. Kind regards.

If needed more info or anything I will truthfuly do my best

JAH BLESS

Welcome to the Forum.
IT is spelled out explicitly in the EULA about "one OS issue, one install, one computer". For OEM sources that assemble and sell branded units, they are responsible for service on the system. MS will only provide security updates and patches for the OS.
When purchased new, you may be prompted to do a backup of the install drivers from the hard drive. Typically, about a 4 gig or less hidden partition. In the event of a device or system failure, you have the OS and drivers to repair the setup.
A hard drive does fail, and MS will usually reactivate the OS once or twice. Same with a hardware failure other than the drive. But without the OS install disk and driver files, you would have to obtain a disk from the provider.. at reasonable cost.
When a different motherboard than original is used, the OS detects major chipset and feature changes, considers this a violation of the EULA, and will go belly-up.
Note that Windows Vista does not have many more years of support. Might be best to get a Win 7 or Win 8 OS copy, and start anew.
Windows lifetime:

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F@H.. to solve mankind's maladies.. in our lifetimes!

I still see 3 years left in vista with microsoft, that's why I can't see myself upgrading so soon but if my hard drive fails what am I to do I need to get all my hidden save files, games and what not. Also I have to pray windows 7 won't suck like it did every time I used it. More over if I upgrade to windows 8 I'm trashing my pc. Hope windows 9 is a upgrade not another failer. Can't use apple to much one button fixes all hectic and Linux is a stinker for dyi. Maybe I will get a steambox or just stick to my android.

(From What I remember)
Or if the keycode sticker still exists you can get another disc from a freind, ebay, etc. and use the original keycode. As long as the disc is for the same OS (i.e. Vista Home Premium not Vista Professional, etc..)

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Compaq-Fu Master
Ctechinfo funding drive information

If the system is running, download and install Belarc Advisor. At the bottom of the results page is a list of installed software, along with any product keys.

As far as saving your files, use an image program like Acronis, or similar, with regular backups, or a disk clone utility. I believe SeaTools will clone any drive.

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I have a photographic memory, only problem is, I ran out of film.