Will upgrading to windows 7 fix my windows vista registry problems?

[alex.marshall0]

Most of my registry is either corrupted, or gone. I am posting this on a different computer, because I cannot get mine to boot up. Occasionally I can get it to the desktop, but then I get an error message saying "windows cannot find C:\Windows\System32\mrt.exe". I tried going to Run and then typed "msconfig", but got a message saying "windows cannot find C:\Windows\System32\msconfig.exe". Then it froze again.

I have just managed to boot it in safe mode, but it took about 10 minutes to load.

I don't have a backup disk, and I cannot get system restore to work.

Is there anywhere to download a copy of the registry files, burn them to a disk with this PC, and then upload them onto my laptop? Would upgrading the OS replace the registry for me? Is it safe to upgrade an OS onto a system with a broken registry?

This has been a nightmare, it hasn't been working for weeks. I really need help.

Thanks.

[patio]

Installing 7 will wipe out everything...not exactly a clean solution...

A) What OS is on there now ? ?
B) What happened prior to this ? ?
C) Provide more details so we can possibly save your data and do a repair...

Also list what protection apps you have and use.

[alex.marshall0]

Installing 7 will wipe out everything...not exactly a clean solution...

A) What OS is on there now ? ?
B) What happened prior to this ? ?
C) Provide more details so we can possibly save your data and do a repair...

Also list what protection apps you have and use.

A) Vista Business 32 bit
B) I had some malware which I couldn't get rid of, which was constantly asking for admin permission. So I booted safe mode and then used the Stubborn Program Remover feature of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to go into the registry remove the file (I believe it was labeled as "consent.exe" or something. I assumed allowing admin permission to a file called "consent" would be a poor choice). After that, the program stopped popping up, but the computer was constantly freezing.
C) I have a bunch of documents from uni that would be useful to keep, and some movies and tv shows that I wouldn't mind saving (as well as microsoft office, which I need to do my work). So yeah, wiping the hard-drive to sort out the problem wouldn't be ideal. But if I run out of options, I don't mind upgrading the OS to sort it out. Better to have a working laptop than no laptop.

I have Sophos Anti-Virus, Ad-aware, and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

[patio]

OK...
Read This  for info on saving the data you do not want to use...
In the meantime tou should beg or borrow both a Vista64bit and Office CD from whoever you can.
The system and all it's contents can be saved but only with those CD's.

I would still follow the above link in the meantime and backup your critical data.

[BC_Programmer]

then used the Stubborn Program Remover feature of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to go into the registry remove the file (I believe it was labeled as "consent.exe" or something. I assumed allowing admin permission to a file called "consent" would be a poor choice). After that, the program stopped popping up, but the computer was constantly freezing.

"consent.exe" is a critical component of windows.  it wasn't asking for permission, by the way. consent.exe is the surrogate process used by UAC for process elevation. You could try running sfc /scannow in safe mode (or normal mode, if it will allow it). Try to log in as administrator so it won't try to launch consent.exe for elevation. That's probably when it freezes.

Obviously the first step would be to restore the file. This ideally would be done using the windows CDs. however, to my understanding many critical files are backed up on the local system; an sfc /scannow command ought to fix the immediate problem if that is the case. on my Vista Virtual Machine, I found consent.exe in System32 (the one you deleted) as well as in  "C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-lua_31bf3856ad364e35_6.0.6000.16386_none_a4139b365fe05aa4", which using sfc would "restore" if consent.exe was missing from system32.

In the future you may want to be more deliberate before you start deleting random files in the windows folder. Especially when the system you are fiddling with has critical data that hasn't been backed up...

Installing 7 will wipe out everything...not exactly a clean solution...

No it won't. Windows 7 can be upgraded from Windows Vista, leaving installed programs and documents intact. Of course the installation instructions highly recommend backing up data, but then again that would have been a good idea before fiddling about with the advanced features of MBAM, too.