Vista Tutorial - Should I upgrade to Vista

I am experiencing "c:\windows\system32\config\system is missing" in Windows
XP SP2 and cannot recover nor retrieve my files and data. I do have good
backups however there is still some more stuff I need to getoff the hard
drive. Can I buy and upgrade to Vista? Can I install right over the XP
version and still retain my data? Does an upgrade to Vista require the folder
and file - c:\windows\system32\config\system? Does XP have to be running to
do an upgrade?

If you can't start Windows XP, you can't upgrade to Vista since the Vista
upgrade must be run from inside Windows XP. And frankly, if XP isn't
running well - or at all - upgrading it in that state is a poor idea. Fix
XP before upgrading or clean-install Vista.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
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"George" <George@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8ADC87FB-15D6-4913-AACB-4F82B642DE91@microsoft.com...
>I am experiencing "c:\windows\system32\config\system is missing" in Windows
> XP SP2 and cannot recover nor retrieve my files and data. I do have good
> backups however there is still some more stuff I need to getoff the hard
> drive. Can I buy and upgrade to Vista? Can I install right over the XP
> version and still retain my data? Does an upgrade to Vista require the
> folder
> and file - c:\windows\system32\config\system? Does XP have to be running
> to
> do an upgrade?