I think this is actually the second time I've lost this game, so after updating to Windows 7, it reset or something.
Interesting. You must have done a clean install or upgrade from XP.
I don't think this would happen with an in-place upgrade from Vista.
I'm basing that statement on other data in the very same place that
was retained on my computer after an upgrade from Vista to 7 on my machine.
yes, the reason it reset was because it stored some kind of cookie/file somewhere in your vista registry, PP.
Something in that sentence is correct. But files/cookies and the registry are completely different ways of storing data, and therefore the phrase "cookie/file somewhere in your vista registry" is nonsense.