re: Is this the Sims 2 problem?

JC, I will re-iterate what I have already said, and to make it easier for people to understand, I will make dot points.

1. This problem is a very big and known problem, which as I said, when I last tried looking for a solution that I spent over 2 hours looking for, noone had one, not even EA. AFAIK, I had to find it out for myself.
2. You think out of the hundreds of people that have this problem, ALL of them are trying to install it on more than one computer and that noone has bothered to mention that this was the case. I mean, if people are stupid enough to admit that their 'copied' game won't work, people who are computer illiterate won't know/think/see this as piracy and therefore have nothing to hide.
3. I helped not one but two customers with the same problem and it was my solution that fixed it.
4. Both customers had original CDs.
5. The game runs reasonably well on PC's which are BELOW the minimum requirements. Sure, you will get a better experience if you were running it on a Quad-core/SLI system with 4GBs of RAM, but it's not as bad as running Project IGI on a system that EXCEEDS the minimum requirements.
6. Did I mention I said all of this in my OP???

re: Is this the Sims 2 problem?

I forgot to add this.......
IF your computer has ONLY a CD player, and, you're trying to install Sims 3(it's on a DVD, being the new Medium on which software is being used for these days).......it won't Install.
EVER!
Adds weight (and common-sense)...to my notion.....of doing a full upgrade....of offending computers.(Which owners are refusing to upgrade.)

re: Is this the Sims 2 problem?

Carlos, when people want Sims 2 (or 3) on their computer, it's usually because of this, "Oh, I've played it on a friend's computer and wanted to continue playing on mine."
They don't tell you (like they did with me) that their friend so kindly made them a 'copy'...to give them a chance...to play it on their computer.
Ooops, big mistake.
Sims 2-3 'anti-piracy code' is actually a..........1 computer ONLY policy!..... the one it has been originally installed on, that is!
Try it on any other computer, and, the game's over....before you even get started!
What shocks me the most, is the fact that the moment I lay eyes on the computer I am asked to install Sims 2-3 on.....is the computer itself.
It is usually so old that it should have been thrown onto the scrap-heap years ago, but, the owner insists......to have Sims installed on it. (Not enough RAM/a decent Graphics-card/or a Hard-drive big enough...to run ALL the Expansion Packs as well.)
A mere check.....of the System Requirements......confirms this, yet, they will still insist.(They will even insist that they DID read the System requirements, before they ask you to install Sims.)
Did they (even you) read the "Help" file....contained on the Install CD? (The proper process....of fixing/unistalling a BAD Intallation, is contained within the "Help" file....and, totally ignored,by ALL.)

Once the original Installation has taken place, every Expansion CD/DVD (each having their very own Key ID code....has to be installed!....in sequence! You try jumping ONE, and you're in strife!)

Same goes for the 'Readme.txt' file.......also include on that CD (in the case of Sims 3,it's on a DVD now, still the same deal with that too)?
The 'Readme.txt' file.....is pretty comprehensive!, to say the least.........as to what will work, with Sims 2-3, and what WON'T. (NOBODY bothers to check this, either.......because they're in such a rush....to get the game onto their computer, to begin playing it.)

This does include Graphics-cards/Sound-cards/Screen Resolutions....on which the game plays the best on, or NOT, by the way.

If they took the the time to read it (the Readme.txt file)......they would ALSO find a List of 'Software programs'!, that Sims does NOT like working with.

Graphics 'drivers'?
(Offical or not!)
Most people tend to download/use the wrong ones! (All without telling you, or I for that matter.)

The same applies to......the appropriate 'Patch/Update'.
Again, the wrong one has usually been applied.

All the 'above' is.....the Principle of Troubleshooting that I follow.....for ALL hardware/Software problem.

If I fail, THEN, there is only 1 option left.

A complete uninstallation. (This means....a total uninstall of every scrap of the offending Game or Software.)
To attempt a fresh installation. (From scratch.)
All this DOES take Time...to be done properly, Time that the computer-owner is NOT prepared......to give you (or I)...to accomplish. (They usually have this 'crazy notion'...that the problem can be fixed, in the matter of seconds! Worse still, they're usually totally oblivious of the real fact that their computer can NOT run Sims. After it has been thoroughly checked out!)
To this, to all, I say "If you want to play Games..on your computer, UPGRADE it so that you can...and, before you install any/all Games.......READ the 'fine Print', FIRST!

re: Is this the Sims 2 problem?

Just to add to that very comprehensive solution is to be careful about the graphic driver you install with Sims 2 and Sims 3.
Some official drivers will just not work.
Took me a lot of uninstalling and reinstalling different versions till I got one it liked, I was at the stage of returning it when I got it to work.
There are a lot of people on forums complaining about the same thing with no solution, unfortunately they were all sites you had to join so I couldn't tell them