Sims 1

caralaurenn  Please do a clean uninstall of the EA App with Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine), just to be thorough.  Restart before reinstalling the App.  Create a new folder into which you'll be installing your games.  This folder should be on the root level of the drive of your choice, for example C:\Games is fine, but not C:\Program Files\Games.

If that doesn't help, let's skip over some interim steps and go straight to a repair install of Windows.  This doesn't delete user data and gives you the cleanest version of Windows you can get without actually wiping the drive.  (It's not an actual clean install, to be clear, just the next-best available option.)  Here's how:

Windows 10:  https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html
Windows 11:  https://www.elevenforum.com/t/repair-install-windows-11-with-an-in-place-upgrade.418/

For 11, use option two.  As mentioned, this shouldn't delete any data, but if you get to step 13 or 14, respectively, and are NOT asked to keep personal files and apps, back out and start over.

When you've finished, uninstall all the VC++ runtimes listed, restart your computer, and reinstall the runtimes from the links I posted earlier.  The 2010, 2013, and 2022 runtimes should be sufficient for Sims 1 and 2, but if not, or another app needs a different version, here are the others:

2005:  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26347
2008:  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26368
2012:  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30679

In all cases, install the x86 and x64 runtimes IF there's any indication you need them, but skip the ARM or IA64 version, as those are for a different class of device.  As always, reinstall after installing any runtime and before trying to do install or play any game.