Any time your graphics drivers are updated, which sometimes happens with Windows updates, it always resets your game settings. What you need to do is save a backup of your options.ini file. Then after an update, either remove your The Sims 3 folder from your Electronics Arts folder in My Documents or change the name temporarily. Then let the game generate a new one. Open the Options.ini file from the new folder in notepad and find the place where it says "last device = " Copy the line of text after the "=" from the new folder and replace the text in your backup copy with it. Then save and copy that Options.ini file back into your temporarily renamed or moved folder, delete the new folder, and change your original folder back. Then your settings will be back to normal.