i am getting a vcruntime140.dll message

so i thought i would restart my pc and try to download the origin app again. i am now getting this error message:

@tiska589  Alright, let me get back to you on this.  All these extra .dlls are not my strong suit, and neither is Windows 7, so I'm going to ask someone else for advice.

@tiska589  I didn't realize this, but as it turns out, Origin's minimum requirement is Windows 7 service pack 1, which you don't have installed.  If you'd like to install it, instructions are here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/install-windows-7-service-pack-1-sp1-b3da2c0f-cdb6-0572-8596-bab972897f61

i think im going to have to give up on this. I tried following the instructions on that link. And im still getting error messages when checking for updates, and still getting the same errors when trying to fix the dll issues. guess i wont be playing my games until i can get a new computer! grrrrrrr

also, they must have changed the requirements. because like i said, i played this game on this exact computer two years ago.

@tiska589  The legacy version of Origin, which ran on Vista and XP and wouldn't have required you to install SP1, was sunset in January.  So you may have been running that version of Origin two years ago.

The link I posted also describes how to manually download the SP1 update if Windows doesn't offer it.  But if you don't want to go to the trouble, that's understandable.

so i am not going to give up lol...im downloading the system update readiness tool now. but i dont see a spot to manual install the SP1...when i click on the link to take me to the download from microsoft, it says the page is not found.

im sorry, its not an error. the microsoft page says the download for SP1 is no longer available.

as i looked further, i see now that when it ended january 14, they stopped giving updates for windows 7. So it seems that it may just be smarter to buy a new computer.

@tiska589  Getting a new computer may unfortunately be the only good move here.  On the plus side, you could get a really good new computer, which is always fun.  If you'd like advice on what to buy for the purposes of playing Sims 3, feel free to ask.

let me hear it! lol I am definitely on a budget with all this covid crap. i have looked at purchasing through fingerhut. or possibly even target.

@tiska589  If you'd like, I'd be happy to look for good options for you.  How much are you looking to spend, and is this in U.S. dollars?  (Just making sure.)  Do you want a laptop or a desktop, and if a desktop, do you also have to budget for a monitor?  There are plenty of options that are nice to have but might be out of range, or to look at it another way, there are compromises you could make and still get a decent if not ideal computer for Sims 3.

If you'd rather do the shopping yourself, look for systems with, at minimum, an Nvidia GTX 1050 or 1050 ti or AMD RX 560, which should be able to handle high graphics settings.  For used systems, older mid-range cards (Nvidia 950/960, AMD 460) do okay as well, even if you need to turn down the settings a bit.  The next step up (1060/1650/1660 or 570/580/5500) would help but isn't strictly necessary.  Slower cards may run the base game and some of the packs just fine but could struggle with Pets and Seasons, or even some of the mid-range expansions.

Processors are easy these days: any new build with one of those graphics cards should also have a good enough CPU.  You only need 8 GB RAM, even though 16 is nice to have.  Sims 3 will fit on a 256 GB drive, although it's great to have more space for other purposes.  Sims 3 will load much faster on a solid state drive, but it will still run the same in live mode on a mechanical drive (HDD), even if opening Build/Buy, traveling, etc. take more time.

And if you find something that looks good, feel free to link it for a second opinion.