This is just a reply to the simmer with the game minimizing problem - that is caused usually by an antivirus scanner - when ever it going into automatic check scan it will minimize your game in particular Nortons and Symantec does that. I have seen that same issue in Sims games since Sims 2 - the Norton vault of anti viruses have never played nicely with any sims game and it is a beast to get rid of the corporate addition scanner if that is the one they have. Even shutting it off does not really shut it off. My hubby is a PC tech and deals with that one issue on lots of pcs - most of the time to get it all out as that scanner controls lock into the windows core so it is hard to remove - my hubby just does a total reformat of the harddrives and reinstall windows - then tells the the owner they need a new antivirus and to stay away from Norton products. They do not play nice for gamers.
There is a slight chance it is of another company but Nortons and Symantec are the only ones I know of that cannot be shut off and that do not involve the core of the operating system. But either you have to keep putting up with that as it will keep doing it or fix it if it is not Nortons or Symantec - if it is those two - then might want to get the aid of a pro to remove unless you are familiar with a reformat and reinstall of Windows and a different, less intrusive antivirus.
ETA - It is my new understanding that the non - professional versions of these two antiviruses can be uninstalled through normal means - apparently just the corporate additions which is what my husband mostly deals with is rooms full of pc in corporate offices - and why a reformat was necessary. Also from checking with Tom's Hardware and a number of other tech type site - I also here even some free ware and other named anti viruses has a scanner that is just as obtrusive, but according to those site you go into the setting for the anti virus and can change when that scanner runs.