There are a few steps you can try before updating to patch 1.69. Clean your disc, and make sure your game is patched with the Super Patcher, which only goes to 1.67. Try playing without logging in at the launcher level or even entirely offline. Temporarily disable your antivirus software. Some people have had success using the disc from their second-newest pack, although maybe they were confused about the release order of the expansions.
You could also try the clean folder test, which just means dragging your Sims 3 folder out of Documents and renaming it. The game won't be able to find it and will be forced to spawn a new one. This is more a fix in-game glitches and loading failures, but it can't hurt, and you can put the contents of the old folder in the new one if it works. (Or just put the entire folder back if it doesn't work.)
This is an old post, and refers more to computers with a global failure to read discs, but perhaps uninstalling your DVD drive is worth a shot. If you reboot immediately, your computer will recognize it again.
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/9762001/#Comment_9762001
Installing to patch 1.69 will tie your game to Origin, meaning that you won't be able to play without Origin running in the background, and the update also comes with a pack selector that has proved frustrating for many people. (Others like it, so maybe do some googling to decide whether it's something you want.) After applying this patch, you won't be able to revert to 1.67 unless you have every pack on disc as well as a base game that was manufactured before September 2012, which is when new base game discs started requiring Origin to be installed. You also won't be able to bypass the launcher anymore. Just some things to consider before making the leap.
