@teg_acr Please start with a couple of basic checks of your Windows system files:
- Hit Windows key-X
- Choose either “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Command prompt (Administrator),” whichever option is offered
- Inside the window that appears, copy and paste “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” without quotes into the window, and enter
- The system will start validating soon. If it throws an error, please list it here
- After it reaches 100%, hit Windows key-X again
- Again, choose “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Command prompt (Administrator)”
- Inside the window, copy and paste “sfc /scannow” without quotes into the window, and enter
- Post the message you receive here
Restart your computer, hit Windows key-i, select Update & Security, and click the box to check for updates. If any install, restart again afterwards.
Now uninstall and reinstall .NET Framework 3.5. Hit Windows key-R, enter "perfmon /rel" without quotes, and click "Turn Windows features on or off." In the list that appears, .NET 3.5 should be right at the top, with the box next to it filled in. Click that box and let it uninstall, then restart your computer and repeat the process, this time clicking the now-empty box to reinstall. Restart again afterwards. If .NET 3.5 is already uninstalled, you can simply install it and restart.
Try playing again, and if that doesn't work, uninstall and reinstall VC++ 2005. Hit Windows key-i, select Apps, scroll down to the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables, click on the 2005 version, and choose Uninstall. Don't touch the versions from any other year. Download and install a new copy from Microsoft:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26347
You only need the x86 version, not the others. Restart after installing and before trying to play.
If Sims 3 still won't run, please post any new Reliability Monitor errors, as in from after reinstalling the VC++ runtime.
