If you are running XP and you keep your Nvidia graphics card up to date to the latest revision…you might be having some issues with The Sims 3 due to a glitch with the driver.  The SimGuru’s recommend using version 190.62 instead of the new 191.07 version.  Here’s a note from SimGuruHydra which explains what to do if you are experiencing any issues, along with a soon-possible fix:

From NVIDIA:

“Notice to all The Sims 3 fans playing the game on Windows XP who may have downloaded version 191.07. If you are experiencing issues, please rollback your driver to version 190.62, which you can find here.

This issue will be fixed in new drivers starting next week, and we will post the updated link at that time. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience”

SimGuruHydra

Thank you for the information, Sims 3 Nieuws!