Old question, but never any answers...Sims 2 'Application has crashed'

[#71008d]
I installed the Sims 2 yesterday, bought it on a whim just because i felt like it. Today, I installed a few packages, but then used the Sims Content Manager to delete any broken ones. Every time it has nearly finished loading the main menu, an error box is displayed saying 'This application has crashed, this application will now terminate'. It was working fine until tonight. It is possible that my laptop is overheating, but if anyone has had this problem and fixed it, or has suggestions, it would be very much appreciated.
I don't really want to have to reinstall, I was doing unusually well ^^"

==System==

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (6.0, Build 6001)
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor tk-53 (2 CPUs), ~1.7GHz
Memory: 1982MB RAM
Page File: 1787 used, 2414 available
DirectX Version: Direct X 10

==Display==

Name: NVIDIA GeForce 7000M/ nForce 610M
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip Type: GeForce 7000M/ nForce 610M
Approx. Total Memory: 793MB

Main Driver: nvd3dum.dll
Version: 7.15.0011.5666 (English)

==Sound==

Name: Conexant High Def. Smart Audio