I've been able to install it before but today when I try it says it has a error and when I click OK the download shuts down and it says I need to reinstall the first Sims, here is what it looks like:
,

Try cleaning the CD / DVD.

Also, try copying the CD / DVD to hard drive and launch setup from there.

What download are you talking about?
Make sure you install the sims2, then all the expansion pack in chronological order. This is because of version updates, maybe the patching process is wrong.

Most errors you get like that when installing is either a dirty CD/DVD or in most cases bad ram. If you have two sticks of ram take one out and try again, if you get the same error then swap the sticks and try one more time.
More then likely one stick is bad (hopefully you don't have just the one stick of ram then you might be stuck going out to buy another one)
S

Really? so you think that he can actually boot windows with a faulty RAM? Sounds very unlikely to work that way.
That error is either a patching/update error or an IO error.
what he should do i wipe the disc, make a copy of the disc, an ISO.

Question..

Speaking of Makin Magic, I have it and had NO problems installing it..

My Problem is actually running the game..
When I try to run it I get distorted graphics..

ANd Yes my graphics drivers are up to date..

My Puter
3.0 ghz processor *celeron*
1 gig RAM
over 300 Gig of HD space
and
ATI x1300 with catalyst 7.3 installed
OS
Windows Vista Home Premium.

Any helpful advice would be appreciated

thanks
Ember

Hmm, in the other thread you said the drivers included with Vista worked fine but the v7.3 drivers do not? You could try reverting to 7.2, if that doesn't work (and even if it does) I'd report this to ATI.

Actually sorry if there was a misunderstanding.. What I meant to say was that the ATI drivers from 6.12 to 7.2 for Vista DIDN"T work and that I had to rely on the integrated drivers.

BUT with 7.3, they now actually work better than the windows Vista integrated drivers.

I think part honestly of the Sims Makin Magic is that it might need a patch to actually Run on Vista since its been around a while..

And as for City of Heroes/Villains, thats an MMO and yeah I was able to run it *although with Lots of Lag and color distortion* but at least it ran on the older drivers...
Now though I can't get it to load up past the first splash screen..

thanks again for any comments
and sorry for any confusion..

Ember