[tech help] The Sims 2 Apartment Life won't run! (resolved)

1. Sims 2 Apartment Life Mac Download
2. Sims 2 Apartment Life Mac

I was playing the new apartment life for the sims 2 and i noticed that whenever i edited a lot, saved and then exited to the neighborhood screen that whenever i came back i had the regular residential mailbox. I still have my lot changed to apartment base and i don't know why this isn't working for me. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to fix this or if they knew of a site. The 1.16.0.194 patch for The Sims 2: Apartment Life. Patch 1.16.0.187 Oct 2 2008 Patch The 1.16.0.187 patch for The Sims 2: Apartment Life. See File Details for a complete list of changes. Add file Post a comment. Sign in or join with: Only registered members can.

So I find myself with a bit of spare cash and decide to feed my Sims 2 habit. Pick up AL, get it home, install it, try to run and:
Now I've Googled the problem, read and reread the FAQs 9000 times and done everything they say:
1. I meet the system requirements. (EDIT: I use XP, so it's not a Vista issue either.)
2. I've tried running it directly from the .exe rather than the launcher; same result.
3. Clearing the cache file didn't help either.

Sims 2 Apartment Life Mac Download

4. Neither did trying to run from my internal DVD drive rather than the external I usually use. Both drives are 16x; I tend to use the external for convenience's sake because it sits on my desk rather than under it. (Originally bought it for my previous computer, a laptop with a really bad DVD drive that even struggled with films.) A few games do insist on running from the internal, but TS2 hasn't been one of them.
I'm in the process of doing a clean install of TS2 and all the expansions I have (sigh) and getting the latest graphics card drivers from nVidia's incredibly slow download server, but is there anything else I can try? I'm wondering if it's a SecuROM issue, but I've run SecuROM'd games before with no problem. (No SecuROM flame wars please.) (EDIT: and searching for sites about SecuROM issues gets a million 'fuck SecuROM and don't play any game with it on!' hits and virtually nothing on how to get round the issues. I admire your principles and all, but I want to play TS2:AL!)

Sims 2 Apartment Life Mac

I'd be very grateful for any help anyone can give. Thanks in advance.
EDIT: Yep, SecuROM conflict. On scrutinising my computer I found a virtual drive that it's so long since I'd used that I'd forgotten it's there. SecuROM saw it, threw a wobbly and said 'no game for you'. Now it's uninstalled, and TS2:AL here I come!