Sims 3 isn't working

The fact that your friend was playing The Sims 3 prior to the installation of Origin suggests your friend has a copy that predates the updates that require Origin. A post at Answers.EA suggests that you require Origin at version 1.42, which was released in late 2012. The same user also reports that this should never be an issue when only using discs as a source of game updates.

It is quite obvious that Origin is causing the problem. With the information you have provided, it is hard to tell whether Origin has tried to update the game, or if it is automatically attempting to validate it. However, there should be two easy solutions to fix both problems.

Solution One: Delete Origin.

As it appears that early copies of The Sims 3 do not require Origin, and your friend was successfully playing The Sims 3 prior to its installation, it is easy to assume that deleting Origin will solve the problem. Unfortunately, there is the possibility that Origin has already updated The Sims 3 to the point where it requires Origin. If you come to this conclusion, either reinstall The Sims 3 from scratch, or continue on to solution two.

Solution Two: Link The Sims 3 with your Origin account.

Alternatively, you could simply set up The Sims 3 to run through Origin. This will not prevent you from performing a fresh install with your available discs, and running as you had, previously.

You should be able to link The Sims 3 to Origin by registering The Sims 3 with a valid EA Account, using your CD key. Ensure that your EA account is the same email used to access Origin, as users report that Origin should pick up on the access immediately.