1. Make sure you close all background tasks, especially any ANTI-VIRUS programs. Whilst the game is loading, Alt & Tab back to desktop, open Task Manager (Ctrl, Alt & Delete) and look at your computer's system performance. If your memory and/or CPU usage is at maximum then it may be that you need to upgrade your computer or remove a large portion of custom items in order to run the game successfully.

2. If the above does not apply then do you have the correct Expansion/Stuff packs for the custom objects you have installed? If you're not 100% confident in the accuracy of labeling on the sites you download from AND you are missing 1 or more packs then I would suggest that you remove all your custom content and download and install items afresh from sources you can trust, only adding items in in small batches so that you can easily identify mis-labeled or otherwise unsupported items simply.

3. If neither 1 & 2 applies it is most likely to be caused by a corrupt object - something that has a fault in its coding that is confusing your game. You will need to follow these steps to identify the object.

4. If all of the above fails, try deleting the contents of your THUMBNAILS folder (My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Thumbnails). In very rare circumstances problems with these files can cause a huge increase in the game's load time which makes it seem to be taking forever.

5. If none of the solutions above work reinstall your game afresh without restoring your Sims and Houses and only add custom content in small batches from trusted sites.