Windows 10 (Fall update) plus new install of Origin UC (updated) = Unplayable?

Hey, guys. I think I'm having the same problem as these posts:

http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=8249
http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=8218
http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=8254
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=606068 (edit: turns out she installed from CDs, leaving this link as possible evidence that this is a Windows update/maybe NVIDIA series 10 problem, not an Origin problem)
Maybe this one too: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=605987

My problems also started just in the past few weeks, after years and years of being able to fix whatever went wrong (often with the help of this site). I'm also on Windows 10 version 1709.

Behavior:

On multiple high-end PCs (see dxdiag; I have access to multiple gaming PCs due to my line of work), TS2 UC, when installed via Origin (meaning their latest patch), simply won't work. It usually crashes before you can load a neighborhood, but sometimes you might get as far as getting one family loaded before it crashes. It's fairly generic "Application has crashed" stuff, but often it takes Windows down with it entirely.

OF NOTE: My home gaming PCs (where I haven't let Origin update TS2 UC to the November (? ish) patch) are fine, despite being up to date on Windows.

I've tried all sorts of different stuff (including, yes, clean NVIDIA drivers and clearing cache files), but to keep this from being too long, here's the most recent attempt:

--Clean install of Windows 10 + all updates
--Clean install of UC through Origin

RESULT: Game gets to neighborhood loading screen, but crashes when you try to enter a neighborhood, requiring a hard reboot of the PC. (You can kind of get back to desktop, but can't access Task Manager to end the process.)

Step 2:

Added appropriate Video Cards and Graphics Rules files to both locations:

c:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSData\Res\Config\
c:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSData\Res\CSConfig\

Also tried multiple copies of the NO-CD exes, many of them linked from this site. The one I've been trying right now looks like this:

c:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSBin\Sims2EP9.exe 46,208,224 11/20/2008 00:59 -a--

RESULT: Game crashes to desktop during initial load screens.

ABSOLUTELY NO CC, HACKS, TWEAKS, ETC ARE PRESENT EXCEPT THE GRAPHICS FILES AND NEW .EXE.

Please see attached various files. Audio devices are currently disabled because someone somewhere said that was the 'fix' for this, but I can re-enable them.

Hopefully I'm still overlooking something easy. Willing to provide any additional info.

If anyone is idly reading this, I'd recommend not reinstalling UC under the following conditions:

--From Origin (so fully patched)
--On a new and fully updated install of Windows (1709 & later).

(I originally ended up down this rabbit hole because PC 1 (NOT the PC generating the attached files) developed 'pink soup' syndrome, and none of the fixes around were working. I decided to do a clean install, and that's where everything went to hell. You can read me ranting pointlessly about it over here.)

Edited to add: If it would be helpful, I can set up a different test PC that DOESN'T have Windows 1709 (and prevent it from updating) and try a clean install from Origin. I may end up doing that anyway, depending on how irate I become at this problem.

Thanks!

  DxDiag.txt (Size: 68.04 KB / Downloads: 8)

  redacted-A-NEW-config-log.txt (Size: 10.24 KB / Downloads: 6)

  Sims2Exception 2018.01.19 13.04.49.txt (Size: 520 bytes / Downloads: 8)

  GraphicsRulesVideoCards.zip (Size: 12.51 KB / Downloads: 4)