I stopped getting the Access Violation Crashes after I took advice I found elsewhere and checked my Events Viewer/System and discovered that at the same time as about half the crashes there was a particular error that a search on Google showed was a known bug with my Catalyst Driver. I installed new driver.
I still got a CTD, but at least this one didn't give the Access violation. It gave something that yet another Google search said was something to do with C++. Later today we're supposed to go shopping for a second harddrive which I'll devote to Sims2 and at that point I'll probably have my husband do the whole remove SuckyRom thing.
If it crashes after that I'll fall on my sword and have done, I guess.