Can't stock cats/dogs and can't buy groceries

[Wakaiba]

Hello!
I hope I'm not doing a repeat post - I read through all of the FAQs and the Wiki - so please don't be mad if this was already answered somewhere and I missed it.
I have Windows XP, an Intel R Pentium R 4 CPU 2.4 GHZ processor with 1 GB of RAM, and a NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX 440 Gateway graphics card. I've had to install the sims twice because due to a virus once all of my game info was deleted, but I had the same problem both times. There are two problems, actually. One, whenever I send my sims to community lots that have groceries, my sims can't select any options from those objects. That is to say, I click on the groceries thing (like the freezer), but there's no action associated with the object. Two, I have a sim with a pet shop, but when I put in the crates for cats or dogs he has the same problem as my other sims have with groceries - there's no action associated with the object - therefore, he can't stock cats and dogs.
I hope I was clear. I stink with technological explinations... hopefully, I made at least a little sense.

Thanks for reading,
-Wakaiba

[Canoodle]

When you went through this tutorial, what happened when you removed your downloads folder? If that didn't help, what happened when you played a test family with a clean sims2 folder?
http://www.sims2wiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Game_Problem

This is the only way to know if it's user files, or game files. :)

[Wakaiba]

I tried that, and no luck. D=

[Wakaiba]

Is there something else I could try?

[Canoodle]

Not really...because the final solution in the tutorial is a total uninistall and reinstall. You did that and that didn't work?

[Wakaiba]

Yup. No luck whatsoever.

Poor Hagrid can't have a pet shop. And my sims can't go grocery shopping. D:

[Canoodle]

Ok. Simple questions..
1) Are you trying to buy groceries from an unowned/under construction BWV lot? Some of those lots cannot be used until they are 'owned' by a sim.
2)Have you set the pet displays for sale using the sale tool and selecting the breed for sale?

Does this happen, say, at Fresh Rush Grocery in Downtown or the Community lots in the base neighborhood? What lots is this happening on?

I'm wondering if this is a gameplay issue and not a broken game. Grasping at straws here. lol

[G.O.C.]

I note from your first post that you had a "virus!" I am wondering if it may still be there. You said that you reinstalled the game twice and it still happens. Did you make sure that all reference to the game was removed from the registry before you reinstalled?

Just like "Canoodle" I'm also clutching at straws.