yeah u have to go thru program files (x86) on win 7 & what i had to do was create a downloads folder & put it in the apartment life folder to get the custom content to show up, but i've looked thru every sims related file or folder in my program files (x86) folder, & there is no music folder anywhere, there's a sound folder but i've tried putting my old sims music folder in 2 different places now (apartment life folder & sound folder) within the program files (x86)/ea games path & nowhere at all seems to make the music show up in my game & it's drivin me nuts *sigh*
It's basically the same format for XP... have you checked under your
My Documents folder instead of the Program Files (x86)/EA Games one? Because that's where you should be looking, and where all custom MP3/Music files should be placed if you want them heard in-game.

You should have the Music file where you can put your own custom MP3s in the folders in the following location:
C:\Users\*Your Username*\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\MusicIn that folder should be subfolders for each station/mode.
If it's not there, you may want to double check and see if everything is really installed correctly... that's a folder that always shows up after installation, with or without custom content.

Also, just as a Moderation Note, please be sure to help us with poor eyesight by using capitals letters at the beginning of sentences. I'll be honest, I can't read words on the screen very well without knowing for sure where each sentence begins, and the capital letters let me know for sure where those beginnings are, so I kind of had trouble understanding at first what you had already tried out. That, and
it is a rule (7th line down) that helps both the English and Non-English comprehending posters and readers out for clarity.