Have you tried running them in Compatibility mode and/or as an Administrator?
To run in compatibility mode, right-click the game shortcut, choose Properties, and the Compatibility tab. Choose XP or 2000 from the dropdown box. If you see options for visual themes or advanced text services, turn them off and OK the changes. This only affects how Windows plays that particular game.
To run as an Administrator, right-click the game shortcut and choose "Run As Administrator."
If you installed the game in C:\Program Files, you may have to uninstall it and reinstall it in your "Documents" folder or another folder that Windows isn't overly protective of.
After installing patches, you may have to restart the game for the changes to take effect, depending on the patch.