Base game: Installation Guide has no serial #, points me at Crack folder

I downloaded all the expansions I wanted, mounted the two disks that I needed to install the base game (using 7-Zip, if it's relevant), ran Sims3Setup.exe, and reached the registration screen, and only then thought to check the Installation Guide, which instead of giving a list of serial numbers said to run Serial.exe. The "How to install" thread says not to do anything with the Crack folder, and I can see that for all the expansions I've downloaded the Installation Guide does give specific serial #s. I don't have anything written onto the disk yet, so I can't go on to step two, so I'm a little confused. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I don't want to use Serial.exe and at the end of installing all the expansions, get ready to play only to discover that the whole thing is nonfunctional and has to be redone. So basically I just want to check: is this a special exception to that rule, or did I miss something?

Hello,
I'm assuming that's what you're looking for, right? (Correct me if I'm wrong)
You should use that SERIAL thingy in the picture! That's all!
Good luck!

That would be exactly what I was looking for! It didn't even occur to me to look for a copy of it anywhere else. Thank you so much!

Hello,
Do you have anymore questions?

Not yet! That may change as I go through the installation process, though.


UPDATE: I have finished installing everything, and it all seems to be working!