[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] UN Owen:
Thank you for replying nonetheless. I'll keep the note thing in mind. Regarding the bouncing around to get the files necessary, I've done plenty of that. When installing a new ROM, I made sure to follow the links as they were given and did further research where things weren't clear. My current problem stems from that fact that, 1: I have no point in which to restore back to due to my aforementioned ignorance and oversight of basic Android terminology; and 2: The next step is to revert the bootloader, that of which I have no clue how to do or where to start since my preliminary google search. Even if I had been taking notes, no one mentions how to do this without a backup. And so I'm on a hunt to find this information and for posterity, I'll post my quest here:

Google search: "tf201 bootloader version"

Upgrading from ICS Bootloader > [ROM] [TF201] [JB Bootloader] CyanogenMod 10 Unofficial - JZO54K - Oct 30 2012 - I learned that apparently certain ROMs can overwrite the bootloader, extrapolated from:

4) Needs the new Jelly Bean 10.4.2.15 bootloader [IMPORTANT: Flashing over an incorrect bootloader can permanently brick you device. The Oct 13 2012 build includes the bootloader upgrade and can be flashed over any ROM/bootloader]

Google search: " update tf201 bootloader"

[GUIDE] How to manually update/restore firmware (TF101, TF201, TF300, TF700, TF701) - Post #2 sent me to ASUS official support wherein I downloaded "V10.4.2.18." This is a test in hopes that I can get a ROM running and see if the bootloader changes. I'm not able to use the methods in that thread as I do not have a system nor a microSD, as such I'll flash it the way I have been. Same custom recovery as before. Run the usual wipe (Dalvik, System, Cache, Data, Internal). Drop ASUS ROM onto pad's internal. Attempt flash... Error: "E:Error executing updater binary in zip"

More research, now trying to find out what this error is. Tried this and read a couple pages from here. Settled on reflashing TWRP. While looking up the command again, I came upon here, then went to the first post of that thread here, then from the TWRP link in that post to here (yes, I see the big TF700T at the top, I also see the big MUST BE ON A BOOTLOADER ENDING IN 14.10).

Okay so, I have 10.4.2.15 and am going to have to jump through several hoops to get to the mysterious 10.6.1.27.1. Annnnd It seems as though I have a custom flash that doesn't support my bootloader (which I feel should've been an issue up until now?) I just want to boot into A ROM, so either I find a ROM that supports the bootloader and probably flash a recovery that does as well...

Googled: "10.4.2.15 tf201" Came upon this, tried to flash twrp2.3.1.0 for the tf201 (downloaded straight from their website)... Still in 2.8.7.2 ... Okay, what? FINE! Screw it, redownload the stock ROM that got me into this mess (here) and see if I can even flash that. Wipe all the usual but internal storage because I'm lazy and afaik it doesn't need to be wiped anyway. Error: "E:Error executing updater binary in zip" The line above it, "symlink: some symlinks failed". Popped into here, unmounted the things, reformatted /data to f2fs (this may just be a Marshmallow thing though... it was ext_4 before I reformatted) Same error... Kill me.

So the problem as it stands now. I'm cannot seem to flash a different custom recovery and whenever I try to flash a ROM I get "E:Error executing updater binary in zip" The line above it, "symlink: some symlinks failed". I give up for now... Maybe I'll try again tonight. I'm running bootloader 10.4.2.15 and TWRP KANG 2.8.7.2 (which seems to require a 14.10 bootloader). In this mess, I don't know what to fix nor how to fix it. The angles I see are fix the custom recovery or fix the error/symlink problem since the bootloader version seems to be dependent on successfully flashing ROMs.

I'm sure there's someone out that that can point to me the correct tree in this forest using their superior knowledge of the subject. Having grown up with computers, even a new error message is something to work with. But when you can't even get results (success nor detailed failure), then it becomes downright no fun.