HOLY S*** IT WORKED!!!!!
ok, here's my steps of what i did. i was still using and on openwrt 18.06.1
Files Downloaded located in the links, "Sysupgrade" and "stock firmware".
First, i downloaded "lede-17.01.4-kirkwood-linksys-viper-squashfs-sysupgrade.tar" file located in your link "Sysupgrade". Next i opened my router up using WinSCP, went into the "tmp" folder located in the root of the device. copied the entire downloaded .tar file over in the "tmp" folder. closed out WinSCP. opened PuTTy, logged in, cd'ed the tmp folder ran the command as @1fyme mentioned.(codes below)
cd /tmp
Then...
sysupgrade -F lede-17.01.4-kirkwood-linksys-viper-squashfs-sysupgrade.tar
this is the screen shot of what it looked like on my end.
(Note: yes i know it shows i'm using the factory.bin file, that was my first attempt and it failed completely and just booted me into what i had already installed on the second partition. guess i forgot to hit "Alt+Print Screen" on the second attempt. but both showed the exact same, just different file used.)
once it was done, it rebooted me into 17.01.4, i went strait to the backup/upgrade tab. then i extracted the file you Linked "stock firmware" for the firmware of the E4200 V2,(see image below)
then when selecting the file to flash i selected the "FW_E4200v2_2.1.41.164606.img" file. it uploaded with no issues, then continued to kick me to the next screen to check the file hash and all that stuff, then i continued. after a minute or so, i opened another browser, put in "192.168.1.1" came right up with everything defaulted with the Linksys smart wifi firmware.
i made it do a factory reset just to make sure, then i even checked for an update and got it updated lol.
so, i would like to thank EVERYONE that has helped with this greatly.... especially you @DjiPi for finally finding the solution to this... hopefully other's who see this and it helps will also thank you. and also thank you @1fyme for the steps for me to follow to try it for my self. i really don't know how else to really say thank you guy's lol. hard to find a community like this and STILL after all this time was still going and attempting to find a solution.
for me... I've stayed away from a LOT of forums because of how they are any more and wish there was a lot more like you all here. especially with being patient with me as i didn't know the command stuff well and so on.
so, again, from me personally... thank you all.