Did Win10 mess up my computer?

Sure you can. You don't even need to write down the key for W8.1, the system will activate during installation if you have internet connection.

No @NetBandit, it's not legit.

@YodaAteMyCar If you have the restore media/correct media, do a new install as suggested by @JuliaOnly and @Adobe_Flash_Player, backup your files and do the "remove files and clean the drive" option when installing.