0) I'm a certified IT Pro (A+, Network+, and Security+ Certified by CompTIA, MOS and MCSE Certified by Microsoft)
wow we have an expert in the house
Robin, did you reinstall Windows yet? I asked the friend I fixed my issue with because I forgot, but apparently that's what fixed it for me, having the exact same issues as you.
Reinstalling Windows 8.1 is probably the smartest thing to do before going any further.