Log-in issue with Windows 8.1

I've run Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center on this machine for the last month. Everything's been fine except that I can't get my PWM fans to auto-fluctuate. Anyway, the reason for this post is because of a completely different issue: Every time my computer reboots and I log in, it takes me through the initial setup of Windows 8.1 as if I had never logged in before, where it says, "Hi... You can get new apps from the Store... Taking care of a few things... Getting your apps ready". As if it were a new installation. The fact that it goes through this process is annoying, but it doesn't actually install anything so I'm not sure what it's really doing. I wouldn't be too concerned if it then took me to my regular desktop, but it doesn't; it then takes me to a blank Start screen and the desktop is black and basically useless. The only way around it at this point is to log off and log back on (not reboot), which works every time. I've tried creating another User profile on this PC to see if I could just copy my folders and settings over to the new one and then delete this one, but I get another error when I try to log in about the new User profile not being able to join the work group or something along those lines (I can't look it up right this second because I'm making a system image to try a Windows Refresh to see if that fixes anything).


For reference, I'm having the same problem that's described here: Urgent Please Help - Windows 8.1 now everything disappeared - Community - KickassTorrents


If you have any ideas for me, short of reinstalling Windows, please lay 'em on me! (I should also mention that this happened to me just over a month ago, which prompted me to reinstall Windows on this PC... that was an experience I'd rather not have to do twice if at all possible.)

Sounds like the profile is screwed up. Have you tried setting up a second Clean profile and see if it does the same thing with that one.

Can you download Speccy and post the results from it.