Windows 8.1 Update 1 (KB 2919355) Broke Windows Explorer

Hi there.

Back on the 9th I installed the Windows 8.1 Update 1 for my laptop (HP Envy m6-1206TX), which - to the best of my understanding - has broken my computer. Neither my computer nor WhoCrashed seems to think there's a problem, so I don't have anything better than a description for this.

After the initial mandatory restart and every restart since then, I am able to log in normally. However, within a few minutes my taskbar and desktop will both freeze and then disappear. Any windows that are open will cycle between which is the active window making them almost but not entirely unusable, and the screen will flash. After a couple of minutes of this, the flashing will increase in speed and the computer will rapidly cycle between desktop mode and the start screen. At this point the computer is completely unusable, and even "control+alt+delete -> Task Manager" is useless due to the way in which the computer quickly jumps between the start screen and desktop.
The only way to deal with the problem is to force-shut down the computer and, upon booting it again, immediately go to the task manager and terminate the Windows Explorer process, which leaves me without a start screen, windows commands, a desktop, or any of charms and other windows features.

Thus-far I've been in an online chat with the Windows 8 service team, only to find that I am ineligible for free support due to my computer being two months out of warranty and having been a Windows 8 native install rather than an upgrade (the fact that the native install is treated this way bothers me greatly).
I've been unable to find any other reports of this problem up until now, and am growing desperate to fix my computer of only one year that is now very close to useless. In addition, I have to say that I'm frustrated I'm not eligible for free support on a problem created by an update to my operating system - one that was compulsory if I wanted to continue receiving updates and support. It feels as if an operating system should have a longer support period than the hardware warranty of the machine, but that's beside the point here.

I'd very grateful if anyone could help me identify/fix this issue, or point me in the right direction for properly identifying it.
Thanks in advance.

Does it work after booting in safe mode? Sounds like some sort of driver/software conflict and if it works in safe mode this might confirm this. Also try a clean boot as listed below;
How to perform a clean boot in Windows

and try the sfc/ scannow command
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/3047-sfc-scannow-command-run-windows-8-a.html

It might be a suck it & see scenario until the problem is solved.

Steve

Hey, thanks for the reply.

So far a clean boot has changed nothing, and I'm having major issues running the SFC /SCANNOW Command because - for some reason - my computer simply goes to a permanent blank screen when I try to view the recovery options from the boot screen. I'm not sure what's causing that, because I was viewing the recovery options just a couple of days ago, and my issues were well underway then too.
I'm going to keep trying to activate the command prompt from the boot screen, but until then, if anyone else has any other options, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks.