Having worked with MSFT for many years, often in Redmond, I am well experienced with driver development and how the process used to work. My lab would never have tolerated a situation that affects so many users to linger. Moreover sales and QC, as well as the MSFT team would have scheduled conferences with us to discuss and work toward a resolution, as was often done. Subjecting W8.1 to this disappointment does not seem reasonable. I have contacted Intel thrice with a response that they have resolved similar issues but not for all drivers. I have also posted on this thread previously after doing so. In the case of so many thread contributors attempting to resolve this issue by adjusting device power management, it would seem logical for a distributed notation to W8.1 users describing such, if it indeed would resolve at least some of the issues, or not if this is not a recommended solution. When my previous lab received a smattering of reported driver related issues, from WHQL, end users or vendors, we would initiate a response team.
As would have been expected, Dell advised I contact MSFT, as did Intel, regarding this issue.
I respond and monitor this thread on behalf of my clients. Myself and all of the engineers I work with prefer and still use W7 for technical and lab use. Not because we want to but because the industry has not come together in the historical and successful manner of W7, W3.11, etc., to make W8.1 solid enough. Hopefully W10 will be.