We resolved this issue on Friday. After speaking with AC Support, here is what we did:
First, we downgraded the .NET Framework that was running on our main server (that AC runs from) because AC Certified 2014 and servers don't necessarily play well with the different versions of the .NET Framework. I believe that we had the .NET 4.5 version and our server played better with the .NET 4 version instead of 4.5 for some reason.
I did not know this, but you can "hide" a component update like the .NET Framework so that the Windows Updater does not "see" it and consequently update it each time your automated system Updater does its thing - system wide. The AC Support Tech did this - he "hid" the .NET Framework so it artificially stays at version 4 in order to work with the server better. And you can "unhide" things just as easily. This was the solution that was implemented.
Second, after the .NET Framework version was artificially stuck at v4 from the server's end, we noticed that all our other hardwired computers could use AC normally; they suffered no drag to the interface EXCEPT the wireless laptop in one of our Exam rooms. The wifi connection on that laptop was found to have the only draggy experience when using the AC interface, so the solution was to simply hardwire via Ethernet the laptop. Once restarted, AC Certified 2014 worked just fine on the now hardwired laptop. So for now, we are simply leaving that laptop plugged into the wall and moving on. It's kind of a hacky solution, yeah, but the wifi here has always suffered and nobody can tell us why.
So it's fixed, all machines are running AC Cert 2014 as of Friday and so far we have experienced no further problems.
If any of ya'll field any slow, draggyniess with the AC 2014 interface itself, consider focusing on wifi connectivity, or the .NET Framework version running on your current server. It took us four days of troubleshooting and question asking to arrive here so maybe this is what you should try if anyone else has this similar issue with upgrading to AC Cert 2014.
