C# Console Application - cmd.exe hangs

Question

I am having issues with running a simple C# Console Application in Visual Studio 2013.

Details of my problem: I was running Console Applications successfully with the default "Press any key to continue" displaying cleanly at the end. Suddenly it started behaving differently with the following symptoms:

A new command window (cmd.exe) opening alongside my Console Application (this wasn't happening in the past)
My Console Application closing abruptly without the default clean "Press any key" message
cmd.exe hangs and I am unable to close it, even through the Task Manager -> End Process

My System Properties:

Visual Studio 2013 Ultimate
Windows 8, x64

This is my Console Application code just to show that it isn't a problem in my code:

class Program
{
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            RegularTest();      
        }
        private static void RegularTest()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("This is the Regular Test. It works!");
        }
}

C# Console Application - cmd.exe hangs

1 Answers