Finder crashes with Finder

Question

I still have problems with Finder, Saving Word docs in Finder, searching in Finder. Sometimes it doesn't show any external flash drives when properly plugged in. When it goes, I have to force quit Safari or Chrome (so that the open tabs will be remembered, and I have to pray that whatever work I had in Word will be recovered.  Sometimes the iMac 27 won't even shut down, so I have to power it down and restart.  This is getting really old.  Who else has had this problem?
When will there be a fix?

Answer 1

Testing in a new User will quickly tell you if the problem is system wide or if it's your User's folder that contains the problem.
Optional: Put any data you want to test in the Shared folder. Data in the Shared folder can be accessed by another User. When you "Switch Users", you can access the files in the shared folder. After you log into the new test User, drag from Shared (it actually copies).
Your Hard Drive/Users/Shared
*Remember to drag files back from Shared when you log back into your main User.
Any POP mail you download into the Identity in the test User will not be available unless you set to "leave on server"  in Account > Advanced settings/Server.
CREATE A NEW USER
Go to System Preferences --> Create a New User in Accounts. Switch to the New User by logging out/in or use Fast User Switching.
Open Word. It won’t be in the Dock in the new User. Go to Applications to open.
Drag any data from Shared folder for testing to the new User.
Do you still see the issue?
    If yes, then the problem is with your base files.
    If no, then the problem is in your User's folder.
Let us know what you find in a new User.