OS Finder Preferences and Annoyances

So, the OS Finder preferences don't ever really work well do they? This is a minor irritation but it's amazing how long this has not worked. I like to open all my folders and windows in column view. Specify that in the Finder General preferences.
Never ever works, not since 10.1
I like to use the keyboard shortcuts for my network, shift-command-K. That works, occasionally, when every third moon is red. Been like this since 10.1 and it's another issue like the above that has my local Apple Store "Geniuses" scratching their heads in wonderment.
Once again, minor annoyances but geez, if the Finder preferences can't even be made to stick, makes me wonder about all the other great "advances" in Leopard.
I've got no interface hacks, appearance hacks or any silliness like that running on my four macs; they're all clean machines.

Do a backup.
Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J.  When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder.  Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist.  Move the .plist to your desktop.
Re-launch Finder by restarting and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.
If the same, return the .plist to where you got it  from, overwriting the newer one.
Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this. 

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    Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this. 

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