Catalina's Finder preferences has a bug.

ChicagoBubba wrote:

I've updated my 2017 15" MBP to Catalina, and I'm even updated to 10.15.1. However, Finder is not opening the folder I set in Finder's Preferences for opening new Finder windows . I've selected new Finder windows to open my user folder, but all new Finder windows open "Macintosh HD" and not the folder I've selected in preferences. Anyone else find this happening?

No, I have not seen this behavior in 10.15.1

Reboot, if no resolve

Try a safe boot to clear cache

Try a SafeBoot https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

Takes noticeable longer to get to the login screen, does a 5-15 minute disk repair before it fully boots up, and certain system caches get cleared and rebuilt, including dynamic loader cache, etc. Login and test. Reboot and test.

To go open further than leroydouglas suggested boot into Safe Mode (Use Safe Mode to isolate issues with your Mac), set the Finder's preference, test, reboot normally and test again.

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing. 

So the issue is pre -update.

Test issue in another user (or guest user) account  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204443

  This will tell you if it a universal issue or isolated to your user/admin account. 

Further you can get a good look at your System config. for conflicts or issues, you can run this utility http://etrecheck.com  

If you need help interpreting the report you can post it here in its entirety in the "Additional Text" box in the editing toolbar below, in your reply.

Sometimes the Finder preferences can become corrupted.

Try deleting Finder preferences, then restarting and setting things the way you want.

To delete Finder preferences:

press command-shift-G, type

~/Library/Preferences

and press enter;

drag com.apple.Finder.plist to the trash;

restart, logout and back in, or force-quit the Finder

I am in Mojave at the moment, but if I Control-click on the Finder icon in the Dock

and ask for a new Finder window it always opens at Desktop which is what is set for

New Finder Windows in Finder> Preferences> General. If I change that preference

the change will be reflected in the Dock Finder options, so not expected behaviour.

The OP mentioned clicking the Dock icon, not control-clicking and choosing Options->New Window.

Does that work the same way for you? I am away from my mac at the moment, and as I wrote this is not something I fo normally, but I will test later, in Catalina and High Sierra, and see what it does on each.

As well as ctrl click the dock here's also the Finder menu File New Finder Window, and also cmd-N

In all three cases it opens for me in whatever I set it to in Preferences so there is not a bug in Catalina, there is a bug in the OP's Mac IMO

Why are you writing this in answer to me

I was writing from within Mojave to say there

should be no difference whether you use Command-N

or File> New Finder Window or utilising the Finder Dock icon

as mentioned. This same behaviour is reflected in Catalina

and therefore the OP should try dumping the com.finder.preferences.plist

as suggested by Luis previously.

I never use the Dock but I think what you are experiencing is expected behavior.

Yes but the only way that you can open a New Finder Window using the Dock icon is by Control-clicking on it and selecting

New Finder Window, that was probably just an omission on their part.

Should have said plain click in Dock also opens as set in Preferences.

Yes you are correct I should have replied direct to OP. Apologies, I didnt know it offended you.