macOS Tahoe 26.1 update causing Finder to crash and Microsoft apps to crash

I recently updated to macOS Tahoe 26.1. Finder routinely crashes now - it stalls out when I try to open files or save new files with programs like Adobe Illustrator. I am also having problems with the Microsoft apps (outlook, word, excel). I cannot download, save or open files from any of these apps correctly without the app crashing. I have tried to boot in safe mode, but the issues persist.