Finder constantly needs relaunching, is freezing (Macbook pro running with Mavericks)

If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode using your normal account. Disconnect all peripherals except those needed for the test. Shut down the computer and then power it back up after waiting 10 seconds. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. When you reboot normally, the initial reboot may be slower than normal. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart by using the application un-installer. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.

Safe Mode

Safe Mode - Mavericks

Wow, never heard of that before. Nice new computer, too.

Try logging in as a Guest (or any other user account) and see if the same thing happens.

• If you don't have a Guest account enabled (you'd see it on your login screen), open System Preferences and go to Users & Groups.
• Click the lock at the bottom left and enter your admin password.
• Under the Other Users section at the left of the window, click Guest User.
• Check off "Allow guests to log in to this computer."
• For ease of use, click Login Options at the bottom and check off "Show fast user switching menu as ...." The option there doesn't matter.

Click your username at the top, near the Spotlight Search, and select Guest User. Find out if the Finder does the same thing there … then you can log out of the Guest user account and return to your current account.

Again, that's really odd. Just to clarify, if you navigate to the same folder while not using the sidebar, Finder is fine, right? E.g. from the Go menu, choose an option like Airdrop that is also in the sidebar.

Maybe go to Finder's preferences and uncheck several items from the Sidebar tab, and then re-check them. See if the ones you uncheck and re-check work right in the Finder window.

This is totally a shot in the dark since I have never seen this before, but what happens if you go to ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.finder.savedState and drag the contents in there onto the desktop (so you can restore them later if necessary)? After doing that I'd restart the computer and see what happens … I don't think this should break anything but I don't actually know for sure. If you have a backup I'd try it.

If none of that works and you happen to have an Apple Store nearby, consider taking your MacBook in to the Geniuses there and see what they think. It doesn't cost anything to have them look at it.

You are welcome.