Photoshop defaulting to random preferences upon closing, after upgrading to 2021

[A_H_Illustration]

I recently upgraded my Mac to Catalina so that I could run the 2021 version of photoshop. It transferred over all my custom brush packs I had previously been using but now for some reason every time I close photoshop and open it up again, it hasn't kept anything I have changed? 
So for example - I am on it now - I have installed 3 new brush packs in addition to the custom ones I was using before (the ones that come up every time I open it) but if I close Photoshop down and load it back up again, the newest ones will need to be installed again. I have also noticed I can only 'append' photoshop's default brushes....but none of my own. 

But it isn't just the brushes...

Right before I upgraded my Mac and Photoshop, I had the lasso tool on the polygon option, this also now seems to be what it defaults to...  and another example, my rectangle shape tool always defaults to having rounded corners and being a path not a shape. This was how I last used it before upgrading. How on Earth do I fix all this? I have tried to go into preferences and reset it on closing, but it hasn't helped! 

It's beyond frustrating! Any helo greatly appreciated, thank you. 

[kevin stohlmeyer · Accepted solution]

Have you given Photoshop full disk permissions in Mac OS Sytem Preferences/Security and Privacy/Privacy tab?

[A_H_Illustration]

Thank you so much - yes this seems to have resloved the issue! 

[A_H_Illustration]

Ok I celebrated too soon - it DID work... but now it's ack to not keeping my brushes installed when I quit... I don't understand what it's playing at! 

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Check the specific folder they are located in and make sure the File/Get Info shows that it has read/write permissions for everyone