Expression Selection Dialogue Box opens reduced every time

[bj nick]

That's it: the box opens in a tight little reduced form each time, and I have to enlarge it manually. Have tried closing/opening Finale many times, I looked all around Preferences in every category (I think), made sure "window states when exiting/starting" etc. are checked....looked up the issue online....nothing. Quite sure this is something simple I'm overlooking.

[Djard]

Try closing the document, exiting Finale then re-opening the document. If the problem persists but does not appear in a new document then it is corrupted. Finale is a wonderful program but very unstable: the more I edit a document, the probability of running into the issue you describe multiplies. Tempo alterations (rall./accel), hairpins and dynamics almost always falter for me. So I keep creating backup copies as I edit.

[motet]

I think the various window and palette locations and dimensions are stored in the Windows registry rather than per-document. I don't know why it's not updating your changes. A reinstall might fix it.

[bj nick]

Well, since Motet suggested it's probably Windows-related more than a Finale issue, I tried the old "clear browsing data" (AGAIN- already tried it a couple times before), as well as Finale Forum cookies, and now it is working again. Happy to be back to normal, not looking a gift horse in the mouth, etc. etc. Glad I don't have to reinstall (which I just did a couple months ago.)

[bj nick]

Try closing the document, exiting Finale then re-opening the document. If the problem persists but does not appear in a new document then it is corrupted. Finale is a wonderful program but very unstable: the more I edit a document, the probability of running into the issue you describe multiplies. Tempo alterations (rall./accel), hairpins and dynamics almost always falter for me. So I keep creating backup copies as I edit.

Yeah, good suggestion. I always back up constantly (paranoid-level backup) and I save-as in three different locations every single time. Takes a couple seconds, saves heartbreak.

[motet]

I didn't suggest is was a Windows issue, but I'm glad it's working again. Clearing your browsing data and cookies is not related to Finale. Probably restarting Finale or Windows is what cleared it up. Always the first things to try.

[bj nick]

I guess I didn't understand the comment: "I think the various window and palette locations and dimensions are stored in the Windows registry rather than per-document. I don't know why it's not updating your changes. A reinstall might fix it."

Regardless, I hate to say it, but the problem returned....even after reinstalling Finale (AGAIN.) I tried the old Windows trick of cntl+click adjusting the borders of the Expressions box and after closing it that seems to be working....for now.....don't have much confidence it'll last. No idea why all of a sudden it's all happening. Haven't done anything out of the ordinary, no installing, nothing. Who knows?

[bj nick]

Try closing the document, exiting Finale then re-opening the document. If the problem persists but does not appear in a new document then it is corrupted. Finale is a wonderful program but very unstable: the more I edit a document, the probability of running into the issue you describe multiplies. Tempo alterations (rall./accel), hairpins and dynamics almost always falter for me. So I keep creating backup copies as I edit.

Just fyi: the issue was happening in all Finale docs, so any corruption issue is global in Finale....and for the record, yeah, this document is something I started writing two years ago....a zillion edits since then, obviously saved under various different docs/versions/etc. Finale is buggy for sure....but I remember asking a top engraver who's expert in both Sibelius and Finale about whether I should consider switching to Sibelius, and he said, "If you think Sibelius is free of frustrations/issues, think again."

[mattes24]

I just joined the forum. I run Finale 27 on a Mac with Big Sur. At the risk of the issue being resolved by now, I'd like to chime in with a solution to the problem.
In the menu go to Window → Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen.
This will move the window to the desired side of the screen, and expand the height of it as well. When you now adjust the width as well it will let you do that, and store the new setting for future use. Hope this helps.

[bj nick]

Hi, thanks for the suggestion, which I NEED, as this problem simply will not go away, even after I upgraded to V. 27. Done complete uninstall/reinstall more than once, tried everything...no luck. However when I go to Window, I do not see those options (maybe it's a MAC thing?) I have "Tile Windows Vertically," and "Tile Windows Horizontally." That's it.

At this point I get

I now have Finale tech support again, since I finally updated to v. 27, hoping that would maybe resolve things......so I guess that's my only option. Nothing else has worked.

[motet]

Try this: Close Finale. Locate your finale.ini file, which will be in a directory similar to

C:\Users\Bjnick\AppData\Roaming\MakeMusic\Finale 27

(substitute your Windows name for Bjnick as appropriate). Open finale.ini in an editor, and look for a line that looks like this:

SelExprWinpos=645 395 1276 963

Those numbers are the row and column of the top left corner and the row and column of the bottom right corner of the Expressions dialog.

Try adding 300, say, to the third and fourth numbers. Save the file, then open Finale again, and see if the window is larger. If so, then we need to figure out why Finale isn't remembering it in finale.ini. It might be a file permissions problem.

[bj nick]

Thank you, I will try that tomorrow morning. Hope it works.

[motet]

While you're at it, note the modification times of finale.ini, before and after.

[bj nick]

Well, the window does open normally after making the change.

previously it was: SelArticWinpos=685 282 1235 869

I changed setting to: 685 282 1535 1169

Do we expect things to now work going forward......? I'm inclined to not look a gift horse in the mouth, etc.

Note: I did not see Finale 27 in the Make Music Finale folder....only "Finale 26". So....??

Finale 27 is not labeled as "27"; it's just there under Downloads as "FinaleSetup.zip." Not sure why it's not in its own folder....

[motet]

I didn't realize you were running Finale 26. Looks to me like you haven't installed the update to Finale 27.

[bj nick]

Funny thing is, I am NOT running v. 26.....I did install v. 27, I just double-checked just in case- and it says v. 27.4.1.110. The mystery is where they are storing the new folder....regardless, if I can just put this issue to rest, I'll be more than happy. And it appears to be the case, so THANKS.

[motet]

When you were having trouble with the Expression dialog, did you drag the bottom of the window to enlarge it? That should have updated those numbers in finale.ini. Try doing that now--make the window a little bigger or a little smaller, and see if it sticks.

[bj nick]

Yes, that was my

make the window a little bigger or a little smaller, and see if it sticks.

Yes, I always tried that first: just adjusting the borders. But now I see it is holding the same borders/parameters on every piece....that is, I adjusted the borders manually, and it maintains what I adjusted....in every piece I open. Which is GREAT.

btw: I responded that I revised the SelArticWinpos, but that wasn't it: I revised the SelExprWinpos.

Anyway, it appears to be working now....so THANKS. I'll work on finding where my v.27 folder is stored.