midi file corrupting Finale preferences

[sbroadbent]

Using Finale 2008 on windows xp.

I open up a midi file, like I've done with a dozen others, and as it's quantizing the midi file, I get this error:

"We're sorry, but Finale has encountered an error and needs to close. Please click OK for the option to save your open documents before Finale closes."

After reopening Finale, alot of things don't work right anymore. I can't undo/redo. Utilities->Transpose doesn't function (the dialog box comes up but the notes don't change after making your transposition choices).

I didn't bother checking to see if anything else had an issue.

On the positive side, I was able to save a bunch of my work before finale shut down.

I ended up completly uninstalling finale (as well as deleted the program files directory), and reinstalling. Things were back to normal before trying to import the same midi file. I did another uninstall but this time didn't bother to delete the preferences files finale.ini and finmidi.ini, and reinstalled, and as I suspected the problem was still there. I deleted the two preferences files and restarted finale and back to normal.

I made a backup copy of the preferences files and after importing the midi one more time, I simply replaced the bad preferences files with the good ones.

Anyone have this problem where a midi file (or some other problem) corrupts one or both of the .ini files? Should I presume it'd be only a problem with the finmidi.ini file, rather than both? I don't care to test if it only affects one or both. Any reason this would be happening?

I know not to import this particular midi file, as it's the only one that caused the issue, but I like to know why a problem happens.