Using Finale in Mac OS Sonoma is not (yet) recommended.

You may have found one of the reasons.

MakeMusic is working on an update, to make Finale v27 compatible with Sonoma.

It’s not Sonama I’ve noticed it for a while before the update just never got around to commenting on it. It’s not a big deal but it would be nice to open a new document with the background not covering the whole screen to view 1 page.

This is not a Feature Request. You just need to know where the Preference setting is. From the 27 for Mac manual:

Command n opens the Document Setup Wizard for me. This is the Default setting.

Hi Mike thanks for the reply but I don’t think I explained correctly so apologies.
My main workflow is lead sheets and scores using 3 part horn lines with rhythm.
If I create a score as above, work and close and save it ( the score is usually 3 to 4 pages) when I open a new document ie my lead sheet (1 page) the background is as though it’s 3 pages and vice versa, when I save a lead sheet (1 page) and open another document which has more than 1 page I have to manually adjust the document to so I can see the pages. What I’m trying to say is when you save a document and re-open it, it s hould open to the last saved setting?

Thanks for clarifying. I think I understand now.

Referring to that Preference page, you want a third option to create a new document formatted as the last one that you closed — an instant template, if you will. That could be a cool feature.

I can see that though I suspect that most of us would check Document to open a user created template as can be done now—all that’s left is to set the number of measures.

Hi I’ve been working on a few different charts this last week and still can’t figure out why when I save a chart/file it doesn’t reopen how I saved it.
I close a big band score which is say 6 pages long and covers the most of the screen then save it.
I open a lead sheet chart which is 32 bars 1 page, it opens with the background covering the whole screen. I adjust the background so it just overlaps the music. I close it and save.
I reopen the big band chart and it opens just showing the first page and a little of the second page, I then have to manually adjust the file by dragging the edges so I can see more of the file/chart.
What I’m trying to say is when you save a file it should open to the last saved settings of that file as in if it was closed showing 5 pages it should open showing 5 pages, if it’s 1 page it should open to 1 page without the background being extended across the screen. It seems the background reverts to the settings of the last saved file. It’s not good workflow having to readjust the background every time you open a different document

This reads like a Support issue. What you are now describing is not how it works on my system at all. Reopening files display as I closed them. I can't find a preference setting that covers this exactly—doesn't mean there isn't one.

If you haven't updated to 27.4, do so. Sonoma 14.2 dropped today and fixed a number of issues though I've noticed no change in Finale.

Hi Mike 

I've submitted a support ticket. I'm up to date with both os (14.2) and finale (27.4.1) but I seem to remember this issue going as far back as print music.  It never really bothered me until recently when I started working with big band scores and lead sheets where I was changing between the two and constantly having the drag the edges of the file so I could either see the big band score or drag it back so the whole of the background wasn't  covering the screen just to work on 1 page.  

Finale has replied

'Hi Kevin,
 
Thanks for contacting MakeMusic Customer Support.
 
Unfortunately, this is expected behavior.  Finale will open a new document with the same window proportions as the last document you saved.  There isn't a workaround or change that can be employed to remedy this behavior.  
 
I would suggest posting your feedback to our online Finale Feature Request community. Posting your feedback there not only allows you to discuss your ideas with other Finale users, but allows others to vote on your post as well! Our Product Management team also monitors these posts to help identify which issues are most crucial to our customers."

Thanks for the input hopefully Finale can remedy this in a future update even if its just opening my default document, which is set so I can start working immediately.