Is this in all docs, or just a single one?

Have you restarted the computer? Trashed the preferences?

I thought this was just a Mac issue over Sierra (solved in Finale 25).

Several documents have exhibited this behavior.   Yes, i restarted the computer.   

How do you "trash the preferences"?

… How do you "trash the preferences"? …

You can delete your Finale Preferences to reset settings back to what they were when it was originally installed.

1. Go to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\MakeMusic\Finale 2014

The AppData directory is hidden by default, so you will have to set the option to display hidden files before you can see it in the Explorer.

2. Look for the "FINMIDI.ini" and "Finale.ini" files

3. Drag them to your desktop

4. Restart Finale and you will be set to go.

Once you see that Finale has been started successfully, you can delete the old INI files you dragged to your desktop.

PETER THOMSEN, you are a genius!   How on earth did you figure that out?     It did cause one little new problem, however:   In "SPEEDY ENTRY," now, when i input a quarter note using the number 5 key and the mouse to indicate the pitch, it inputs a rest instead of a note.

… How on earth did you figure that out? …

One of the friendly folks at MakeMusic, Scott Hirsch, gave the explanation a few years ago.

I copied his instructions to a text file, and saved it in folder about Finale for Windows.

In Other Words:

the kudos goes to Scott Hirsch

… In "SPEEDY ENTRY," now, when I input a quarter note using the number 5 key and the mouse to indicate the pitch, it inputs a rest instead of a note …

Take a look in the Speedy menu.

Is the menu item “Use MIDI Device for Input” selected or de-selected?

In your case it should be de-selected - since you are using computer keyboard and mouse.