… I try everything, including save preferences in the file menu (WHY have TWO ways to save preferences, when neither work?) …

If I understand you correctly, one way to Save Preferences is in the File menu.

What is the other way to Save Preferences?

There is the "apply" in the save preferences dialog box and then there is the "save preferences" in the file menu. Bizarre.Why would you apply changes in one place and then save changes in another place:?  Does the "apply" do nothing? neither work in any case.

… the save preferences dialog box …

I do not have a Save Preferences dialog box in my own copy of Mac Finale v26.2 - must be a “Windows Finale thingy”.

Maybe that's the problem. 

Save Preferences is in the File menu (of both Mac and Windows). Perhaps the two-location strategy is to allow you to apply Preferences (once) to the current file without seeking to apply the preferences to other files.

Which would beg the question, "What are Document Options then?" And I would say I do not know other than that Document Options cover different (more complete?) aspects of the notation.

Well the point is neither work.

Gregory, 

What preference are you editing that does not stay this way when you close and reopen the program? The Save Preferences option is the same as going to the Preferences dialog, changing something, clicking Apply and then closing the dialog. Regardless of how you save these settings, if one of the changes is not sticking, it would be good to know this.

The Document Options will only apply to the document that is currently open. Access to this dialog is not even available if a document is not open. Preferences on the other hand, will affect all documents and are program-wide settings. 

I honestly don't know how I can be clearer. I am attempting to change the number of documents that appera in the start up menu..

I try:

1. Clicking the "Apply" in the preferences dialog.

2. Clicking the 'save preferences' in the drop down menu.

As I have said five times, neither works.

The Apply and Save has been a Windows standard practice since before I was fielding tech support calls on it in 1996. Really, this is nothing new. Unfortunately, that does not explain why it isn’t working for you.

What don’t we know? Start here.

https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/215729367-General-Discussion-House-Rules 

What are you trying to change this setting to?

• The default is (or used to be) 4 files.
• At one time one could only increase this to 9.
• I have mine set to 16. When I set that, it was the maximum allowed.

Are you trying to set the number of remembered files to a number larger than the program will accept?

When I set the number of files to 20, the program did save the setting, but it only remembered 16. So I suspect the number may be limited to that power of 2 number.

You could always ask about this using the "Submit a request" link if it bothers you enough. Be sure to tell them what feature you are trying to change.

Well....for some bizarre reason, it is now working. I have not done anything different, and I restarted the program many times, but not it stuck. I have nothing to offer as to why. I wanted to have 15 documents available at start up.