You are entering music with the Speedy Entry Tool, and computer keyboard - right?

Unfortunately that is the way it works - when entering with Speedy Entry Tool and computer keyboard.

You have not considered entering with a MIDI keyboard?

- or with the Simple Entry Tool?

Which, of course, is un-intuitive (IOW stupid). That's not the way music works - the accidental, once applied, stays in effect for the whole bar, so why wouldn't the notation software also follow that rule? And if I was copying by hand, I wouldn't have to go adding the accidental every time either - software is supposed to make our job easier!

I could see it maybe if I'd entered all of the Fs, and then went back and changed one to F#, that it wouldn't automatically change the remaining Fs to F#s. But, if I've only entered all of the rests, then go back and enter an F in the first rest and raise it to F#, then any other subsequent F that I add in that octave should retain that sharp.

BUT, here's my question: why then does the online manual describe a "Check Accidentals" setting that describes exactly what we want/expect:
https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/Finale2012Win/Content/Finale/ID_MENU_SPEED_ACCIDENTALS.htm
That WOULD be the solution, except it's NOWHERE TO BE FOUND! "Check Beaming" and "Check Extra Notes" are there, but not this one. (Am currently running Mac version 25.5, but would hope the platforms would be identical for such a basic concept in notation.)

Thanks.

SO...
Just found a mention in the Manual:

https://usermanuals.finalemusic.com/FinaleMac/Content/Finale/ht-accidentals.htm#accidentals-speedy-entry

that if you hold the Option key when clicking the Raise or Lower (+ or -) keys, it WILL apply the accidental to all subsequent notes of the same pitch within that bar. However, you have to enter the notes first, then go back and Option-raise/lower the first note. It won't work if you enter an F, Option-raise that F, and then add a second F - the second F will revert back to the natural state again.

So, it's a partial solution, as long as you can stand hearing the wrong note being played when you click-enter it. Would be better if you could Option-click the first note, and then enter the subsequent notes and hear them in their raised/lowered pitch. And, of course, would be better still if it would just maintain the accidental in the first place, without having to hit Option at all. HTH