Please Help: Trouble with Marquee Tools

[magick81]

Hi guys,
I'm having problems with the rectangular marquee tool in photoshop, hopefully someone out there knows whats happening.

I am used to clicking one point, dragging then releasing at another point. Normally the rectangles corners are placed at those 2 points.

For some reason, as I drag, photoshop also changes the point where I first clicked to the centre of the shape??? I have tried working with it this way, clicking where I want the centre to be, but when I release I am left with a smaller rectangle, as if it were working correctly in the first way.

Its confusing and real frustrating and is happening with both rectangular and circle marquee tools.

I've tried resetting the tools, deleting all Photoshops preferences, but that doesn't help. I've tried doing a clean install, I've checked my keyboard for stuck keys using the Macbooks Keyboard Viewer. I've tried tapping the "F" key a few times as suggested by someone else. I'm running out of patience and ideas

If anyone know whats going on, or how to fix it, I'd appreciate it.

I've post a video at:

youtube.com/watch?v=F1HcohcTlwU
First I try to select the bottom section of the menu bar. Then the text at the bottom, and finally the diagonal arrow. You can see it misbehaving as I drag and release the mouse

Cheers
Kev

btw, I'm using PS CS5 on Mac (Snow Leopard)

[Steve]

Try turning off Snap - Cmd+Shift+; on your Mac.

[magick81]

Try turning off Snap - Cmd+Shift+; on your Mac.

Hi Steve,
I have turned snap off, although it doesnt help
Thanks anyways

[Steve]

Was Layer 1 a simple flat Layer?
Does this happen all the time on all images, al layers?

The marquee tool seemed to be "Snapping" to the nearest thing in the layer.

[magick81]

Hi there,
The file in that video, I started a new document then just pasted that picture.
So I think it was just a simple layer. The snapping seems to occur when the shape reaches the edge.

It happens on all files and all layers. Here is a vid on a multi-layered file.
You can see that the point where I click first seems to be the centre of the shape as it increases in size. When I release the mouse button, it selects the points between where I started and finished. Wierd!!!!

youtube.com/watch?v=EQd6hAZhd00

I've noticed that if I hold alt-option, then it will select the larger shape it has drawn, instead of selecting between the two points of my click-drag-release.


Its driving me nuts
I've got an assigment due soon and the rectangular marquee is one of my most used tools!

[Steve]

No idea, and my no idea backup answer is reset the Preferences file.
Why is Photoshop acting strange? Some things just aren't working right.

It may not help but it shouldn't hurt.

[magick81]

Thanks Steve,
Unfortunately, I already tried that, hoping to avoid doing a reinstall.

[magick81]

This might help to diagnose my problem....
Another strange thing I have noticed is that now when I open Photoshop, the open file dialog box opens automatically.
I'm beginning to entertain the fact that I may have a key stuck and SnowLeopards Keyboard viewer didn't detect it (probably cos the key was already being pressed down before I opened the "Keyboard Viewer" utility)

Is that possible? If so, does anyone know which key it may be?

[magick81]

I did find a work around, kind of....

If I select the "Add to selection" option, and hold down the alt-option key, it will select the area properly, but only in that situation...
Any idea's? Stuck key?

[sPECtre]

In fact, Snow Leopard 10.6.5 causes problems with Photoshop that makes it "think" that you have ALT or other keys pressed down.

This bug is known: Alert "Delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file?" | Tools, functions behave strangely | Photoshop CS5 | Mac OS 10.6.5

It might be due to Typinator, TextExpander, moveAddict, Things, xGestures, and so on.