That is usually the first line of a post where someone is having Photoshop problems. Then after several rounds of asking questions of the person needing help we are able to get down to the heart of the matter. So I thought I would come up with a quick three step troubleshooting plan of action for Photoshop problems. Here it is...
If something in Photoshop is not acting right then there are only a couple of things that could be wrong…
1> There is setting somewhere that is acting as it should, but you are unaware that it is being activated.
Answer: Check of all options involved… For instance if the move tool is not working right… make sure that nothing in the options bar up top is set to something different… then make sure that you haven't made a selection and hidden the selection… then check to see that the layer isn't lock or that the layer isn't linked to another layer that may be locked, etc… (Keep looking… if you have exhausted all options and you still can't find the problem… go to step 2)
2> There is something acting as it shouldn't… Photoshop has gone a little crazy.
Answer: Close down and restart your computer. If the problem persists it can still mean it is either you or the machine… go to step 3)
3> You are confused… You are not sure if it is you or the computer doing something wrong.
Answer: Seek help from a reputable source. Either a credible place like the NAPP help desk, or in forums where folks have a good grasp of the program and are willing to help. To speed up the process no matter where you seek help… you will want to tell others the steps you have already taken in your opening request for help. This will speed things up because you will avoid the basic "have you tried this…" questions/answers and establish yourself as a competent individual who has done the legwork and is now looking specialized help and not just using the forums as another form of Google. This will raise your query to a level that may bring out the folks that have that extra knowledge about a certain problem. I call these folks specialists because they love a challenge and only pop in when the problem gets to a certain level of toughness.
These folks will either have that special trick that fixes the problem or they will be the ones who will say… "You need to uninstall and reinstall your program" because they have the knowledge to be able to sift out the difference between user and computer error and know what action to take. Those are the folks you want answering your questions.
So you will do yourself and your forum community a service if you put into practice the steps listed above… and you can apply to principles to other technical issues, not just Photoshop.
Hope that helps!