Quick Mask Mode - HELP!

G'day to all.

First and foremost, I'm pleased to be in this forum. Second, I am a new to Photoshop, so "Go easy on the newbie...".

Also, I am not an "Arteest" (see). I am currently using Photoshop more as a learning tool to see what I (and it) can do.

How do I use Quick Mask Mode? Here is a link to a TUT that I followed three days ago and all worked well and as the TUT expained:
http://www.absolutecross.com/tutorials/photoshop/photos/colorizing/

It worked "Every Time" - no problems at all.

I then upgraded to CS2 (9.0.1) from 7.x and now the QM mode seems to be flakey and random.

To be more clear, when I press "Q" (or double click the QM button and set options etc.), it seems to go into QM (says so in the title bar of the current canvas), I can paint etc., but when I return to Standard Mode, I DON'T get "Marching Ants" - I like them...

Having said the above, SOMETIMES, it does work. Hmmm???

In the past, I used BlackMagic which worked great, but lacked a lot of features I was interested in.

Anyway, does anyone have a clue as to what this newbie is doing wrong?

One last quick question, sometimes I have to click a Menu Twice to activate the menu (this is in CS2). I saw a post that says to press F8 to close info and all will be well - Not.

Thanks all,

Goomba

What OS are you running?

Win XP? If so you need SP2 installed or you "WILL" (not may) have querky problems with CS2

Mac? what version? I read somewhere with some tiger issues

Sorry, my bad - I should know better.

OS: Windows XP Pro 2002,
Status: SP2 with all the lastest SP and Fixes,
Ram: 2 GB,
Procs: Dual Xeon 3.0 Ghertz,

Everything else in the system is pretty much the usual (hi-end video etc).

I ran thru some things with Adobe, even to the point of returning my copy to my vendor and getting a replacement.

I've disabled all Anti-Viral, Spyware and related type apps.

Logged on as "Adminstrator" (not a user with Admin rights - the real guy).

Cleaned up every and any registry entries, INF and related files.

Re-installed CS2 - same thing. Nuked CS2, went back to PS 7.x and all is fine. This surely is a CS2 issue (unless I'm a complete idiot).

Any further help would be greatly appreciated.

Goomba

FIrst, my appolgies; I should have mentioned in my post that we had purchased two filters (originally for PS 7) that we had installed.

We removed these filters and now all is well and good.

The only thing I don't quite understand (being a newbie and all) is how a filter can affect CS2 when the Filter(s) have not even been envoked? Hmmm and Oh Well.

BTW: The filters were: Fixer Bundle and Softener 1.26. Both were addin filters to aid in sharpening and/or softening images.

We are going to look into a flavor for CS2.

Cheers to all, and thanks for the assists.

Goomba.