How Do I Turn Off The Masking Pallette, keeps showing up...

I'm desperatley trying to work with this and have now found out, I'm the one who needs help, not Lightroom. The tools that I was using to edit photos from within lightroom are now a part of the Masking panel. So, when I call up a tool, like I used to do with command M for instance to get an oval shape where I can adjust lighting controls over that area, is now a part of 'Masking' and THAT is what is callin up the Masking Pallette. This is going to take some new learning on my part. I'm disoriented as the tools do not shut off by clicking the keyboard combination that called them up... I need to shut down operations for a few days now and simply learn the masking tool... a whole new ball game here. Sorry for taking time away from those of you who have tried to answer, but I was calling this thing up myself by choosing the tools that I had been working with... they're now a park of the masking pallette and so that is why it was popping up all the time... If anyone has a good link to the YouTube video I need in order to learn how this new set-up works... I'm now ready to be a student for a while at least... 

I see that I answered poorly. Too assist this fogy old mind, can you list, step by step the process that leads to your problem..Oh, and screenshots would help.

I'm not seeing either of these issues on my Windows 10 system. Did the Preferences reset fix both the Masking pallette persistance and missing Color Range Refine slider?

I see this on my rig, after using the mask button the panel stays open, not that I am using or adding or modifying a mask. Acts just like it was a new panel above general poanel. Just click on the mask button, that will close it.

As fir that masking pallet, it goes with the masking panel.

Incidentally, I had a few oddities with my masks, one being some features when a mask tool was added to a mask would not appear, color range for example would have a slider for refine when used directly as a mask, but not if it was an add to a parent mask, resetting preferences fixed that. I tested your problem after the reset.

The masking panel should disappear when the mask tool is inactive. It sounds like something is activating the tool. Have you tried clicking on the mask tool to turn it off?

Try resetting the LrC Preferences file as outlined at the below link. Move the file to your desktop so it can be easily restored if of no help.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-do-i-reset-lightrooms-preferences/

You can drag the floating Masks palette, and "dock" it into the top of the left right side panels. Then at least it will not be overlaying your photo while the Mask tool is active. I don't know, though, why that tool should be activating itself as you describe.