Prevent crop making me use flatten image in P'shop2020

[JulieHF]

When I crop an image in Photoshop 2020, it makes a new layer.

How do I disable that so that I don't have to flatten the image?

[JJMack]

If the crop tool or on menu Image>Crop is adding a layer or flatting your document something is messed up on your machine. Try resetting your Photoshop preferences see if the fixes your problems.

[JulieHF]

How do reset the preferences?

[JJMack]

[JulieHF]

Oh, you meant a complete reset. Hmm!

[Chuck Uebele]

That is a preview layer for cropping only, once the crop is okayed, your layers return to normal.

[JJMack]

If its the crazy crop preview in  the layers palette you are referring to that Chuck wrote about. You can use the crop tool settings in to tool options bar to switch classic Crop tool.  That does not show that preview where the document looks lake a flattened layer over a solid fill background.  I never look at it anyway.  

[JulieHF]

Mine doesn't return to normal.

[JJMack]

When you commit the Crop the Layers palette should return to normals for the cropped  document. All your layers should be intact and cropped. There should be no extra layer added and the document should not be flattened. Here are screen captures that show what I see happen on my Windows 10, Photoshop 2020 version 21.1.1 workstation. Can you poste screen capture of how your machine works?

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you please post a screenshot taken at View > 100% with the pertinent Panels (Layers, Channels, Options Bar, …) visible? 

Is »Content-Aware« checked for example? 

[Jeff Arola · Accepted solution]

In the Crop Tool options check Delete Cropped Pixels

[JulieHF]

Bingo! Simplicity takes the gold star. Thank you so much.

[JJMack]

I see you did not see I had that checked in the three screen captures I posted.  So a picture is not always better than words.

[JulieHF]

I'm a writer first, photog second. So that should explain it.

[JJMack]

I can not type or read so I use pictures its  my problem

[Jhigh8]

Thank you, Jeff Arola.  Your solution is elegantly simple, and IT WORKS.