Fix the rectangle selection tool!

Forum|Forum|5 months ago
December 10, 2025
3 replies
206 views

FIX THIS!

1. Photoshop switches to Path mode automatically if…

You click on the canvas with the Rectangle Tool without dragging.

A single click with a shape tool brings up the Create Vector Shape dialog in older versions.

In recent versions, it silently flips the mode to Path and inserts a path box.

This is the number one cause.

macOS

JLSeattleAuthor

Participant

@Ged_Traynor Thank you! Resetting All Tools worked!

Michael J. Hoffman

Community Expert

What version are you using? I cannot recreate this with version 27.1.0. When I single click the rectangle tool, I get a dialog box that says "Create Rectangle." Whether it creates a path, a shape, or pixels is controlled by the option in the toolbar, and a single click doesn't change the mode to Path (for me). It honors the current setting.

Can you create some screen shots or screen recordings to show this isue?

Ged_Traynor

Community Expert

@JLSeattle I'm not seeing the issue you describe with Photoshop version 27.1 on Windows 11

Have you tried resetting the tools

2025-12-10 16_58_59-Untitled-1 @ 100% (Rectangle 2, RGB_8) _.png

If that doesn't help, try manually resetting your Photoshop preferences
https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/photoshop/using/preferences.html#Manually
Remember to back up your settings before doing the preference reset
https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/photoshop/using/preset-migration.html

1. Photoshop switches to Path mode automatically if…

You click on the canvas with the Rectangle Tool without dragging.

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