PSE 2020 eyedropper tool picks up wrong color

[jasimon9]

There are many questions about the eyedropper not picking up the right color, but usually the response is to (1) select the layer choice (all or current) and (2) have a point sample. These have no effect on my issue: all colors picked are way off from the actual color.

As an example, when I use the eyedropper and hover over a white space on my computer screen, the color given is some random color depending upon where the eyedropper is located. I have included a screen shot showing PSE with an image, color picker, and the eyeropper positioned over the white background of this page where I am entering this post. Yet the color is given as 3c3f29.

The eyedropper has been acting this way ever since I updated to PSE 2020.

[hatstead]

1. I don't comprehend your post entirely. When you open a colored picture file, the eyedropper tool should pick up a point sample of the area that you are targeting,  For example, let's assume that you have a picture of a football player in a blue jersey with white numbers, against a gray background. If you point to the background, the  color picker should read something like bdbdbd (gray foreground color.)  I gather that you are tageting a source point outside the work area of PSE. Please clarify.

2. Have a look at Image menu>mode and be sure that RGB color is checked.