Really Stupid Question-Actions Pallet

[elsaspet]

Hi Guys,
I'm embarrased to ask such a stupid question but I can't find the answer on my own.
In the actions pallet, there are boxes on the left hand side of the action. Sometimes the box is red, gray, or not there at all. What do these boxes mean, and what do the colors denote?
Also, just to the left of the boxes are checkmarks. Sometimes they are red, sometimes black, and sometimes not there at all. What are they and what do the colors mean?
I've downloaded some actions, but they all want to run at once, or several at once, or ones that I dont' think I've selected want to run. I've tried every combination of colors for the boxes and checkmarks I can think of, but I don't get it. I've searched online and have looked in all the PS books I have but can't find the answer.
Does anyone know of a book or online tutorial that could help me understand the actions pallet?
Thanks in advance!
Cindy

 

[Digital Matt]

Hover over it for a second, and you'll get a tooltip.

It toggles dialogue on and off. Suppose you have an action that duplicates your background layer, and runs a gaussian blur on it. Maybe you want to vary the amount of blur each time. You click that on, and when you run the action, you'll get the gaussian blur dialogue box, so you can change the amount.

 

[Force of Nature]

magic!

 

[Meysha]

I find it easier to manage the action I want to use if I do this.
fully expand the action so I can see all the steps that it's going to do. Then select the options that I want to run by clicking that little tick box. Then I minimize it all again so I can just see the title. Make sure I've got the right layer selected and then I click play.

That way before I run the action, I've checked everything that it's going to affect or do.

If it's still playing up and doing what you think is tooo many things for that action. Post us a screenshot and we'll talk you through what each part of the action is doing and what the little tick marks all mean for each part.