Could not use the colour replacement mode

I ofen use Elements (12 currently) to remove backbrounds. So I ensure I have a layer and create a linked mask. Then ensuring that the 'black' mode is selected I usually use a brush to remove the 'background' and leave it transparent. I recently have an imported photograph which is now a layer. Created a linked mask and tried this. But as I put the brush on the layer it said that it couldn't do this as it was NOT in FULL COLOR MODE. I see from a previous question that you must be in RGB mode. So I checked on the Image -> Mode and it says I am on RGB. I know in RGB you can have different colour depths 8 bit, 24 bit etc... So I thought maybe it wants a higher mode? But I can see no place to increase or decrease the colour depth? I am new to Elements. I looked in my Photoshop Elements 11 for dummies and that didn't help me? Can any one tell me why on this RGB layer I cannot use the mask/tool replacement as I do normally?

The images I have generally pulled into Photoshop are JPEG which should be in 8 bits. When I look in their TAB they are saying /8 so they are in 8 bit mode which is why I can't convert them to 8 bit/channel I suspect because they are already 8 bit. So why the MASK removing part of the layer image won't work I don't know? I have used this function many times and now it won't work and it is 'driving me nuts'! Any more ideas?

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Moon52
Sent from my iPhone

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Could not use the colour replacement mode

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