Elements 6 - newbie part editor problems

Just bought Cubase Elements 6, was previously an LE 4 user. 32-bit installed on a 64-bit computer because the 64-bit version of LE 4 crashed frequently.

The part editor of Version 6 is nicer in some ways because the part you click on is immediately activated, but you are one mouse click away from activating the parts you don’t want. Is there some way to secure (or lock) your choices so they don’t get changed around by mistake?

Another problem - had this with LE 4 as well: If you record a short phrase on a track, it doesn’t show up in the part editor until you dissolve the parts, deselect everything, reselect all events on the active track, and then form new parts. Is there some more comfortable way of accessing all lanes on a particular track?