Where are the new elements going?!

[PurpleCat]

I'm a newbie to the forum, but a user for the last 5 years... so I really hope I'm not being amazingly stupid.

New model, new diagram, add an element. Simples, or so you'd think.

Nope, nothing. I have tried dragging from the toolbox, adding from the project browser icons, restarting windows, re-installing EA (v8 b863), doing the same operation on an SQL model (package locking both on and off), on a network eap file (no security), on an old local eap file, and on a brand new local eap file. The only things I can add are a new package or diagram from the project browser icons.
I can still move stuff around in the model and on diagrams.
This is less than ideal! :-/
Help!    and thanks in advance.

[Aaron B]

Do you have any add-ins installed?  Perhaps one of them is blocking the creation of your elements.  Open Add-Ins | Manage Add-ins, disable any that you currently have installed and restart EA.

HTH.

[PurpleCat]

Thanks very much for the suggestion...but...
I've DoDAF-MODAF, SysML Technology and DOORS add-ins, all of which I've been running with for about three years without incident. Removing them hasn't changed anything.

I've resorted to using EA on a VM but now have all the problems of trying to re-do a build environment, running slowly etc etc. But at least it works thus proving that it's something the matter with the installation on my PC, and it's something that an uninstall doesn't clear, rather than Add-ins/database. Is there any logging I can switch on? Or temp files that get written on error? Or anything which will help me diagnose why I can only create packages & diagrams? Perhaps a registry switch? Or some hidden registry settings which I need to completely clear down before re-installing?

Running out of ideas !