Can't get object to link

I keep having this problem linking objects. I've been through the process many times so it's not what I'm doing Game Builder just refuses to link the objects. Today I can't seem to get a particle effect to link to an object no matter what I do. I have several link points on the target object then on the particle object I set it to link points then move it over the point I want to link it to then click but when I move the parent object it's not linked inspite of the particle effect showing it's linked to something but I can still move the particle effect so it really isn't linked to anything. I have noticed when this problem crops up the object I'm trying to link doesn't snap to the link points the way it should so it's as if it can no longer see the link points. Intensely frustriating and I've wasted an hour tonight alone. Before this problem cropped up again I successfully linked several objects then I switched levels and tried to link something else but it now refuses. I wish there was a more positive way to do it like with menus. The way things are if it refuses to see the link points there's not much you can do about it. Any thoughts or suggestions would greatly be appreciated since this problem has dogged me since I started with Game Builder.

Thanks