Photomerge in Elements 15?

Upgraded from Elements 8. When photo merge would not merge automatically in version 8, most times manual merge would snap into place. The guided method now appears to be the only way this operates but how does the re-position method work? All I get if a message saying that the photos could not merge and just one of the photos appears on the screen.. How do I get each photo & position them manually together like Elements 8? All guides show auto merges but none detail about re positioning manually. Taken photos that wont merge in 15 to a friend with an earlier version & can stitch them successfully together manually. Latest version seems a backwards step for manual merges.. .

[Moved from the forum comments forum (which is for issues with the forums themselves) and into a product-specific support forum by a moderator]