Pickit2 / ICD2? advice please?

Hi All
I've just got one of those ICD2 chinese "clones"? but the documentation(and drivers but the original drivers from microchip seems to work fine as does updating the firmware in the pickit2) is non existant!
They also gave me one of the PICKIT2 ones also,
My question, is If I want to use these to program using PBPro whats the best way to proceed with this?
Previously I was using EASYPIC5 and microlabs microstudio as the assembler and compiler etc and just using the easypic5 to program the pic but that was a complete waste of a huge board which is why I went for the icd2 and/or pickit2
Any suggestions as to whats the best compiler to use with what i have or how to get the microstudio to recognise the pickit2 or icd2?
MPLAB will recognice the icd2 ok but im stuck for ideas on whats the best way to go, proceed with microstudio or find a better IDE/assembler? sorry if i'm using the wrong terminology i'm still "quite" new to this!

I can only speak about the PICKIT2 as I do not have the others.

In the PICKIT2 software there is a setting to auto load a hex file. When this is selected it looks for a new version of the hex from the code you are working on, auto loads and programs the PIC. So do not worry about having Microcode Studio recognize it.

If you want an IDE that support both ICD2 and PICKIT2, you want to use MPLAB. However, PICKIT2 support is a bit different in MPLAB and with it's StandAlone application. Nothing's perfect.

PICKIT2 have a command line utility available on Microchip website, so you can use it with MicroCode Studio as you did for EasyPIC 5. It's just a matter to add a new programmer in the list.

MPLAB will give you the ICD support for PICKIT 2 and ICD2, not MicroCode Studio. So guess what... i will suggest you to get familiar with MPLAB and use it.

Thanks :) I think I got it sorted now,I think I've figured out how to get the pickit2 working with microcodestudio, it seems to be working fine anyway, but i wont know properly until I make up my test board.
I reckon your right though, its best to try and figure out MPLAB, it might be a way better proposition in the end? I take it that its similar (ish) to MicrocodeStudio?
sorry for being a pain in the butt but I guess thats me lol

Do not worry about asking questions, that is what this place is for.

MPLAB and MCS both have good points. There are a few threads here debating the two.
Sooner or later you will have to use MPASM for the assembler. You can use MCS with MPASM , but MPASM is part of the MPLAB suite. So...

Some days i prefer MPLAB, some days MCSP. MPLAB have this nifty software sim (yes a SIM) and Stopwatch... which can be handy in some case.

And finally this nifty but almost unknown feature that some like, but some hate... code folding.

For serious debugging session, i use MPLAB... and both of my screen are full loaded with Sim/SFR windows. I already said i hate Sims... i never talked about Software sim but hardware one :D Even though, i trust them...with a little pinch of salt. More like signal tracer...

How many different solutions we have? A shed load, from Notepad to Proteus, use the one you're comfortable with.

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Oups... seems the code folding no longer work with latest MPLAB with PBP.... ohhhh :(