I still think the 877A is a good starter chip. It can do enough things untill you need LONGS or something like that.

Seems like there is some problem with the programs that set the fuses for you over riding the code. At least over the years it seems like this has come up before.

On the test board, is the OSC a resonator or does it have capacitors added?

Port D is non analog so that should not be the problem. MCLR has to be tied high on this one. High and Low make the pin an output so TRIS should not be it either.

I still think it is in the programers software.