Stuck on first attempt using MPLAB X (PICkit4)

[Demon]

This is my post over on MeLabs support forum:

Grabbing at straws, I had removed spaces in my folder names, didn't do anything; unplugged/plugged PK4, didn't do anything. I kept getting the same error from MCS+5 and from direct command line window.

Desperate, so I did what any rinky-dink customer support would say and rebooted my PC ... and it worked.

DFP Version Used : PIC16Fxxx_DFP,1.3.42,Microchip
Selected Programming Tool Sno:
BUR223673449
*****************************************************
Connecting to MPLAB PICkit 4
Currently loaded versions:
Application version...........00.08.54
Boot version..................01.00.00
Script version................00.05.35
Script build number...........86fedc5c2e
Tool pack version ............1.13.1519
PICkit 4 is supplying power to the target (5.00 volts).
Target device PIC16F877 found.
Device Revision Id *= 0x6
Device Id = 0x9a0
*****************************************************
Erasing...
Erase successful
*****************************************************
Calculating memory ranges for operation...
Erasing...
The following memory area(s) will be programmed:
program memory: start address = 0x0, end address = 0x3d
configuration memory
Programming/Verify complete
*Program Report
06-Apr-2023, 23:01:53
Device Type:PIC16F877
Program Succeeded.
PK4 Verify Report
06-Apr-2023, 23:01:53
Device Type:PIC16F877
*****************************************************
The following memory area(s) will be verified:
program memory: start address = 0x0, end address = 0x1fff
configuration memory
EEData memory
User Id Memory
Verification successful.
Verify Succeeded.
*****************************************************​

I don't know why.


This is my final command line:

-TSBUR223673449 -P$target-device$ -F$hex-filename$ -E -M -OB -OL -OV -W -Y

Generic PK4 tool works just as well.

-TPPK4 -P$target-device$ -F$hex-filename$ -E -M -OB -OL -OV -W -Y

​

Big thanks to Richard and Tumbleweed for their ideas, and to Ioannis for cheering me on.