Keith,
I found the info about the resistor in the file hlpPSPlus.chm in the ...MPLAB IDE\PicStartPlus folder. I tried with only the resistor and it SEEMED to work but I'll try to actually put a real file in it when I get home.

About the age of the PicStartPlus, it says in the same help file that: Some PICSTART Plus of revision R4 or earlier have been known to have problems operating with firmware OS versions 3.11 or later; however, this should not be a deterrent from purchasing a PUM if it is needed.

If a PICSTART Plus fails to work properly after installing a PUM, such as receiving communication errors or the power light will not turn on, it can returned to Microchip for replacement.

Mine is R4 (actually from -97 if your guess is correct) but yours seems to be R9 and the errors we get when programming isn't really what the help file says could be problematic, but who knows....

About this RTFM thing, the info is scattered among so many different places that I'm not suprised I missed it in the first place. There's the PBP release notes and manual, MPLAB release notes and helpfile(s), PICStartPlus help and releas notes, MCSP and MicroCodeLoader help files and release notes, PIC datasheet and reference manuals and.....

Let me know if the resistor works for you.

/Henrik Olsson.