Well 18F252 I've got here and use it often to interchange between 16F876. I can most certainly tell you there's no EEPROM issues.

>> What IDE are you using?

I've never felt the need for an IDE which is why I don't use one. It's an aid for those that lose track of what their program is trying to do - and that's worrying! At any point in your program, you should know what the state of the nation is. If you start relying on aids as a nescessity, then like with radar, it still won't stop you hitting submerged rocks.