Hello,

Taking a basic stab at your problem I see:

Where's the rest of the DEFINES for the LCD? Assuming you're using the defaults of connecting to PortA then where are the settings to disable the Analog and converting the A/D pins to digital? You also need to disable the comparator module.

There's no reason to go MAD, just sit back and relax. Read the datasheet and keep trying!

BobK