Hello everyone!!

I hope that I will at least save someone some time waiting for the
configuration bits on a PIC17c44 or similar to erase some time.  I was
quite shocked to have my erase time jump from about 3 mins to 25 mins when
I moved from the 16C71 to the 17C44.
Main problem is that the configuration bits take two to three times longer
than the program memory to erase.
I have just figured out that as long as I don't want to change the config
bits, I don't have to wait for them to erase!! Silly me!! My picstart is
friendly enough to tell me whether the program memory, config bits of both
are unerased when I do a blank check - as long as it doesn't moan about the
program memory, I can reprogram right away.
I know it is obvious, but if I save one person 15 mins for every reprogram
this message was worth it...

One question - the new MPLab picstart programmer status window has a button
to program directly without having to pull down the top menu. Is there any
way to configure this button to only program the first say 500h locations,
as one can when using the top (pulldown) menu??

Thanks
        Roland