After reinstalling MPLAB and PIC2KIT this year, i can only see dark rectangles on the first row of the 2x16 LCD.
Since I dont have any experience using PR#29. I will base my trouble-shooting using the schematics and the User Manual.
The Fingerprint device is connected to UART, and the PC (GUI) is connected to another UART. With these 2 disconnected, you should be able to get a message on the LCD screen when the power is up, right? Then the message will prompt you to choose either "User Mode" or "Admin Mode". On the schematics, the LCD to PIC connections are straight forward using PB for data and RC4 & RC5 for E and RS.
There are 3 possibilities that would cause no disply on LCD. 1. software code 2. PIC 16F876 3. LCD itself.
Since you have already tested the software using a simulator, you can rule out possibility #1.
Then I would confirm that the PIC is good. To do this I would use the PICKit2 to confirm. Did you program the PIC successfully with the "success message" from the PICKit2 ? If the answer is YES, then what is left is the LCD itself. I would confirm that the contrast preset is good using an ohm meter? I read from one of the thread that a faulty preset of the SK40C could cause problems on the LCD too. If that is still OK, I would suspect that the LCD itself is faulty. Do you have another LCD to confirm?
You can also use another program from SK40C to test the LCD. The program was for 16F877 and it uses RD0-7 for data and RB 4 & 5 for RS and E. So you need to modify it slightly in order to use it to test your LCD.
Whether you have formated the PC or not doesnt afftect much on the working of PR29 as long as your PICKIT2 programmer is working and the original HEX file is OK.
Allen