missing case screw for 15" mbp 2012

[danyuhlj]

Hi everyone.
Yesterday I upgraded my ram (4gb to 8gb), put in a 128 gb samsung 830 SSD, and put my old 500g hard disk drive into an optibay for my 1month old mbp.
I was a total newbie to it and used online guides to do so and luckily everything worked out fine.
Well it seems...
I actually lost 1 of the small screws for the macbook case and I searched hours for it but couldn't find it I'm using my laptop fine without it but I'm afraid something might happen (1 missing screw causing laptop to open a bit? dust getting in the screw hole or gap between case/inside because of missing screw?)
From what it looks, its fine but I'm just curious as to what you more knowledgeable people would think.

and a 2nd question if it's alright, my MBP didn't heat up much before and was very cool yesterday but today it seems to heat up a bit. Is this ok? It's not severe but just a little more hotter than it used to be. Or maybe it's because I used it on my lap today (body heat?)?

anyways thank you!

-MBP newbie

 

[Dark Void]

It's not that serious really. You can use it if you're missing a screw, you don't have to worry about it.

 

[fleawannabe]

Can you order more screws? In the meantime just put a small piece of painters tape over it if you are that worried.

 

[danyuhlj]

thanks for the quick replies!
the tape idea is a good idea, i'll go do that.

and i forgot to mention that I also have an black torx-6 screw from inside the macbook... after taking out the screws and putting them back in i realized that i had 1 extra. i looked all over to find a place where i could put the screw but i couldn't find any. everything seemed to be firmly in place with nothing loose so i just gave up and closed it up. will this be a problem or again is it nothing to worry about?
this is the last question i swear! thanks!!

edit: i could order more screws but the only thing i found was a bag of like 8 screws for $8 which is just too expensive for my tastes. i would pay a buck for just 1 screw though.

 

[Dark Void]

The T6 screws are for mounting the hard drive. You may have only mounted it with 3 of the 4 screws if you have an "extra."

 

[hfg]

Hopefully ... the missing screw isn't floating around inside the computer.

 

[bobcan]

Should be fine.. but Threadloc

I agree that it will not be of any Mechanical Impact to holding your computer together.. However it should be noted that the Bottom Case Cover does have a bit more chance to flex without all the screws, and you may want to check them for tightness every 6 months or so..

Also, you may have see that the Screw Threads have a bit of 'blue thread-lock' on them, and not putting something like this back on after removal will give them a chance to loosen up easier as well!!

 

[boto]

If it is the unibody MBP than whichever Apple store you go should have them in stock and should just give it to you for free. I also had this issue, but on my rMBP and was given replacement screws after a week of ordering them in.

 

[mgartner0622]

If it is the unibody MBP than whichever Apple store you go should have them in stock and should just give it to you for free. I also had this issue, but on my rMBP and was given replacement screws after a week of ordering them in.

Yes, they lost one of my screws from the bottom one time when I had my MBP in for repair. I asked and they just brought one out from the back for me.

 

[danyuhlj]

wait, i just have to randomly go to the apple store with my macbook and say "hi do you guys have a screw for my macbook?" and they will give one to me?

this is too good to be true, really??

 

[T5BRICK]

wait, i just have to randomly go to the apple store with my macbook and say "hi do you guys have a screw for my macbook?" and they will give one to me?

this is too good to be true, really??

The screw itself probably costs a penny, or less. It wouldn't hurt to try.

 

[ramram55]

wait, i just have to randomly go to the apple store with my macbook and say "hi do you guys have a screw for my macbook?" and they will give one to me?

this is too good to be true, really??

It is true, you got to ask they got you for over 1k of sale, take your machine and let them know one screw is missing.
I have to replace my hard drive with with apple care and it so happen they would not touch the internal ssd hd and end up with giving me a new hd,
yet I have to put the bad hd drive in and only they will replace with new hd.
I asked them to replace all the screws they did that, consider the apple care extra $300 plus, a new drive and few screws replace, apple still ahead.

 

[Interstella5555]

You bought a $2,500+ computer and are worried about an $8 bag of screws? This is why we can't have nice things...

 

[danyuhlj]

You bought a $2,500+ computer and are worried about an $8 bag of screws? This is why we can't have nice things...

$1800 to be exact It was actually a combined gift from all my relatives+parents for my graduation from highschool plus the fact that I used a $280 pc laptop for the last 4 years. I'm actually quite frugal with my money and I don't want to dish out $8 for a screw

It is true, you got to ask they got you for over 1k of sale, take your machine and let them know one screw is missing.
I have to replace my hard drive with with apple care and it so happen they would not touch the internal ssd hd and end up with giving me a new hd,
yet I have to put the bad hd drive in and only they will replace with new hd.
I asked them to replace all the screws they did that, consider the apple care extra $300 plus, a new drive and few screws replace, apple still ahead.

I don't have applecare, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Now I just have to wait until I go home during the break to find an apple store... I just found it kind of funny and almost unbelievable that I could just walk into an apple store and get something for free

 

[Interstella5555]

$1800 to be exact It was actually a combined gift from all my relatives+parents for my graduation from highschool plus the fact that I used a $280 pc laptop for the last 4 years. I'm actually quite frugal with my money and I don't want to dish out $8 for a screw

That's not making you look any better you know.

I don't have applecare, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Now I just have to wait until I go home during the break to find an apple store... I just found it kind of funny and almost unbelievable that I could just walk into an apple store and get something for free

Yes, Apple has some of the best CS across the board, and I still find your logic as amusing as you find getting something for free from them. Also, how can you not have Applecare on a 2012 machine?

 

[ramram55]

danyuhlj,
Definitely stop in apple store and try, set up an appointment with genius bar before you go.
As the saying goes 'the mountain will not come to muhammad, so muhammad has to go to the mountain'.
Apple care is not big of a deal if you can take of your machine yourself.

 

[r0k]

$1800 to be exact It was actually a combined gift from all my relatives+parents for my graduation from highschool plus the fact that I used a $280 pc laptop for the last 4 years. I'm actually quite frugal with my money and I don't want to dish out $8 for a screw

High school? MBP? I hope you got a full ride to an Ivy League school with a present like that for graduation. I got my son a 13 in MBP and he is quite happy with it. He had been using a Mac mini and an assortment of "bottom feeder" PCs through high school.

I don't have applecare, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Now I just have to wait until I go home during the break to find an apple store... I just found it kind of funny and almost unbelievable that I could just walk into an apple store and get something for free

You haven't had the machine for a year yet. You have AppleCare. If you haven't had the machine for 90 days yet. You have phone support as part of your AppleCare. So the term AppleCare refers not only to the paid subscription which costs $349 for a 15 in Macbook Pro, but in this thread it means normal warranty which is 1 year on hardware and 90 days of phone support. Even after all your free/paid AppleCare runs out, you are still entitled to a Genius Bar appointment where they will try to help you for free (up to a certain limit).

 

[danyuhlj]

That's not making you look any better you know.





Yes, Apple has some of the best CS across the board, and I still find your logic as amusing as you find getting something for free from them. Also, how can you not have Applecare on a 2012 machine?

I'm not trying to make myself look better? Why would I look bad for accepting a gift from my parents/relatives that I didn't even ask for? The only person who looks bad here is you for assuming things about me.

Also, getting a screw for free wasn't my "logic". Someone here told me that it was possible and if I can get something for free why would I pay for it? Some people do fine without applecare and take care of their laptops (I've never broken a cellphone, laptop, computer, etc. and most end up in almost mint condition after 1,2 years use). Thanks for being condescending-- not. By the way, I did get my screw for free.

High school? MBP? I hope you got a full ride to an Ivy League school with a present like that for graduation. I got my son a 13 in MBP and he is quite happy with it. He had been using a Mac mini and an assortment of "bottom feeder" PCs through high school.



You haven't had the machine for a year yet. You have AppleCare. If you haven't had the machine for 90 days yet. You have phone support as part of your AppleCare. So the term AppleCare refers not only to the paid subscription which costs $349 for a 15 in Macbook Pro, but in this thread it means normal warranty which is 1 year on hardware and 90 days of phone support. Even after all your free/paid AppleCare runs out, you are still entitled to a Genius Bar appointment where they will try to help you for free (up to a certain limit).

I don't know about where you live but relative to my area, MBP in high school is nothing special; it's actually the norm. I don't know why you are comparing me to my son when we are obviously from different backgrounds and situations. But I too have happily used various bottom feeder computers (I've never had a laptop over $300 in my life until now and have used only dell/toshiba). And I did get almost a full scholarship to a school which is ranked top 10 in the nation for its major. Also, it wasn't just my parents who bought it, it was all my relatives (9 aunts, 6 uncles, 2grandpa/grandma).

Not sure why some of you are automatically assuming that I'm a spoiled kid when I'm trying to save all the money I can. Though my family is thankfully financially stable, I'm also a college student who is for the most part financially independent. Either way, I got my problem resolved within 5 minutes by genius bar and was very pleased with the CS there.

 

[brop52]

Yeah they have a bunch of the 3mm screws in back even out of warranty will replace it. They will also remove stripped screws for free on out of warranty machines. The only problem is if they don't have the part that might be damaged (like a HDD bracket).

 

[krash91]

I'm not trying to make myself look better? Why would I look bad for accepting a gift from my parents/relatives that I didn't even ask for? The only person who looks bad here is you for assuming things about me.

Also, getting a screw for free wasn't my "logic". Someone here told me that it was possible and if I can get something for free why would I pay for it? Some people do fine without applecare and take care of their laptops (I've never broken a cellphone, laptop, computer, etc. and most end up in almost mint condition after 1,2 years use). Thanks for being condescending-- not. By the way, I did get my screw for free.



I don't know about where you live but relative to my area, MBP in high school is nothing special; it's actually the norm. I don't know why you are comparing me to my son when we are obviously from different backgrounds and situations. But I too have happily used various bottom feeder computers (I've never had a laptop over $300 in my life until now and have used only dell/toshiba). And I did get almost a full scholarship to a school which is ranked top 10 in the nation for its major. Also, it wasn't just my parents who bought it, it was all my relatives (9 aunts, 6 uncles, 2grandpa/grandma).

Not sure why some of you are automatically assuming that I'm a spoiled kid when I'm trying to save all the money I can. Though my family is thankfully financially stable, I'm also a college student who is for the most part financially independent. Either way, I got my problem resolved within 5 minutes by genius bar and was very pleased with the CS there.

HAH, you're more mature than older people on most forums! Glad you got your problem fixed man!

 

[Spink10]

nevermind