PowerBook G4 17'' Stripped Screw in battery compartment

[macnerd93]

Hello guys,

So I've managed to buy a mint (literally brand new looking" 2004 PB G4 17'' model with a dead hard drive.

I was going to take out the two month old IDE drive from my G4 15'' model and do a straight forward swap. However, it looks like someone has attempted an upgrade in the past, but failed and stripped two of the three screws inside the battery compartment holding the top section of the laptop together.

I was wondering what is the best way to remove these two stripped screws as they are very small and in an hard to reach place.

Also in order to get the laptop working temporary I'm going to use my G-tech FW 800 drive. I was wondering would this actually be faster than IDE? If so I may just use this as a permanent solution.

 

[Altemose]

Hello guys,

So I've managed to buy a mint (literally brand new looking" 2004 PB G4 17'' model with a dead hard drive.

I was going to take out the two month old IDE drive from my G4 15'' model and do a straight forward swap. However, it looks like someone has attempted an upgrade in the past, but failed and stripped two of the three screws inside the battery compartment holding the top section of the laptop together.

I was wondering what is the best way to remove these two stripped screws as they are very small and in an hard to reach place.

Also in order to get the laptop working temporary I'm going to use my G-tech FW 800 drive. I was wondering would this actually be faster than IDE? If so I may just use this as a permanent solution.

You can try the solder trick or try a rubber band on the end of the screw driver.

 

[eyoungren]

These are really small and shallow screws, if they are the ones holding down the ram door that you are talking about.

The problem I have always had with these screws is getting them in/making them stay there. Never getting them out. That may indicate that whomever tightened them down really mashed the thread holes. In which case, getting new screws to work right is probably not going to happen.

Can you unscrew them enough to wedge them up? I'm serious, they are only about 1/16th of an inch tall.

 

[macnerd93]

These are really small and shallow screws, if they are the ones holding down the ram door that you are talking about.

The problem I have always had with these screws is getting them in/making them stay there. Never getting them out. That may indicate that whomever tightened them down really mashed the thread holes. In which case, getting new screws to work right is probably not going to happen.

Can you unscrew them enough to wedge them up? I'm serious, they are only about 1/16th of an inch tall.

Actually the ram door screws came off easy i am talking about the ones in the battery compartment, but at the opposite side of the ram door near the edge of the laptop

 

[tom vilsack]

I'm guessing you mean these red marked screws?

crazy glue a old screw driver to them maybe?

 

[AdrianK]

crazy glue a old screw driver to them maybe?

I tried that on a stripped screw holding in my MBPs optical drive, didn't come close to working but I guess YMMV.

 

[Altemose]

I tried that on a stripped screw holding in my MBPs optical drive, didn't come close to working but I guess YMMV.

I always used the solder trick if it was accessible.

 

[toples50]

I always used the solder trick if it was accessible.

Which is the solder trick.I have also a screw problem with my MacBook.

 

[Altemose]

Which is the solder trick.I have also a screw problem with my MacBook.

A video demonstrating the process is available here. That being said, I recommend trying a rubber band first.

 

[tampasteve]

I once got a stripped screw out of a iBook G3 using a dab of hot glue on the offending screw and them mashing a small sharp/newish screwdriver into the mess once it dried. It worked that time....never tried again though. Kind of like the rubber band trick.