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removing HD - stripped screws

J

jasondg

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 5, 2008
4
0
Bought one of those 500 GB Samsung drives - but, of course, the head of the screw holding down the old HD in the new unibody book stripped. Probably a combination of a crappy screw, and me not quite being careful enough. Anyway...

I know about the ways people handle stripped screw heads--superglue, Dremel, screw extractors, etc. I don't particularly want to mess around with that stuff, and I'm not sure those methods will work on such a tiny screw.

Any insight into how, if at all, the Geniuses at the Apple Store will handle this one?
 
Why not just go to your local hardware store and ask them to sell you the duplicate screw?
 
Man, I don't have any advice for you, but I feel your pain. I hate stripped screws. Why is it so hard to design screws that can't be stripped using human power?
 
Then I'd have an extra screw, and the old one would still be stuck. I can't get the screw out because the head's stripped.
 
motulist said:
Man, I don't have any advice for you, but I feel your pain. I hate stripped screws. Why is it so hard to design screws that can't be stripped using human power?
Click to expand...

It was way too easy to strip. Not to shirk responsibility, but using the correct size screwdriver, it shouldn't strip that easily.
 
if there's an apple store close to you, they'll help you out. this seems to be a problem of near epidemic proportions, and they've been helping people out. i know you can get on that screw with a small plier, for one. super glue, like you mentioned, is another method. they'll take care of it, no worries.
 
To get it out, you can try using a screwdriver with a totally different a screw driver of a different. I just took a look at mine and the heads are tor-x. I'm guessing you didn't actually use tor-x to get it out as you stripped it :rolleyes:, mind you it's totally possible that you stripped it with the right equipment.

As I was saying, sometimes ramming a different sized head into the screw will be enough for you to remove it. If you used a hex, then try the correct sized tor-x. If you used the right sized tor-x, try one that's one size larger, tor-x usually have very small increments in their sizes. If all else fails, try the trusty philips head, use one that doesn't fit in and use brute force to get it in (yeah, kinda scary on a new lappy).

Otherwise, I saw that the side of the screws were exposed, you could probably be able to do it with small needle-nosed vice-grips (probably more successfully than other methods).
 
well even though you stripped the screw i still love torx bits.

they are really hard to get the wrong size bit to and when you have the right one its really hard to strip it.

anyway, i would maybe try and take the head of the screw off and then take the rest of the screw out when the drive comes free.
this would only work if the head is above the surface.

and if there is no threads in the top part of the screw ( the bottom piece has threads and the piece in between doesn't have threads ) you could take a very small drill bit and it sill basically just cut off the head of the screw.
im not saying drill the whole screw out, im saying use a bit that is just a bit bigger than the width of the screw (not the head) and drill it till the rest of the head comes free.

thats worked for me in the past. it helps to have a really small drill also.

if you couldn't understand what i was saying, i will word it better because as of right now i have no clue what is going on and my brain is dead from doing math all day.
 
jasondg said:
Bought one of those 500 GB Samsung drives - but, of course, the head of the screw holding down the old HD in the new unibody book stripped. Probably a combination of a crappy screw, and me not quite being careful enough. Anyway...

I know about the ways people handle stripped screw heads--superglue, Dremel, screw extractors, etc. I don't particularly want to mess around with that stuff, and I'm not sure those methods will work on such a tiny screw.

Any insight into how, if at all, the Geniuses at the Apple Store will handle this one?
Click to expand...
I also have this exact same problem. But I stripped it when I put in the new hard drive (Seagate 7200rpm) in my MBP. So I am good till I have to replace the new hard drive. I am going to bring it in to my local apple shop on Monday to see if they have a trick to remove it and order a new bracket. Let me know how you manage to get it out when you do. I did use the proper screwdriver when I replaced the drive.:(
 
jasondg said:
Then I'd have an extra screw, and the old one would still be stuck. I can't get the screw out because the head's stripped.
Click to expand...

Ah I see, I didn't know it was stuck and you couldn't remove it. I thought you just couldn't screw it back in.
Ditto to what Bozz2006 said. If you live close enough to one, take it to the Apple store, they will replace the screw since it's a user replaceable HDD.
 
You guys

This screw holds a bar that puts pressure on the hard drive which sits on rubber grummets

In other words, there is pressure on the plastic bar that the screw holds to float the HD. The plastic bar acts as a brace and lifts out.

So if you gently push down on the hard drive (don't worry it's sitting on rubber supports) you might take some of the pressure off the screw and it may do the trick

There's considerable upwards pressure on this screw so it tends to make it tight. I've been taking it in and out for a while trying different HDs
 
HLdan said:
Ah I see, I didn't know it was stuck and you couldn't remove it. I thought you just couldn't screw it back in.
Ditto to what Bozz2006 said. If you live close enough to one, take it to the Apple store, they will replace the screw since it's a user replaceable HDD.
Click to expand...

Yeah, let's hope. I figure they won't do the HDD replacement, because it's not theirs. I'd just like to get the old screw out and the new screw in, and give it another shot.

Just a note, I didn't strip one of the Torx screws - it was the Philips #0 holding down the bracket.
 
I find in this situation using a really sharp pointed phillips screwdriver, usually the really small ones you get for taking apart watches, a light tap with a pin hammer, and then lots of pressure pushing in when you unscrew should just about do it.

Otherwise if you can get any edge on it you can use a flat screwdriver at an angle to try and turn it.

If you put the other screw back in it will help reduce the pressure.
 
i used a dremel. Cut a little bit of the top, and used a flat head screw driver to get it out.
 
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