Hi MacRumors! I have a little issue here. While trying to replace my optical drive to place in an optical bay to put in a second Hard Drive in I accidentally stripped a screw. I stripped the right screw as you can see in the following picture
. Any suggestions how I could get stripped screw out so I can replace the optical drive? Thanks for any help in advance!
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Stripped Screw on Macbook Pro
- Thread starter basketball762
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can you grip around the head with some needle pliers?
I stripped a screw once on the hdd bracket mount and thats what i did. Glad it wasn't a recessed head
I stripped a screw once on the hdd bracket mount and thats what i did. Glad it wasn't a recessed head
i did the same thing before ,same screw, i just pull the drive out and the metal will bend and eventually break ,then you will have more room to grab the screw with pliers.
this is the last resort tho
this is the last resort tho
Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I have tried the rubberband method and it didn't work. I tried putting my whole weight on the screwdriver and it didn't work. Attached is a picture of the real screw that I'm trying to get out. This is very frustrating because it is literally the last screw I need to get out to finish this project. Any other suggestions? Should I take it to a local computer store? Thanks again!
Attachments
So I would just need to pull on the optical drive to get the bracket to break? Will it break the optical drive?
Do the one with the cheap screwdriver and glue and then turn it out. If all else fails, get a hammer and hammer the screwdriver into the hole to create new notches then turn it. (dont hammer too hard though!)
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Stripping screws in a MacBook is a nightmare! I recently tried to replace the keyboard in my MacBook Pro which is held down by around 40 of the tiniest screws i've ever seen. The joy of reaching the last 3 was short-lived as i stripped them all and no matter what i tried they would not concede.
So i had to give up, screw the rest back in and forget about it...
Good Luck
So i had to give up, screw the rest back in and forget about it...
Good Luck
I really have to LOL each time at these kinds of threads.
Working on a $$$$ Laptop with a $1 dollar screwdriver set.
If you need to do a job on expensive gear get the right tools before you start, I have a set from iFixit, cost me I think about $20, a great toolset and before I use any bit I try out a few bits before I start using it, it must fit snuggly, if not you get the results like the OP.
I also laugh at some of the so called advise, like using Super Glue, it does not work on tiny surfaces, you need a minimum surface for it to work compared to the torque you apply.
These screws are tiny, the surface contact is most likely (far) less than a square mm and for the torque applied it is way too little.
The elastic band will do a better job than the above.
Get good tools beforehand and you won't get stripped screws!
Working on a $$$$ Laptop with a $1 dollar screwdriver set.
If you need to do a job on expensive gear get the right tools before you start, I have a set from iFixit, cost me I think about $20, a great toolset and before I use any bit I try out a few bits before I start using it, it must fit snuggly, if not you get the results like the OP.
I also laugh at some of the so called advise, like using Super Glue, it does not work on tiny surfaces, you need a minimum surface for it to work compared to the torque you apply.
These screws are tiny, the surface contact is most likely (far) less than a square mm and for the torque applied it is way too little.
The elastic band will do a better job than the above.
Get good tools beforehand and you won't get stripped screws!
I have the OWC Electronic Screw Driver Set which costed me $20, so I wasn't using cheap $1 screwdriver set...I did get the optical drive out, which seems broken now but I have no real use for it since I never use it, and now have my optical bay with the 2nd hard drive installed. Thanks for everyones help.I really have to LOL each time at these kinds of threads.
Working on a $$$$ Laptop with a $1 dollar screwdriver set.
If you need to do a job on expensive gear get the right tools before you start, I have a set from iFixit, cost me I think about $20, a great toolset and before I use any bit I try out a few bits before I start using it, it must fit snuggly, if not you get the results like the OP.
I also laugh at some of the so called advise, like using Super Glue, it does not work on tiny surfaces, you need a minimum surface for it to work compared to the torque you apply.
These screws are tiny, the surface contact is most likely (far) less than a square mm and for the torque applied it is way too little.
The elastic band will do a better job than the above.
Get good tools beforehand and you won't get stripped screws!
Just pulled on the optical drive until the bracket connecting the screw to the optical drive broke off. It did do a fair amount of damage to the optical drive but considering how little times I used the drive, I don't really care. Thanks again though for everyones help!
Wiha is definitely better but I have the iFixit one and never got me into troubles.
Interesting I've also tried both the kits from OWC and from iFixit. My OWC ones came broken and the iFixIt ones, the screwdriver heads are all crooked for some reason.
I got this one a year or two ago, the bits are hard, did not break any bits until now and I've used them for things they are not made to do.