Stripped HDD bay screw. Google did not help. Any ideas anyone? Please?
 

Hey y'all. I googled for this and tried the suggestions. I Failed. I got a stripped HDD bay screw. I cannot mess up the screw. I want to undo it and put a new HDD in to install Arch Linux exclusively. Help. I'm frustrated and running out of options. No money = no experts...

What part of the screw is stripped? The head where the driver goes, or the threads? And what do you mean, you "cannot mess up the screw", if it's already messed up?

If the threads are stripped, then wedge a knife-blade under the edge of the head while trying to unscrew it. You hafta do more knifing than unscrewing, i.e. pry with the knife while trying to turn the screw (sometimes using pliers on the screw head rather than a driver can help).

If the drive-head is messed up on the screw, that depends. If it's phillips (+) you might be able to use a robertson in it (the square one). If it was already a robertson, and now it's round, that's different. Have you tried a hack-saw or a file, to carve a new flat-head slot across the head of the screw? Might work, if you have the space to get at it..

Best of luck.
Sasha

stuck screws
 

You may have to get a dremel tool and grind it off to get the old drive out. See if the screw has a 6 sided head, try a small socket set.

Usually new drives have a screw or two included.

Make sure you get all of the data and power connections off before you pull it out.

After that, you can always use duct tape as a last resort. (The great secret of nerdtom.) :twocents:

*wolf gave me a thought, related to his Dremel idea, though initially I figured the drive-to-be-removed was to be saved -- if the possibility of leaving a piece of the screw, inside the removed drive, is OK, then you can use a drill to remove the head also. Take your time, and drill straight into the screw's drive-head with like a 1/8 - 3/16 bit until it pops off.

The HDD must remain intact, it will still be used. It has everything. My other HDD was to be used for experimenting with Arch Linux, custom kernels and stuff.

I should have been more clear; I am really frustrated and probably only making it worse.

Anyways, it's a netbook. And its not for the cradle, but actually the main cover thingy. The screw are the small Phillips (+) and I have tried everything.

I have a sort of vague definition of stripped too, so let me clear my head and tell you guys what I meant. My definition of stripped means 'I cannot unscrew it, but its still intact'. I cant unscrew it with anything, and I have very little room to operate since this is so small. The part around the screw is very small (about half a millimeter?). The + plus-sign part of the screw has been worn down. Its getting to the point where I can get NO grip. I have tried nearly every screwdriver I have (even the electric one) and have made no progress :(

I tried GrapeFruiTgirl's knife suggestion and the knife just won't fit in that small space. It's too thin.

Why can't I fsck a screw :(

help and sorry...

Ahhh.. Yes, this is much different.

Under these circumstances, in my experience, the best tool is a small, SHARP flat-head screwdriver. Cheapo screwdrivers are almost as soft as the average cheapo screws, to the best ones for this tend to be jewellers screwdrivers, because they have hardened, relatively sharp tips.
If you haven't got a jewellers flathead of a good size, I suggest taking another flathead screwdriver, and filing or grinding the tip, so that it is *just* the right size to get it into the stripped +-sign on the screw head. The screwdriver must be ground nice and sharp, like very squared edges, so that it bites into the metal of the screw itself as you turn it.
So, you push rather hard on the screw, with this very sharp driver which you have jammed into the screw, while slowly turning it to remove it.
You have to evaluate how hard you push vs. if the screw turns; as it turns, you need to let off slightly while still turning, so as not to strip the (probably plastic) hole it is in.

I suppose you could still drill the head off the screw if it comes to it -- you might have better luck removing the remaining shaft of the screw with pliers after having opened the case, than you will trying to remove the screw in its current state.

It didn't work...I can't any grip no matter what I try.

The + sign is completely gone now... Its perfectly rounded in there.

I have tried *every* tool in the house.

I scratched up the plastic around it too, so now it looks ugly.

ARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.............................................................................. ............... :( :( :( :( :(

Time to drill the head off. If you do, drill only until the head has been drillled through and begins to spin. Then disassemble the machine and remove the stem of the screw with pliers.

Good luck!

Sasha

About that...

http://hax0rpedia.com/index.php/Disa...g_the_AAO_D250

I can't do that, for two reasons;

1. Disassembly requires access to the cradle screw.
2. I have no idea how to take the thing apart, successfully complete *and* reassemble the computer.

Thanks for your help.

I'm completely out of options, completely out of patience, and completely out of my mind for trying to do this.

Can the head be gripped with plyers?

No...

The space around the screw and the screw itself are both way too small for that. I can't even get a regular knife in there...

Have you tried gluing something to the top of the screw (like the flat end of another screw) and then using pliers to turn the exposed end of whatever is glued to the problem screw.
If the problem screw is not tightly screwed in then you might be able to use some rubber cement else you could try industrial strength glue, just be careful you don't glue the screw to the drive!!

Good luck.

You should give up the idea that you can get the screw out without damaging the plastic.

Take a Dremel, put a cutter disk in, and cut a slot on the screw's head. A deep slot, about 3/4 of the height of the head. I know you damage the plastic, but read the first sentence again. Be careful when cutting that the sides of the slots are perpendicular, and not slanted.

Then loose the screws with a flat screw driver.

Be sure you use a vacuum cleaner while cutting the slow as to avoid any metal particles to fly around.

jlinkels

$8 isn't a bad investment if you really don't want to damage anything.

https://qtena.com/screw-extractor-12...ed-p-4550.html

That should be small enough to get it out. If not or time is of the essence, see the last post above mine. ;-)

Good luck. ;-)

If you do try to drill out the screw, do so with a counter rotation bit. That way as the bit digs in deeper, the screw may loosen up and emerge. (& won't go deeper)

It also helps to sometimes put back all the screws that DID come out easily and tighten them down to almost the same as they were. After that is done, try to address the stubborn screw. Sometimes if you back up and treat the stubborn one first, it will come out more easily. Usually that happens when there is a small misalignment of some panel or perhaps other material at the time that the machine was made.

Loosen and tighten screws evenly, not just one at a time.