the screw securing my macbook pro's HDD is stripped. How can i remove it?
Are there any special tools you guys use?
I'm going to take it to the apple service centre tomorrow (out of warranty), but if they fail I'm afraid the only other option is to drill the whole screw out and leave a gaping hole in it's place.
Also, for such an expensive machine they could have used better quality screws.
I suggest using a dremel to drill it out. There really isn't any other way. If you have the right drill bit then it won't leave a huge hole, you can drill out part of the screw and push the rest of the screw out of the hole. Of course, if you have shaky hands you will have a hard time.
thanks. I might try that.
the problem is it's a laptop, so there is no other side of the hole to push the screw out of as it attaches the bracket to the hard drive. Here's a photo:
http://www.file-extensions.org/imgs/articles/3/284/macbook-pro-late-2008-remove-hard-drive-bracket.jpg
Ideally i'd like to salvage the hard drive and repurpose it (it works), but if i have to sacrifice it so be it. I have a 1TB replacement.
Will see what the apple "geniuses" can do. Otherwise it's drill time!
Try these methods - http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-Stripped-Screw
Drill it out as a last resort. I've used the last method (I used a rubber glove) and had good results.
Best of luck and dont be tempted to get frustrated with it and make it worse.
So I'm a bit confused, you want to re-purpose the hard drive yet you don't want to leave a big hole where the screw used to be. I guess my question is are you planning on reusing the laptop too?
if i have to get rid of the drive it's ok. I need to be able to use the laptop though.
will leave the drill for the last resort.
Very easy.
You take a small piece of metal, like a key for instance, you put a drop of superglue on the edge, you press against the screw, you wait a few secs until it cures, and you have a handle on your screw with which to twist and pull it out. Usually these screws don't take much force to pull out, they just need a tiny bit of wiggling and twisting. If the screw head is stripped instead of the thread, you can do the same with a drop of glue on a precision screwdriver. If that doesn't suffice, you take a tiny file (a ladies nail file suffices if it's such a soft metal screw, I personally use a sharp edge diamond file from http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/814532/Mini-Feilen-Satz-13tlg-RONA?ref=searchDetail for that, which only takes a few seconds of filing), and file a slot across the head, to fit a flathead screwdriver on it, which again you help with a little cyanoacrylate for a positive grip.
Okay this makes more sense, I thought you just wanted the hard drive. I would follow Zoltans advice with the super glue, the file may be a bad idea, metal flakes around an open computer doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Or you could try some kind of rubber like an eraser from the back of a pencil and apply a slight pressure as you unscrew it.
You can use your dremel tool to cut a slot in the top of the screw(s). Then simply use a flat-head screw driver to remove the screw. I had to do this a couple of times tearing apart an old G5. Good luck.
BTW if you dont have a dremel tool then shame on you lol. You can use a file or a small hack saw to do the job.
If the threads of the screw are stripped, then the only real option is to drill the screw out. To do this properly, find out from a reliable source, such as a tech repair support shop/site what the outer thread diameter is and find a drill bit of that size. I would recommend using an actual drill or a high-torque low-speed dremel to drill out the screw with. It is also useful to know how long the screw is from the top of the screw to the tip of the screw. If you can find that information out, measure the length of the screw on the tip of the drill bit and mark the length by wrapping the bit with a piece of masking tape. Then all you have to do is drill down as far as the tape marks and you should be okay to attempt the drive removal. You'll also want to make sure that you completely remove all metal shavings from your computer, as these could potentially cause shorts and damage your laptop. after you've done all of that, you can go down to your local hardware store and find a suitable replacement for the screw that you've just drilled out, just make sure that the outer thread diameter is slightly larger, so that it can create it's own threads in the aluminum.
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.
Update: I tried the superglue/screwdriver option but it didn't work. Couldn't grip the screw well enough as the head is very stripped. Will get a dremel (and/or file) on my way home tonight and will try that.
SUCCESS!!
I got a dremel (and safety glasses) and cut a slot down the middle of the screw head and used a flat head screwdriver to unscrew the threaded screw. No damage to the old HDD. I've replaced it with my new 1TB drive and am updating the OS as I type this.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! Much appreciated.
The Dremel tool did it. Broke it out after it was sitting in a closet for 10 years thankfully had correct bit. At stay flathead slot for it and sure enough within seconds I unscrewed it now I can take my hard drive out of the slot move it down one and put a bigger graphics card in my old PC So.