Inside a PowerBook G4

[Bobby]

OK, so I'm on the last step on replacing the dead hard drive of a PowerBook G4 ... and the final screw is mangled, so there ain't no way of turning it.

Anyone got any experience with this kind of thing? Is drilling it out the only solution?

[trashcanmonkey]

are you shure its an essential one? could you borrow one from a less important area?
when i opened up my old ibook i think i lost half a dozen screws! but managed in the end as many were not completely needed, ie there was allready another screw in place nearby....

[Bobby]

Unfortunately I'm still going the other way ... the whole thing is disassembled apart from one final screw which holds down the metal bracket in between the hard drive and dvd-writer.

For some reason that one screw was weaker than all the rest, and lost its head to the screwdriver! I'm stuck, I reckon, unless anyone's got any ideas ...?

I think I'll just have to risk drilling it ...

[Gordy]

You could try scraping a slot in whatever head is remaining? Drilling will need to be slow and very tidy start with a very small bit and work up.

[dave87]

Can you lift it up from the hole with a small screw driver (flat headed one) and then use a pair of needle-nose plyers to rotate it (give that it is the head rather than the screw thread that has gone)

Dave

[Bobby]

Well, I finally got around to this. Thanks for the suggestions - a combination of them was successful in removing the elusive screw, and the trusty Powerbook is now back in action.

Of course, I've still got three screws left over ... not a clue where they were supposed to go.

[GoNz0]

there spares

[Bobby]

Indeed, never know when I might need them!

I also seem to have acquired a length of metal which looks suspiciously like it should be inside the laptop ...

Maybe it'd be a good idea to send it back to Apple to sort next time.

[dave87]

Wheres the fun in that?

[alsenior]

true my dell c610had about 10 of 30 screws holding it together for almost a year. there was just 2 holding the screen on. they use more screws than nessecery to put off casual tamperers