can't get threaded screw out of laptop

[Unique]

i ordered a CPU to upgrade my old dell laptop and in preparation i started to disassemble it to get to the CPU ready to install when it arrives hopefully tomorrow

i took out about 2 dozen screws but the last screw i need to get out is threaded, and i can't get the top of the laptop off to get at the mobo/CPU. i googled up a few suggestions but whilst i have a load of different screwdrivers i don't have a drill setup and wouldn't want to try drilling near my laptop as i'm not the best/neatest person to do stuff like that

does anyone have any tips or tricks to get this out? like using heat or superglue?

the screw is down a hole thats about 1cm down and it's a small screw like on a power plug, so i can't use plyers to unscrew, which is what i often do in similar cases like this

it's really annoying as i've wasted money if i can't get it open, and i'm not completely confident about getting it all back together again and working, although i haven't done anything rash yet. it doesn't look like i can just force it off by breaking it as i'm likely to break something bad, and not like the tv show

any tips or help would be greatly appreciated, thanks

[Kumagoro]

When I have come across that problem I try a few different screw drivers to see if any have a slightly better fit. I then push down very hard and sort of do little micro turns again and again. It's kind of hard to explain but it eventually works. I think the little impacts slowly work it loose. But you have to push down hard and get a feel for it.

[Unique]

i tried almost every screwdriver i could. i was using the right screwdriver in the first place too. i had a box of about 10 tiny screwdrivers for opening iphones and things but that didn't work. i tried superglue but that didn't work but i may not have done it right. i was wondering if maybe there was a type of repair shop that i could take it to for a quick fix, otherwise i'll have to put it back together and i've wasted money on the CPU upgrade, which was from ebay so i can't send back, suppose i could resell but i really want the upgrade and if i wait too long and it's faulty i can't claim with ebay

[Rob_B]

Have you got any of those bits that take out worn screws? I've got some but they are 'normal' screwdriver width so might not fit but you may be able to buy smaller?

[Funkstar]

A small drill bit might do what you want.

The sharp edges of the grooves in the bit should bight on the worn head of the screw and help turn it. You don't want to do this with a power drill, but you do get drill bits that fit in standard hex tip screw driver bodies.

If all else fails, then just drill out the screw head and forget about using that screw hole in the future.

[mkell]

I used a a hand drill with a small drill bit just to slowly get through the screw head.
I wasn't keen on using an electric drill in case i get an itchy trigger finger and mangled my mates laptop

[Unique]

i don't have any drill bits to remove screws. i do have a power drill that the previous property owner left behind, and it does work, but i can't honestly remember what i used it for, maybe putting up a mirror when i moved in years ago. i'm not good with DIY and powertools and stuff like that, don't have a proper tool kit but have umpteen screw drivers and a few drill bits for the drill

i don't mind if i never have to use that screwhole again as there was about 12 screws at least holding the case together and that screw wasn't in a corner, so if i need to spend a reasonable amount to buy some parts and even a hand drill, i don't mind if that's going to do the job. put it this way, if someone could turn up and do it i'd give them £20, so to spend the same and be left with some stuff that may be handy in the future is fine

only thing is, how do i figure out what type of "bit" and hand drill (i presume this means a manually turned drill, not electric?) do i need? how do i measure one of the screws i took out to determine the right thing i need?

it looks like the screws go into a metal surrounding, so they aren't screwed into plastic

at the moment it's almost like a half ball shaped hole on the top of the screw, from what i can see looking down the hole. there's nothing really for a screwdriver to grip to and turn

those who mention drilling, do you mean you literally drill the full length of the screw, thus 1.5 centimetres for example, which would presumably mash the screw and surroundings into small parts of metal? i don't mind if it gets the job done, it's on the base of the laptop, it doesn't need to look pretty, but i don't want to wreck the thing

[Rob_B]

To drill it (check width) - http://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-extractor-set/18643

I have a set of these though - http://www.amazon.co.uk/V1810-JML-Sc.../dp/B0046UQ7W0

[Funkstar]

If you are going to drill it out (instead of using a drill to turn the screw) then you only need to go past the screw head, not the whole thread.

What is the diameter of the screw head? Probably about 4-5mm I suspect. What about the thread itself, probably about 2-3mm. I would guess that a 3 or 4mm drill would do it.

Something like this: http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/25112...var=sbar&cbt=y

Would let to put a drill bit in a screw driver, allowing you to push really hard on the screw head, force the drill bit to bight into the metal of the screw and perhaps turn the screw.

[Funkstar]

@Rob

I would ahve thought they would be a little too big for removing a laptop screw. I presume the 4-11mm of the set on Screwfix is for the screw thread rather than the head.

[Kumagoro]

Use a nice sharp edged Philips and use your weight to push down very hard. They will come out the screws are quite soft

[Unique]

If you are going to drill it out (instead of using a drill to turn the screw) then you only need to go past the screw head, not the whole thread.

What is the diameter of the screw head? Probably about 4-5mm I suspect. What about the thread itself, probably about 2-3mm. I would guess that a 3 or 4mm drill would do it.

Something like this: http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/25112...var=sbar&cbt=y

Would let to put a drill bit in a screw driver, allowing you to push really hard on the screw head, force the drill bit to bight into the metal of the screw and perhaps turn the screw.

the screw is tiny, it's for a dell vostro 1700. the head is about 3.5mm and the thread about 2.5mm roughtly from memory and looking at a ruler (as i'm at work now)

a friend suggested a drill bit that's a third of the size of the screw, but that would be about the size of 3 sewing needles

are what you saying is that you just drill the head of the screw, and then you use something else to twist the rest of the screw out, so the drill makes a new grip for removal?

i was concerned that if i hit something too hard onto the screw to try and force a new "head"/grip to unscrew that maybe it would end up making the screw part stick even tighter and thus harder to get out

[Unique]

Use a nice sharp edged Philips and use your weight to push down very hard. They will come out the screws are quite soft

you mean push a new head onto the screw, and then twist out?

[grayg1]

Reverse drilling might help to just catch the screw head and turn it that little bit you need to start it off.

I wouldn't use a power drill to go through it, as it it will probably go through the screw instantly. If you want to drill into it you need to to do it very slowly so you just about snap the head off, after that it will be very easy to remove the rest of the broken screw. The ideal thing would be a cordless electric screwdriver with adjustable torque set fairly weak and fitted with a drill bit that is a tiny bit smaller than the screws thread (not the head). Slowly drill the centre of the screw until the head comes off.

Funnily enough I had to do this very recently when removing a screw from a graphics card, which involved drilling very close to the circuit board. It's fairly safe aslong as you take your time and like I said do it slowly with low torque so you don't just blow straight through it.

[Unique]

ok, i got it open, i was about to try the superglue trick and ended up filling the hole with glue and then i thought of something else, so stuck paper in the hole to stop glue dripping, and i found another hidden screw, that let me twist the case a bit but wasn't working, so i spent time trying to gouge the now hard paper and glue out the hole and scratching at the surroundings, but in the end i got screwdrives on both sides to gently as possible lever it open, and eventually it did, snapping the plastic inside that surrounded the metal screw holder, so very very fortunately no damage inside apart from that, and just cosmetic scratches on the outside, which i don't mind at all, especially on the botton and the side

i managed to get the heatsink off and old CPU out, and remove the old thermal paste, but the new paste didn't turn up with the CPU so if it doesn't turn up in tomorrows post i'll get some from a store. but now i got the jigsaw puzzle to stick humpty dumpty back together again. place bets on how many screws will be left over at the end...

as long as i get it back together in some shape that's solid and it works, i'll be a very happy man

thanks for everyones help again, it's all appreciated greatly, even if the solutions aren't used, the emotional support is useful to avoid tearing my hair out in frustration

[Onkston]

When you're putting it back together again you can use this

ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_laptop/esuprt_vostro_notebook/vostro-1710_Service%20Manual_en-us.pdf

I have found the service manuals very useful recently when fixing friends laptops. You can usually find them on the dell/hp etc websites