Solved! Help! I stripped some screws in my laptop! Please tell me the exact tools I need to get them out.

[hardwarenoob1995]

*I've tried the rubber band and also the superglue method. Neither works.

I am trying to open up my laptop to replace the hinges and back cover, but I ended up stripping two screws in the process. Either they were screwed in too tight or I am using the wrong screw driver. I'm gonna go to walmart this sunday to get a nicer screw driver set and maybe a drill? I don't know what I need.


Please tell me the tools I need to get these stupid screws out so I can fix my laptop. My screen is falling apart.

 

[Saga Lout]

If you haven't completely messed them up, a Neodymium magnet might be your best friend.

If it's the female thread on the motherboard that's been stripped there's no need to waste any more time. Break the case open by leverage and hope you don't mess up the hard drive.

How did you think an elastic band would do the trick?.

 

[hardwarenoob1995]

If you haven't completely messed them up, a Neodymium magnet might be your best friend.

If it's the female thread on the motherboard that's been stripped there's no need to waste any more time. Break the case open by leverage and hope you don't mess up the hard drive.

How did you think an elastic band would do the trick?.

I don't know what a female thread is, but yeah it's the screws for my hard drive. I don't want to break it. I'll check out the neodymium magnet. Thanks.
How bad does it look?

I read that sticking a rubber band into the screw would give it more grip or something. It didn't work.

 

[Saga Lout]

A screw is the male and the threaded hole for it go into is the female. Your pic shows the screw holes in the hard drive and they are the females but to my eyesight, they seem to be clear of any broken screw. Maybe the other long side looks different.

Your 2.5" drive is very delicate so if you want to keep the data intact, tread very carefully. Many folks will scream at me for recommending such a strong magnet but I've worked near thousands of hard drives with no loss data that hadn't already gone.

Put the magnet as close to the blade's end and that may just help the screwdriver enough to turn the screw.

A Pozi screw - formerly knows as Phillips - is a cross hole and a Torque is more star shaped. They do NOT - interchange.

Good luck.

 

[hardwarenoob1995]

A screw is the male and the threaded hole for it go into is the female. Your pic shows the screw holes in the hard drive and they are the females but to my eyesight, they seem to be clear of any broken screw. Maybe the other long side looks different.

Your 2.5" drive is very delicate so if you want to keep the data intact, tread very carefully. Many folks will scream at me for recommending such a strong magnet but I've worked near thousands of hard drives with no loss data that hadn't already gone.

Put the magnet as close to the blade's end and that may just help the screwdriver enough to turn the screw.

A Pozi screw - formerly knows as Phillips - is a cross hole and a Torque is more star shaped. They do NOT - interchange.

Good luck.

Uh, so I was impatient and ended up ripping out my hard drive and took off that metal thingie with the stripped screw. Thankfully, it still works.
and, this was a lot harder than expected. I was able to fix my hinges, but I broke my web camera in the process, haha. No big deal though. I never used it anyway. Still, I should have just went to a repair shop. Wasted my sunday for this piece of trash.

 

[Saga Lout]

Over sixty years ago, a school teacher told me that no time was wasted if something was learnt. Thanks for reminding that one.

 

[hardwarenoob1995]

Over sixty years ago, a school teacher told me that no time was wasted if something was learnt. Thanks for reminding that one.

You're welcome. That is pretty good advice.
I have another question sort of related question.
How common are bloated laptop batteries in general (and for acer laptops) and how can I prevent it from happening to mine?
I didn't pay much attention to the battery as I was fixing my laptop, but last night, I learned that laptop batteries can apparently expand and explode. It freaked me out so much that I opened up my laptop again just to check mines out. It looks okay, but I've had this laptop for a little over 2 years now. Do you think it's time to replace it (battery)? I keep my laptop on a cooling pad at all times. Does that help at all?