Just my luck. Started building only to be held up at the first installation. Primary SSD screw is stripped from the factory. Came to undo it to install the SSD and it would only rotate endlessly, managed to lift and unscrew and it came out but the other SSD screw in the primary hole does the same so itās definitely the hole is either drilled oversize or more likely stripped out during manufacture.
Anyone know if I can install the SSD and the midplate will retain it for now until I can get the problem resolved?
Well, you can tape it but that wouldnāt be very nice. Maybe if you can find an insert and glue it in, it can be a fix considering this is a mechanical issue.
If the screws arenāt completely stripped, you could try to put a little duct tape on the screw to increase grip and try to screw it with a slightly larger screw size.
You can also see if you have other similar sized screws. The only difference might be the length of the screws used, but in my experience, they usually are the same width.
If itās a laptop itāll be a bit harder to get the screw and you will no longer have a screw for your ssd(so make sure itās one a laptop you no longer need) but if itās a desktop, you can check if your motherboard box has extra m.2 screws. Crucial says the standard m.2 size screw is M2x0.4mm so if support doesnāt send you replacements you can just buy some of these (make sure to confirm with support that this is the right size).
Otherwise, just tape it (might have slightly worse thermals but better connectivity) or maybe add some thermal pads on the midplate to press it down (this method might have some connectivity issues).
Sorry to hear that the screw on the motherboard is stripped. Tape will work just fine, just enough over the end of the drive to hold it down until you can put the midplate on.
Midplate will hold it down just fine, the slot will keep it from rotating and the spring tension will keep it connected. As long as you are not tucking it under your arm and reenacting some plays from Monday Night Football it should be good until it can be fixed/replaced.
If you or someone you know has some really small drill bits it can be fixed though it will require some patience and precision.
TL;dr:
Fill screw hole with an epoxy, making sure the epoxy fills all the threads.
Find a drill bit that is a little smaller than the threads of the screw, start small you can always go larger.
Drill (I would by hand) as close to the middle of the hole as possible.
Slowly start to drill the m.2 screw into the freshly drilled hole working it a little bit forward then back to get the threads to ābiteā into the glue. Careful not to get to aggressive or you will strip your glue hole out and will have to start over. [Ideally if you or your friend happens to have the exact tap for that thread size it would be an ideal retap; this may not be as likely though.]
Once you think several threads are biting into the glue it should be good enough to hold the m.2 drive down. Again it does not need very much tension to hold it down just a little.
I would try the tape on the end of the drive route first, then put the midplate on and it should hold it just fine until a more definite fix can be made. Sorry you were met with frustration. Let us know how it turns out.
I have no plans to remedy this myself and if I did Iād machine up a new insert with a thread in it to replace the old one. The problem is the original one is chromed brass which isnāt suitable for very fine threads with little engagement. If the people assembling in the factory can easily strip a thread then the average person could do it easily too.
Not sure why support had me take photos of the packaging and every single side of the laptop for an internal thread that is stripped. If itās standard practice then its incredibly bad and a massive waste of time for every issue.
They are probably checking if the laptop has any other defects so they can fix any other issues along with your internal ssd screw issue all at once without having to send you a replacement for each one.
Doubt it. From the posts I see people post in here about support, they always ask for tons of useless pictures. Most likely itās just their standard support āscriptā they follow that has nothing to do with the actual issue they are required to ask. Outsourcing at its best I imagine.
Iāve sent them pictures of the laptop, packaging and a magnified picture of the damaged thread in the board. Now they want pictures of the screwdriver tip and the head of the screw! Itās beyond a joke, it should be a case of yes that is stripped and here is the solution
Update: I just managed to remove it and it turns out that this screw has no threading at all. I used the screw for the secondary SSD to install my SSD.
Apart from that, I just found a loose screw behind my display which was preventing me from installing the bezelā¦
I did notice that whomever tightened the screws upon assembly of my FW16 really torqued them down tight. Much more so than I did when I reinstalled most of the fasteners (M.2 and Midplate screws) after putting my M.2 drives and DDR5 memory.
The little screws and screw holes are of decent quality however, the laws of physics is limits their survival if overtightened.
Whenever a find a loose or extra screw it reminds me of putting a BBQ together; there are ALWAYS parts left over and you didnāt start out with extras, yet the BBQ seems to function just fine.
Congrats on your working FW16. Hope @Jimsiss gets his replacement board soon instead of having to embark on another fashion photoshoot of his laptop in various states of assembly for supports approval. Clearly it was stripped; mistakes happen; just replace it and if they suspected HE stripped it (going on the 99% chance @Jimsiss is honest) then just charge them for the board. The customer service impact is worth waay more than whatever the cost to RMA a board to make a customer whole.
New laptop on its way, just need to check it over on arrival and transfer the parts. Then I can send the old one back once itās sorted. Fingers crossed itās perfect on arrival and I donāt have to make one out of the twoš
so itās definitely the hole is either drilled oversize or more likely stripped out during manufacture.
