I am replacing a mainboard and i was following the instruction guide for it. i followed every step till i got to reconnection everything, i was connecting the storage and was trying to unscrew a screw that holds it down but the screwdriver won’t get a grip on it.
whoever screwed it in at the factory really made it tight so i came here asking what to do about it.
Which OS (W11)
Which release of your OS (home)
Which Framework product (Laptop 13, ) and which generation (Intel 11th gen)
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I had a similar issue and could get the screw out with a Wear TX6 driver (so slightly oversized). The driver Framework ships is honestly not that great.
seems every different driver i have if either too big or too small
and the ones that have the most grip just won’t grip, its like i completly morphed this one screw.
i guess i’m gonna have to live with my ssd just not locked in and hope it doesn’t fall out of place.
If you have a flat hobby size screwdriver, you can potentially use one to fit into one of the three possible orientations of the ‘slots’ in the T5 hole. See which slot give you a better bite / grip. You can also ‘sacrifice’ a flat screw driver by sanding down the flat bit width to the exact size needed to get a good grip.
Failing that, if you have a Dremel, cut a slot into the screw head. Like this:
I don’t recommend trying that. Having metal shavings all over your mainboard is not a good idea. And there’s a high chance of damaging something.
The much better option is to get an assortment of proper Torx screw drivers in that range and I’m sure one will fir. If TX5 is too small and TX6 is really too large, which I find unlikely, try to find a Torx Plus or hex bit that maybe fits.
It is not as bad as it sounds really. Some decent quality tape will hold it in place just fine. Plus when everything is put back in place it does not have really anyplace to go.
My go-to if I do not have Kapton tape is 3m Super 33+ electrical tape. Good ahesion, stays flexible a long time, and usually doesn’t leave a residue over a long period of time. Just cut a thin little piece and it will be held there as long as you need it.
Sorry about your stuck screw. My FW 16 had an angry primate (I am joking here) put the screws in mine and some barely made it out before stripping.
FYI the iFixit little tool kits that are about $25 have amazing tips that are much stronger than the one included with the Framework. Worth a shot to try and mangle one of them to get the old screw out.
If you are really adventurous, setup a jig to hold the screwdriver vertically on the screw head like with some masking tape and very carefully put super glue on the screw and insert the tip. Let it cure for a few hours and see if you can not get enough force to at least remove it. Be careful not to get extra glue anywhere or it will be a bigger replacement than just 1 screw!
