On Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:00:55 -0400, Ron Hardin
wrote:

I've stripped two of the screws holding the hard
drive in my laptop (apparently lock-tite'd, from
the crack! noise the other two made when unscrewed
in my best philips screwing technique). (The chat
agent on the line unhelpfully had just asked me to
try removing the HD and memory, which is the rough
equivalent in this model of ``remove roof and
temporarily set aside'' for home repairs, as you
have to remove the screen and keyboard to get at
the memory. It must have been a little chat-agent
joke. Anyway that project stopped when the screws
stripped.)

I take it the next step is a screw extractor,
which I see too large a variety of to make a
choice. What's the most probably successful kind
of screw extractor? I have no experience with
extractors. I'd experiment, but would like to get
it done as neatly as possible on the first try.

Very tiny philips screw. A 3/32 drill fits in the
hole left by the other, removed, screws.

If I understand you right two small Phillips head screws never moved.
The heads just stripped. If that's the case:

Do the heads stick up enough to grab on to? If so use needle nosed
Vise Grips.
http://www.tylertool.com/vis6ln6need...urce=shopzilla

Or use a small dremel with a paper thin cut off wheel and put a screw
driver slot in them.
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/dremel/409/

If I understand you right two small Phillips head screws never moved.
The heads just stripped. If that's the case:

Do the heads stick up enough to grab on to? If so use needle nosed
Vise Grips.
http://www.tylertool.com/vis6ln6need...urce=shopzilla

Or use a small dremel with a paper thin cut off wheel and put a screw
driver slot in them.
http://www.toolbarn.com/product/dremel/409/

Additionally: Use the dremel cut off wheel to machine flats on the
outside of the screw head. Then use the needle nosed Vise Grips.


You can also purchase left hand drills. Try to make the tip catch when
drilling.
http://www.mytoolstore.com/hanson/hanson.html