Unsolved
3 Posts
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1221
January 7th, 2022 15:00
Aurora R9, cannot remove side panel
I bought my Alienware a year or two back and it runs great...for now. The warranty expired January 6, 2021. I have a dog that sheds A LOT so about 6 months in I wanted to remove the case and clean out the inside because I know there has to be dog hair in there. Well, the screw was overtightened or put in with lock tight...either way it stripped out (rather easily actually). Here I am almost two years later and never cleaned out the inside and I still have the same dog. The interior of this thing has to be VERY full of hair and probably going to kill the computer eventually this $3,000 computer mind you. I would rather avoid that, but I am unable to find another way to open this case without physically destroying it. Can anyone help?
Vanadiel
6 Professor
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7K Posts
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January 8th, 2022 11:00
Did you strip the head, or the thread?
If the tread is stripped, as in screw keeps turning forever, you can try pulling on it with needle nose pliers (gently), while you keep unscrewing it. That usually ends up with the thread gripping again to get the screw out.
If you stripped the head of the screw, you can try a different type screwdriver and try to get it to wedge into the head enough to turn the screw. If not, an easyout is the best option, but that will destroy the screw in the process. You will need a drill for the easyout. Officially they are called screw extractors, but everyone who uses these calls them easyouts.
Screw extracctor
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
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17.1K Posts
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January 8th, 2022 12:00
1. Like @Vanadiel posted, you use pliers an Easy-Out or ask a friend to use a Dremel Tool to grind-off the head of the little-baby screw.
2. Please try our tips. Don't break your nice computer.
guardian1816
3 Posts
0
January 10th, 2022 17:00
Sadly the head is stripped out completely. Interestingly enough, it took very little effort to do this. The screw is very firmly in there. I may have to try some type of extractor even though historically I have never had much luck with those either.
jdubyas
1 Rookie
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52 Posts
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January 10th, 2022 22:00
If you are very careful, you can use superglue another flat head machine screw and glue a nut on the new screw sticking out and use a wrench to remove the stripped screw. I've done this once.