How do I get out a completely stripped out Philips screw from laptop?

Hi @zworm ,

You could try drilling the head of the screw off with a drill bit the same width as the head.

You only have to drill down far enough to remove the head. Once the head is gone you should be able to lift the cover over the remaining shaft of the screw and then remove the rest of the screw using a pair of pliers etc and unscrewing it. You’ll obviously have to replace the screw with a new one.

Be careful when you remove the cover that no “swarf” (bits of metal) falls back into the laptop. Use a vacuum cleaner to suck it up before lifting the cover

Do not drill down too far and drill through the part of the cover that the screwhead rests on. Also drill straight as again you don’t want to ruin the access hole to the screw etc.

Use a drill on the slowest speed possible to prevent too much damage if you slip etc.

This may be a bit drastic but it does work. Maybe practice a bit beforehand on a screw that you’ve screwed into a suitably sized hole in a block of wood etc.