Chosen Solution
Trying to upgrade memory but can’t open the memory access door on my Mac. Apple says use a Phillips #2 screwdriver, which I did, but screw won’t come out. It seems to be turning (somewhat) but after a half hour it hasn’t advanced at all.
It sounds like it is stripped and you have a few options.
- Try to pry the door out anyway with the screw in there. Chances are with the stripped threads on the screw, it will come out and you can push the screw out from the back.
- Try to use an easy out tool if you can find one small enough.
- Drill it out carefully
- Grind it out with a dremel.
- Use a left handed drill bit to help it out. Option 3, 4 and 5 will require to find an alternative to refastening when you are done. Good Luck, Frank
The screw could be stripped or… it could have indeed been unscrewed but you may not be able to tell since it is a “captured” screw. Captured means that the screw is retained by the memory access door even though it is unscrewed. So if-in-fact, it has been unscrewed from the frame then you may need to gently, again gently, pry out the memory access door using a plastic spudger tool. If the screw has indeed been unscrewed from the frame, the door ought to come right out. If not then screw most likely is stripped.
I also had a problem with the screw. I finally got it out. When you’re unscrewing it, it doesn’t look like it’s coming out or loosening up, but it is. The head still looks recessed in the hole. I finally got the panel out by sticking a nail file into one of the holes in the grating of the cover and the cover pulled right out. Once the panel was out, installing the memory was easy.
