At 4:22 PM -0800 1/15/09, glen posted: > ----- Original Message ---- >> From: Steve R <[email protected]> >> My new RAM arrived this morning to upgrade the refurbished iMac >> (aluminum) and when I turned it over, I immediately saw that the >> phillips head screw has been stripped. I even felt the burrs. On the >> off-chance there might be a way to remove it, I've tried various >> sizes using accepted practices but the thing won't budge. It feels >> like someone used a power screwdriver to tighten it (as if they >> feared the RAM modules falling out, duh!) >> >> So how do I remove the screw? Do I really want to go the way of using >> a drill to remove it? What size is the screw so I can replace it if I >> am able to remove it? Do I pack up the iMac and return it for another >> one? There are no local stores. >> > > The last time I had bunged Phillips head screw that would not >release I used a hacksaw blade (sans the saw) and carefully "filed" >a slightly larger slot in the screw. Another tool may also work. >Then I used a small flat blade screw driver to remove the screw. >Another good result of this method (if it works) is you do not have >to replace the screw. You can reuse it provided you do not torque it >tightly.
AppleCare suggested going to my nearest Apple store, which isn't feasible given the distance and the weather. The service rep did manage to track down an authorised reseller/repair that wasn't listed on their site, and bridged the two of us together for a case number and repair arrangements. Still, that's a 90 minute drive, on some accident-prone roads so the rep made note I'd most likely not be taking it in for repair till spring. But... I had 2x2GB OWC RAM sticks in my hands so I called my neighbour down to see what we could come up with. After putting the iMac on its edge upside down, he was able to discover that the screw was actually turning but not backing out of the hole. (I'd been too timid that I was stripping the screw further because of my stroke weakness.) Using 2 "Macintosh-certified" paperclips, I was able to lift the perforated cover off to get to the RAM. High intensity light showed that whoever had started stripping the screw head before I bought the iMac refurbished had put the screw in off-centre and had stripped the threads. So the repair is probably more intensive than first thought because it looks like that entire module needs to be replaced in order to fix the stripped threads. I probably won't take it in for repair in the spring since I've got the maximum RAM installed and really have no reason to be opening the bay again. Unless(!).... Last night I was burning a disc with similar files I'd burned before changing out the RAM. Using the same blanks that had previously burned at 8X, Toast was burning at a slow 1x/2x even though the setting was for 8x. I burned at second disc at 6x but Toast still burned 1x/2x. Is there any reason whatsoever changing RAM should have affected burning speeds? Should/Could I have done a PRAM reset on the restart? Steve R --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed Low End Mac's G3-5 List, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
