Another long story short, I am definitely a disaster area around electronics at the moment...

Our in house computer legend is very kindly sorting out my mac - I am typing this on a usb keyboard - and in his box of tools, he has every conceivable screwdriver for every conceivable laptop, tablet and desktop he has ever worked on, but he hasn't got one small enough to remove the 4 microscopic cross head screws securing the motherboard.

I have Googled screwdriver for removing motherboard on 13 inch MacBook Pro mid 90's, and can't get a definitive answer - it would probably be easier to get co-ordinates for the Holy Grail.

So, yet again, a shout out to you chaps to row to my rescue, if i type in a search in Amazon.co.uk I get generic answers for MacBooks, these being either number 00 Phillips or T7, but nothing specific to the model I have.

Kristin and Cathy, have you any ideas?

Why would you have to take a motherboard out of your Mac?

Here is what I would do, if I were you:

Goto macsales.com and for example pick a new internal disk drive (don't buy it, just select one.)
then on the order page you select your laptop model, and most of the time they offer an installation video on the right side of the webpage.

Just watch one of the videos. They explain clearly what tool to use.

hope this helps!

Would a screwdriver for eyeglasses work?

I am not at all technical; it's just a thought.

ETA: I think I'd go with Michael's idea first.

Edited by Debbie Martin (12/04/2014 04:52 PM)
Edit reason: ETA

 Quote: tracey holden

I have Googled screwdriver for removing motherboard on 13 inch MacBook Pro mid 90's, and can't get a definitive answer - it would probably be easier to get co-ordinates for the Holy Grail.

Kristin and Cathy, have you any ideas?

MacBook Pro's weren't introduced until 2006.

These guys are my favorite repair site for repair guides and normally designate clearly what size screw driver is needed.

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac

If you still can't find it PM me your serial number and I'll drop by a shop near me. Some real Mac geniuses work there. I've found the "real" Apple stores to be fairly useless.

Hi Cathy

The model number is 10.9.5 is that what you mean?

I looked on fixit first, but I couldn't find any specific size of screwdriver, but there seems to be more reference to the 15inch than the 13inch, does that make a difference?

i bought this MacBook from a uni friend of Sam's, who brought it over with her from Orange County when she came over here a few years ago - again, I don't know if that is relevant, are these models a regional thing?

The reason for needing to remove the motherboard, is the few drops of coffee I spilt on the keyboard at the weekend has resulted in some built up underneath the keyboard, and while the laptop still works - as evidenced by me using it now! - some of the keys aren't working properly, and we need to remove the motherboard to clean it, it isn't so much the size of the screws, it's the width of the crosshead itself, our guy at work has some really fine milled flat and cross head screwdrivers, but nothing that makes effective purchase on these buggers.

Am pm'ing you my serial number now....

Hi Michael and Debbie ideally I would go into the Apple Store in Norwich, but I would pay more for the hardware and the installation than I would for what I paid for the Mac to start with! I would have a bash at removing and cleaning the components myself, but our chap at work is neuro surgeon to my bull in a china shop, and it won't cost me anything! I have some jewellers screwdrivers that I use to work on my Tajima at work, and some of those parts are micro sized, none of them are the right mill width though.

Sometimes the 13 and 15 inch computers are close enough on the inside that the same repair guide is used.

Couldn't get anything from either the serial or model number.

Most screwdriver sets only go down to a #00 phillips. Many Mac products actually use screws in the #000 phillips size. I spread a cloth out on the table when working with the really tiny buggers. They go flying!

It's a normal phillips head right? Like a plus sign? Is there a sort of dimple on the screw head? They've used several proprietary and security heads to prevent people from trying to mess with "their" stuff. Thankfully there are places like iFixit where I can spend $50 on a new battery and backplate(it's clear!) to keep my paid for and contract-less phone alive. I do NOT like proprietary fasteners.

I have a very specific screwdriver with the perfect head for laptop disassembly that I keep in my office, hidden, so no one can take it - and there's not a single ID mark on it. I'll ask our Mac Guru when he walks in His response was 'go to iFixit.com and look for the Mac service kit' He said he does not have a screwdriver that fits that size either but will probably have to purchase one soon.

Yeah it's a normal cross head, and I did have a bit of a brain wave at work this morning...

I got my smallest flat head the number 00 - I can't even hash tag on this stupid bloody ancient keyboard! - dug out my scalpel blade sharpener and some wet and dry, and started gradually chamfering each side, then smoothed off the uneven bits, and tomorrow when the light is better, I am going to try and gently shift one of the screws, Ayman has begged me not to try and remove the motherboard - not a chance I was going to attempt that - but said it's worth a try.

I love my MacBook, but I hate how they have you by the short and curly's when you want to do a simple recce.

Thanks for checking out the screwdriver query for me, I refuse to give up yet!

Will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Thanks Kristin, I will go back on Ifixit and look at that, I am also having to use a dongle at the moment because my wi-fi hot spot is sketchy too, I am trying to remember if I have broken a mirror recently, because all my life-lines are going horribly Pete Tong!

 Quote: tracey holden

Hi Cathy

The model number is 10.9.5 is that what you mean?

That is your operating system version.

The Model Identifier is in the same place, where you found the serial number.

Spilling coffee on your keyboard is not a good thing, especially if you had a lot of sugar and milk in it ;-(