iPod Screw on IpodMini won't come out, help needed.

[Ileko]

Hello everyone.

I'm trying to change the hard drive in my ipod mini for something better... but first I have to get the guts out!
I can't get one of the screws in the top of the mini out. It will turn but not move up or down. If it moved just a little bit I would just use something to pull it up.

It's on the hold side, not the headphone jack side.
Cannot figure out what is going on or how to get it out. Can I just brute push the guts out from the bottom and hope for the best? I've never opened one of these up before so this is my first experience and am not sure how delicate I should be.

Have any of you encountered this? or have any ideas for a solution?

 

[zedhed]

I've repaired a few of these in the past but never encountered a screw that was stuck like this. Sounds like the threads have stripped. You could drill out the screw head as a last resort.

Trying to push from the bottom without taking the screws out will destroy your iPod! Once you get the screws out, you have to be careful pushing the logic board out. The components on it can snag the underside of the clickwheel.