[OMGWTFBBQ]

Reading the manual makes it sound easy enough. They say disconnect the power supply, any other devices connected to the machine, and take out the battery.
Done and done.

Then it says to take a Phillips #0 screwdriver and remove the cover in the center of the case. I think we have all removed screws in the past, this should be easy enough.

I had read that it was vital to have a Phillips #0, and to be very gentle with the screws.

Well, I was using a Phillips #0, and I was gentle. Apparently the screws are made of butter though.

If I pressed down on the memory cover plate hard enough that I was wondering if I was causing internal damage (both to me and the laptop), then I could remove the bottom two screws - still nearly stripping them in the process - and I can assure you I was being VERY careful).

But then no amount of pressing, tapping, cooling, heating, banging, or swearing would remove the top two screws.

Before doing this (and after, and during breaks during the process), I tried doing web searches and searching here on this board - but the board tells me every single time that there was a problem and I should try again - I try again ... and it says it again. Top notch.

So now I have two screws that I can get out, and two that I can't (the two that are in there as if they are fused to the metal are the two closest to the hinge of the Powerbook).

I know in the manual that it says I should take it to an authorized dealer - and believe me, I would - except that I live in Bermuda and there is no authorized dealer here.
Assuming that there is an authorized dealer somewhere in North Carolina, then that would be the nearest one - at over 750 miles away.

So at this point, I'm not really sure what I can do. I'm up for suggestions. Are there walk in places in the States that I can have it done? I know that in Cambridgeside Galleria in Cambridge MA there is an Apple Store - were I to go in there with my laptop, would they be able to open it and replace it?

I have 2GB of RAM here that cost me over $1000 and I can't get it into my laptop. To say that this is frustrating is an understatement.

[iREZ]

Take it to the Apple store, I'm sure they help you out. Also you might get lucky and they might fix it right there on the spot if they have an extra PB laying around for spare parts and such. I've seen people get quick fix repairs done at the Apple stores here in LA, hopefully its the same in Cambridge.

[pippiwong]

most apple stores do on-site fixes. they should be able to remove the plate/screws on the spot and even insert your ram for you. you should ask them for a couple of extra screws as well. they use blue loctite on the screws to secure them in place. i know when i initially opened my ram slot, i was a bit scared cause i didn't think i'd have to use as much torque as i did. but eventually, they turned.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

I asked around at two hardware stores here on the island to see if I could find more screwdrivers that were Phillips #0 - they acted like I was asking for a magic goose that laid golden eggs. They said they doubt anyone on the island has those. Great.

I am going to try every jeweler and watch sales place here. There is a store here that sells Macs - but they charge twice as much for the Macs and I don't think they do any service there (they just mail it back to the States, which I can do myself and skip having to pay them to do).

If all of that goes bust, then that means I have to either buy a $800 ticket to the States, fly there, get this fixed, and then come back... which I really don't want to do.
Or I have to ship the thing to a friend and have him take it in and then ship it back. That in itself is also going to be a huge hassle due to customs here - they will try to charge me $1000 duty on it again (I can get around that by proving that I already have - but I know for certain they will charge it again and then I have to get the money back by proving it again).

Up until this point I have been very please with Apple - but this is absolutely ridiculous.
I guess I learned my lesson to pay the extra charges up front when you are having your system sent because it is useless to try later.

This is by far the most expensive RAM I've ever bought - including since the days when it was hundreds per meg.

[urban]

It's funny how you asked.
I just installed a 256MB of RAM in my laptop.

I unscrewed 3 screws no problem, but the last one, as u said it, was made of butter. I tried everything, pin, saftey pin, pencil. None would work. Eventually I took out a pocket size swiss army knife and used the tip of it to unscrew the screw.

[daimoni]

Originally posted by OMGWTFBBQ:
Up until this point I have been very please with Apple - but this is absolutely ridiculous.
I guess I learned my lesson to pay the extra charges up front when you are having your system sent because it is useless to try later.

I had a proper #00 screwdriver and it took me less than 5 minutes to install the RAM I bought from a 3rd party vender.

I'm sorry you're having trouble installing your RAM.

However, I don't see how you can blame or be unpleased with Apple just because you don't seem to be able to perform the installation yourself.

Now stop being so self-defeatist and get back in the game and try again. You can do this, if you believe in yourself.

Or at least get outside, enjoy the sun and build some muscle.

[chabig]

You must have Radio Shack stores in Bermuda. They sell a set of six phillips screwdrivers. I highly recommend the set. One of those will fit.

Chris

[adrianl]

I had no probs using a Phillips 00 screwdriver, but i was very careful not to strip the tiny screws. The 00 came in a set of jewellers screwdrivers that cost equiv of a few bucks here in UK, and which I bought just because they included the magic 00 size!

Adrian

[Dr.Michael]

This is a common problem: You have unscrewed two screws and now the whole pressure lasts on the remaining two. They don't move of course.

So screw in agan the first two screws. This will release the pressure on the last two and they will come out eventually. If not, put the screwdriver into the slits of the screws and hit (gentle but not too gentle) on top of the screwdriver.

After that the screws will come out.
But you are right: They are really made of butter :o)

[Squozen]

I managed it fine with a very teensy Philips head.. no stripping of screws, and the extra 512Mb works great. Good luck, it can be done!

[OMGWTFBBQ]

Well, the Phillips #0 that I had was in a jeweler's kit - the kind with the very thin handles. Like I said, I got two of them off, but couldn't get the other two - and suspected that they were stripped to the point of no return.

I drove around the island trying to get more Phillips #0 - hoping that different types would help - but nobody had them (and acted like I was insane for wanting them).

My landlord happened to be coming by to repair our washing machine and while he was doing so, I rummaged through his tools and saw that he had two Phillips #0 heads that could be swapped out of various tools - most notably a power drill.

Now I knew that the power drill, even on its lowest torque setting was not what I wanted.
I tried just barehanding the little thing, but that didn't work.
Finally I noticed a nice and thick handled device that it would slide into and I gave that a shot.

Sure enough - got them out!

Obviously not all Phillips #0 are made the same - the kind I had were from those 6 piece jeweler sets and it wasn't very "sharp" or "pointy" - and for these screws, at least on mine - I needed something less blunt.

I then popped it open, pulled out the old RAM and tossed in the 2GB and then put the cover back on. This time making sure not to torque them down very hard at all (they won't be coming out on their own either though).

I am glad that I didn't need to get them drilled out.

So basically if it isn't working for you - try to get a sharper/pointier Phillips #0 - in the States that should be fairly trivial since there should be many stores that carry them.

Interestingly enough, now with 2GB of RAM in, the Powerbook is using less RAM than when I had 512MB. Very odd. With the 512MB, it would constantly sit about about 370MB or so that were being used.
Now it seems to cruise at 250MB or so and there is very little if any disk paging - which is all that I wanted out of this anyway.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

Another thing I am noticing is that the Powerbook gets much hotter now with this RAM in. Even though before I had in two cards of 256MB and now I have 2 cards still, I suppose the increased density makes a big difference.

Before the Powerbook was just at the point where one could argue it either way as to whether it was too hot to use on the lap (usually only got very hot when it was really using the processor a lot).

But now, just doing basic things will result in the Powerbook getting much hotter than it would have with less RAM in it.

I wouldn't have expected that, so it is interesting to note.