Chosen Solution
For about a year now my 3DS XL’s B button has been unresponsive occasionally. Sometimes if I really forced my hand on the button it’d work, but I wanted to fix it naturally. So I attempt to open it up using my 1.5 mm screwdriver that I had previously used to open my Joycons which had suffered from drift. I successfully had removed the back cover, and the battery, and then when trying to get underneath to the actual motherboard I found that one screw wasn’t turning. (I hadn’t stripped a screw before for reference.) So I kept turning and eventually realized that like a dolt I had made the screw’s head into a bowl essentially. I can no longer even move it, I tried the rubberband method, and even tried using a latex glove, both to no avail. It’s likely because this screw is stuck down inside a long drop and nothing I have can really fit down in there other than the screwdriver. (Pics for reference below.)
I am now at a loss… I’d like to avoid using a drill if possible because this hole is tiny and I don’t feel comfortable using a drill in general. Are their any repair services that specialize in removing stripped screws from inside electronics or am I just out of luck? And finally are there screw extractor kits that don’t require a drill, or that could fit inside a 1.5mm hole? I have little knowledge on this stuff in case it’s not obvious enough, so any and all advice is appreciated.
@triert ….it happens. here are a few guides that may help: How to Remove a Stripped Screw https://www.ifixit.com/News/6810/strippe… if these options dont help, post back for a few more ideas. the difficulty here is the frailty of working with a mother board. take your time and dont force on the board too much.
