Help! Motherboard screw and standoff wont come apart.

[Goose]

I had to remove the the motherboard from my NAS in order to fit the back plate to the new CPU cooler and I had trouble with a couple of screws. Basically, instead of screwing out of the standoff the screw remained in the standoff and would actually start to unscrew the standoff itself from the case. I managed to get one of them out but the last one is completely ruined. The screw head is completely rounded over and jammed tight in the standoff, I manged to unscrew the standoff from the case enough that I managed to remove the motherboard from the case with the standoff still attached to the motherboard and screw (see picture below).

I've tried holding the standoff with a pair of pliers to keep it from spinning as I attempt to unscrew the screw but I cant get the screw to move at all due to how messed up the head is and how tightly its screwed in to the standoff. I'm really not sure what to do, all I can think off is to try and drill the screw out but i'm worried about all the little micro fragments of metal getting thrown all over the motherboard.

Anyone have any better ideas?

Link to the pictures are here.

 

[Goose]

I would drill it out at this point.

Use a hoover with the nozzle beside the screw head as you go and that should take care of any little fragments.

At a low speed, there shouldn’t be too much created anyway I would think.

Would you be able to recommend a suitable drill bit (i'm not sure i have anything small enough)?

Other than drilling it
Very small pair of mole grips (called locking pliers by some people)
About the only thing that will grip the screw head
I have a tiny pair
And tiny needle nosed ones too
Unless you have fore arms like popeye
Standard pliers won't hold

I'll see what I can find.

 

[Goose]

I’ve tried every screwdriver in the house with no luck.

I have a dremel tool and I thought about cutting a slot in the screw head to then use a flat head screwdriver but again, I’m worried about metal flying everywhere.

 

[Goose]

If you arrange the Dremel so that the wheel is throwing waste away from the edge of the motherboard it may work - I'd also tape paper down over the board to protect it. Should be doable with care.

Use electrical tape and paper to cover the rest of the motherboard, but try the rubberband trick mentioned above first.

Just bog standard electrical tape to tape the paper down?

 

[Goose]

Crisis averted! I bought a precision screwdriver set and it had the right sized flat head bit to grab the mangled screw head so no drilling required which is a relief.

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions.