What workarounds did people try for "How to remove a stripped recessed retaining screw"?

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Community members documented 174 workarounds:
1. Drilling out the screw head
2. Using a bolt extractor kit
3. Applying heat carefully
4. Using a pipe wrench
5. Using vice grips
6. Drilling out the bolt and using a left-handed drill bit
7. Using a manual impact screwdriver with a hammer
8. Using a regular or micro screw extractor kit
9. Using an impact driver or hand impact with a torx bit
10. Cutting a slot with a die grinder
11. Using a chisel or punch and hammer to turn it loose
12. Using a left-hand twist drill bit or reverse drill bit
13. Applying penetrating oil like WD-40 or PB Blaster
14. Apply penetrating oil or PB Blaster and let it soak
15. Give it light taps with a hammer to break rust
16. Use a flame wrench or a freezer spray
17. Increase leverage using a breaker bar or a pipe extension
18. Ensure the correct direction and exact hex socket size are used
19. Weld a washer to the bolt then weld a nut to the washer
20. Look for a mobile welder or mobile mechanic
21. Using penetrating fluid and letting it rest overnight
22. Removing the caliper to work on it in a vice
23. Using vice grips to grab a rounded screw
24. Replacing the wheel cylinder if the bleeder breaks
25. Welding a nut onto the broken stub to turn it out
26. Cutting a slot with a Dremel and using a flathead screwdriver
27. Using a rotary cutter to cut it off
28. Drilling out the fastener and using a screw extractor
29. Using needle-nose vice grips
30. Replacing the damaged component part entirely
31. Cutting a slot in the bolt for a flathead bit
32. Using extractor sockets with penetrating oil
33. Flattening out the sides with a file to use vice grips
34. Using a chisel and hammer
35. Welding a nut or piece of rebar onto the bolt
36. Using a center punch and hammer to collapse the remaining bolt
37. Using a reverse threaded bolt extractor
38. Hammering an Allen head key into the hole to grab and unscrew the remnant
39. Finishing the helicoil repair despite being off-center and filing the cover hole to fit
40. Spraying penetrating fluid (PB Blaster) and tapping with a hammer
41. Using specialized bolt extraction sockets hammered onto the head
42. Using an angle grinder to cut a slot into the screw head for a flathead screwdriver
43. Using vise-grip pliers to grip the sides of the fastener
44. Welding a nut onto the screw head to use a socket wrench
45. Grab it with vice grips
46. Use penetrating oil
47. Weld a nut on top of it
48. Using an impact screwdriver
49. Hammering a flat chisel or punch to create a slot or break the rust bond
50. Using a reverse drill bit
51. Using a motorized impact wrench
52. Hammering on a 1 mm smaller 12-point socket
53. Using specialized 6-point sockets like Snap-on FDX
54. Grinding the bolt head off or cutting horizontally
55. Pounding a cheap 12-point socket over the outside of the bolt head
56. Using a hand-held impact driver to break the bolt loose
57. Applying valve grinding compound to the bit tip for extra grip
58. Grab the bottom nut with a skinny 10mm wrench while spinning the top nut off.
59. Use angled needle nose pliers to grab the bottom nut while using an impact tool to remove the top nut.
60. Using a heavier mallet or 2lb sledgehammer with an impact driver
61. Applying penetrating fluid like PB Blaster and letting it sit
62. Chiseling a groove into the screw head to turn it
63. Applying heat with a propane or MAPP gas torch
64. Using a bolt extractor socket and hammering it onto the fastener
65. Using an air hammer to turn it counter-clockwise
66. Drilling out the center of the stud with hardened drill bits
67. Using a holesaw bit
68. Using a heat torch or induction bolt heater
69. Grabbing the sleeve with vice grips and using an impact wrench
70. Cutting the bolt and purchasing a replacement
71. Welding another nut onto the broken bolt
72. Buying a salvage replacement part
73. Removing the entire assembly for better access
74. Drilling out the bolt and using a torx bit
75. Using a proper penetrating oil like PB Blaster instead of WD-40
76. Cutting a slot in the screw head for a flathead screwdriver using a Dremel tool
77. Using an extractor bit or easy out tool
78. Using pliers to grab the screw
79. Applying heat with a torch to the screw head before penetrating oil
80. using a handheld flathead screwdriver with a tight fit and sharp corners
81. pushing hard and tapping the screwdriver with a hammer to shock the threads
82. using a penetrating oil instead of standard WD-40
83. Try an easy out extractor tool
84. Soak in penetrating oil like Kroil for a couple of days
85. Using a pick or tiny flathead to dig out paint from the screw slots
86. Dremeling a new slot into the screw head
87. Removing the shelving tracks completely with sledge hammers and pry bars
88. Applying penetrating oil daily and tapping the screw with a screwdriver and hammer
89. Shoving a crowbar under the cap and prying it off
90. Sliding the cap over and cutting it with an oscillating tool using a diamond blade
91. Drilling out the old screw and using a larger self-tapping screw
92. Heating up the existing screw to loosen it
93. Hammering a larger or oversized bit onto the stripped bolt
94. Dropping the entire transmission pan
95. Using E torx extractors or an extractor kit with a hammer and ratchet or impact wrench
96. Using stripped-screw or needle-nose pliers
97. Soldering another screw onto the remaining nub
98. Using an angle grinder to cut a slot into the screw
99. Installing the component using fewer screws
100. Using a different sized Torx bit such as a T47 instead of a T45 or T50 to salvage and remove the stripped bolt
101. Using needle nose pliers
102. Using a mini hacksaw
103. Using a rotary tool or dremel
104. cutting it off
105. Using an impact driver
106. Applying penetrating oil
107. Trying a plunger
108. Using an extractor set
109. Drilling a small hole in the center of the bolt and hammering a torx bit or easy-out into it
110. Welding a nut onto the rest of the bolt
111. Putting the coil back in and running it without the bolt
112. Applying WD-40
113. Putting a screwdriver underneath while turning to create a prying motion
114. Using a utility knife blade under the screw thread while unscrewing
115. Using a spiral screw extractor with cutting fluid and a pilot hole
116. Using left-hand drill bits instead of spiral extractors
117. Installing a helicoil or timesert if the threads get chewed up
118. using an extractor socket
119. pulling up on the part while turning the bolt
120. using vice grips to hold and pull while turning
121. using a threaded bolt extractor
122. using sockets with a half size step
123. hammering on a smaller hex socket
124. using a nut splitter or chisel
125. taking the vehicle to a mechanic
126. Trying the rubber band trick
127. Hammering the Allen key into the screw
128. Using WD40
129. Heating with a soldering iron and melting a crayon into it
130. hammering a smaller or socket onto the bolt
131. grinding the sides of the bolt down to fit a smaller socket
132. Using an allen key or torx bit in the center of the stud to hold it
133. Clamping vise grips, channel locks, or a clamp on the back of the joint to prevent rotation
134. Using an impact wrench to loosen or snap the fastener
135. Cutting off the fastener using a grinder, cutoff wheel, or torch
136. Using an angle grinder
137. Cutting a line in the middle of the screw and using a flathead with an impact screwdriver
138. Tapping it around with a small chisel
139. Using penetrating oil like Kroil
140. Drilling new holes for the plate
141. Drilling it out and using a nut on the backside
142. Drilling them out oversized and using stainless rivnuts
143. Purchasing a set of tamper-proof Allen wrenches or security bits from a hardware store to remove the screw
144. Cutting the threads off the pipe and installing a rubber no-hub coupling with a trap adapter.
145. Drilling out the broken screw and tapping the hole to a larger size for a replacement screw
146. Opening the back hatch panel to access the backside of the screws
147. Using a stripped screw kit or boring a small hole
148. Gripping the remaining metal with vice grips
149. Cutting a groove in the back with a hack blade to turn it out with a screwdriver
150. Using a center punch, drill bits, and a tap to drill them out completely
151. Heating the bolt from the inside with a handheld torch lighter
152. Applying penetrating oil and slowly moving it back and forth
153. Drilling it out and installing a riv-nut
154. Weld a washer to the bolt with a tack, then stack the nut on top of the washer and absolutely fill the cavity with weld.
155. Use a left handed drill bit that is the correct size.
156. Drill completely through and tap it and install a heli-coil or time sert.
157. Hammer that captured nut right out with my air hammer (or a hammer and punch) then I would feed a bolt through one of the openings you see at the top
158. Cutting the stud flush and drilling out the remainder to install a regular nut and bolt.
159. Knocking the stuck stud out of the flange using an air hammer or standard hammer.
160. Cutting a slit 90 degrees into the stud from the edge of the flange and tapping it out.
161. Hammering in a larger Torx bit.
162. Using a screw extractor.
163. Drilling into the centre of the fastener.
164. Welding a nut onto the exposed part of the bolt to twist it out
165. Cutting a slot into the bolt head to use a screwdriver
166. Levering the bolt up with a screwdriver
167. Drilling the bolt out
168. Grinding the top of the bolt off
169. Cutting the nut off with an angle grinder or Dremel cutoff wheel
170. Using a blow torch to heat the nut before hitting it with an impact driver
171. Gripping the ball joint with a pipe wrench instead of vice grips
172. Using a nut splitter tool
173. Cutting the screws with an oscillating multi-tool
174. Applying chemical penetrants or looseners

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