When installing his M.2 SSD, a user was missing a fastening screw. Instead of buying a suitable screw, he preferred to use a piece of adhesive tape.
Installing an M.2 SSD in a gaming PC usually doesn’t take much effort. The graphics card may need to be removed first if it covers the slot for the SSD. Ideally, the M2.SSD only needs to be plugged in and fixed with a screw.
If the screws provided are not available or cannot be found, you should take the trouble to find a suitable replacement. A user on Reddit showed how best not to attach an M.2 SSD without the right screw.
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No screw is not a long-term solution
What did the user do with the SSD? Reddit user MagicZhang received a picture of his SSD from a friend. In the photo you can see how the M2.SSD was attached to the motherboard with a piece of adhesive tape. The friend asked him if his attachment method was OK.
An SSD in M.2 design is significantly smaller than conventional models in the SATA form factor. At the same time, it processes data faster than its larger predecessors, which are connected via SATA interfaces. Almost every current motherboard has M.2 slots.
In the comments under the Reddit post it quickly becomes clear what the community thinks of this solution. Many users have no understanding of this attachment method and attest to the owner of the SSD being a certain laziness. By not using a screw, they fear subsequent problems.
Are screws really that expensive these days, or is laziness just reaching a point where people feel like it’s okay to half-assed problems with solutions that might actually cause bigger problems down the road?
Kailedude on Reddit
What problems can arise? In the simplest case, the adhesive tape can simply come off the motherboard and the M2.SSD is only held in place by the slot on the motherboard. If the data carrier is still completely inserted in the M.2 slot, it could continue to function unnoticed.
Since M.2 SSDs can reach 60 to 70 degrees during operation under high load due to their design (via easeus.de), the adhesive tape can dry out and deform. At this point at the latest, the SSD will no longer be held securely and may at least partially lose contact with the slot.
As a result, there is a risk of system crashes if the data storage medium is used as a Windows drive. In the worst case, important data is lost if there is no backup. If the M.2 SSD accidentally falls out of the slot, it or surrounding hardware can be damaged.
How do you prevent subsequent problems? The simplest solution is to buy suitable screws for the M.2 slot on the mainboard. Such screws are usually included with the mainboard or are already attached to the mainboard.
Under no circumstances should you use screws that are larger than the existing thread. If you want to loosen the screw that is too large later, the mainboard could be damaged. Using the wrong screw also risks cracking the SSD circuit board.
Some manufacturers now offer motherboards that use a plastic clamp instead of a screw for attachment. Depending on the motherboard manufacturer, this clamp must be turned into the correct position by the user when installing the SSD or it will lock itself in place.
If you are unsure about either method, ask someone who is familiar with it or see whether the motherboard manufacturer has video instructions available. As an example, you can find two videos from MSI here for fastening with a screw or a plastic clip.
With an M.2 SSD, due to its small size, it is easy to attach it in the wrong way if the appropriate screws are not available. We have explained to you why you shouldn’t do this. With SSDs in SATA format, the requirements for installing them in a gaming PC are different. But here too there are users who are too lazy to do it the right way: Hobbyists are stunned: User is too lazy to unpack his new SSD, just hangs it in his gaming PC