yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Nexus 7 General] dilldoe:
those aren't washers, that's the frame that the screen is glued on to.

seeing how I'm the first, it's has been over 48 hours and screen hasn't moved.

guess this is what happens to early adopters on 1st gen stuff, bound to be some form of defect.
[Nexus 7 General] ijeff:
It looks like a small portion of the lower part of my display has rebounded. It may need a bit thicker of a piece to slide in between. The upper part has been seemingly fixed. I'll report back tomorrow.

I just replaced the pill stuff with plastic from batteries and the bottom part now looks a lot better.
[Nexus 7 General] Evo_Shift:
Because all it's doing is pushing the gray border up to the bowed out screen.
[Nexus 7 General] dilldoe:
So decided to see if in fact the screws are long enough to push on the LCD.

Took my screwdriver and place it in the hole and marked off the top of the frame with tape to gauge how deep it is.

Place it next to the screw, seems pretty close.

Broke out the ruler and measured them both.

seems like there's 1/64 of an inch difference.

NOTE, that the frame isn't screwed down and it's and estimate on how deep the hole really is, so that 1/64 of an inch could be less.

the gap on the lower left was about 1/64 of an inch (currently have 2 washers in that spot) so highly possible that the screw was in fact pushing on the lcd causing the lift.
[Nexus 7 General] 808Nexus:
Just finished doing this fix, those little screws were killing me. Got the spacers in on 3 of the screws and the difference is night and day . Fixed 99% of the lift (just barely sticking up still, only I would notice) but most importantly the squishiness and creaking are gone. Feels really solid and if this holds, which I think it will, then this seems to be the solution for all of the lifted screens out there.
[Nexus 7 General] petronas77:
So would you suggest to change into a bit smaller screw (about the difference of the gap) to solve the lifting issue and the fit snug the back cover?
[Nexus 7 General] dilldoe:
no, the screw might contribute to the cause, but don't think replacing them with shorter screw would eliminate the lift and/or sponginess
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
That looks to be quite serious. For mine the screw one from the bottom had the most lift. I think the different amounts of lift could be a problem with the frame too. That particular screw seem to be the easiest to flex being next to the ribbon cable and having a gap from the bottom one.

EDIT: Could measure the thickness of the pill blisters and maybe suggest the number of washers we should use?
[Nexus 7 General] :
Actually, yes, a shorter screw will do the same thing the washer is doing.

It prevents the end of the screw from pushing into the front of the device.
[Nexus 7 General] sluma:
So the process is pretty straight forward and it actually did make my screen flush, so thanks a lot for the suggestion and the pictures. However in my case it looks like the frame is weak. When I applied the fix, the left hand side of the frame started to bulge sideways and left a gap between the screen and the silver frame. I seriously think there is another issue of improper manufacturing of the materials themselves and they cannot handle the stress of the screws. In any case I'm going to return this unit and wait another month for a newer batch to come in with the proper design and hopefully better material. Thanks a lot for the help :D
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
The fix is working for me but as with the above poster, the frame is bulging out.

Since I'm going to be waiting a couple of weeks for my store to restock, at least this should make tide me over and it already feels much less more solid.

The moving screen made it feel rather flimsy.
[Nexus 7 General] funkyboy1281:
So after I did the fix I turned it on and instantly noticed a dead pixel and once I see it I'll always see it. And at this point I don't know if it's worth trying for another one or just refunding and wait it out another couple months or so.
[Nexus 7 General] petronas77:
I think the "bulging sideways" came out from the increase in thickness on the particular side of the device, depending of the thickness of "washer" or blister pack used. Thus when putting back the back cover the increase in size would force the frame to go sideways.

Maybe the shorter screw solution might do the trick. In case somebody might try this and tell us if it works.
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
I think shorter screws might a good idea. Putting washers added extra thickness to the side and closing the back cover was really hard. I put two layers of washers and it doesn't close anymore. Any one have ideas of what type of screw might fit and be short enough.
[Nexus 7 General] churraman:
It works!

I just tried this fix and it was super easy and the screen lift went away immediately. I first thought it was an adhesive problem but this seems to have done the trick. I no longer have the spongy feeling and sound. I'm going to play shadowgun so the tablet heats up and see if it holds and I'm hoping it will because it feels very solid after putting in the washers.

Thanks OP!!
[Nexus 7 General] dwang:
Tried this and like others have mentioned it was very easy and does seem to fix the screen bulge and general squishiness. However the back cover does bulge out a bit where the shims were placed.
[Nexus 7 General] nyijedi:
Same experience here. The tradeoff seems worth it though.
[Nexus 7 General] compumasta:
Given the reasons why this fix works, I'm fairly certain that a shorter screw would accomplish the same thing, were one to be found. I had to fiddle with the back a little bit and trim the washers shorter and fold them down but i did eventually get the back to click on right and not bulge. I had no issue with frame bend as some of you have noted and my only guess is that maybe you over-tightened the screws a bit? I just snugged them up and didnt tighten them per se. Nearly 24 hours later now and still no lift, squish, or click.
[Nexus 7 General] ferris2375:
Why couldn't you just loosen the screw a thread or two rather than putting something in there to cause the case to bulge out? Seems like it would accomplish the same thing. Also why would it only be the left side that the screws are pushing the screen out? Seems like if the screws are too long, then the screen would be popping out around all sides.

I don't have this issue, just seems like if the screws were really too long, then just taking them back a few turns would take care of this rather than putting in pieces of a material to create a shim.
[Nexus 7 General] krelvinaz:
I think then the screen would be loose.

Sent from my Nexus 7
[Nexus 7 General] dancingcrab:
This.

Also, I find it ironic that this fix is essentially the complete opposite of the first major fix, which was to tighten the screws.

Many thanks to the OP and subsequent people posting with results!
[Nexus 7 General] ferris2375:
I just tested this one mine out of boredom and to prevent a screen lift if this is the cause. A few turns back and nothing is loose. It feels as secure as it did before, only now the screws aren't down as far. Worst case I can always tighten them but this thread sparked my curiosity, once that happens I can't help but dig in. lol

If it ain't broke, break it.
[Nexus 7 General] dilldoe:
This might what ASUS was doing, loosening the screws on the left to 'ease' screen lifting. Which we now know doesn't work

The washer fix isn't the opposite, you're still tighten the screws
[Nexus 7 General] kamui957:
I tried just loosening the screws yesterday and it wasn't a permanent fix as there is no tread at the screw hole, thus no real firm hold. Mid became loose within hours with lots of time put in to dark meadow. What's more, once it became loose again I started having touch response issues. Did this fix and everything, even the back cover fit much better. I am starting t reconsider the offer of staples for a refund or swap Wednesday. We have until then for me to test.

Also, to anyone considering returning over this, I would not leave the store counter until you have tested your tab and are happy!
[Nexus 7 General] ferris2375:
It's possible, I had a unit before this one that I returned. On that one especially the screws weren't very tight. Honestly I think there are probably a few different reasons people could have screen rising problems. Not necessarily all the same issue causing it, even though the end result is pretty much the same.

While some people without question have a legit issue with it, I think others may be focusing a bit too much on it.

---------- Post added at 08:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:58 PM ----------

I did this at Staple's. My first one from Sam's creaked, so when I bought the new one after returning the old, I tested it first. I politely explained the issue and that I would be returning it anyway if I found a problem, so could we please just test it here, so they can see first hand.

The new unit is perfect after 2 days, so it was worth the little time it took to do that.
[Nexus 7 General] neilrl79:
Well I tried the fix and it seems to have worked but I also think that the same result could be had by using shorter screws, that being said... Does anyone know where the tiny ****ing screw store is located? I have no idea where to start looking for screws THAT small. Lol.
[Nexus 7 General] ferris2375:
Just curious if you saw what I posted?

Do you not thinking just taking the screw back a turn or so would accomplish the same thing? Screw is too long? Pull screw back a bit. Right?
[Nexus 7 General] nyijedi:
If it's not tight, things will get loose as a result. You need it to be tight without pushing on the screen. Hence the washers.
[Nexus 7 General] neilrl79:
I think loosening the screws may cause some other issues, imo shorter screws that could be snugged down is the way to go. Keep in mind however that I'm basing my conclusions on nothing more than opinion.
[Nexus 7 General] jaycustom:
Backing screws out worked for me!

OK guys. I've had my N7 for 5 days now,and just decided to try something to alleviate the screen squishiness on the left side. My screen wasn't bad at all, it was barely raised, but it flexed and I can hear adhesive sticking and unsticking. So reading this thread I just opened her up, grabbed a knife, and backed out the 2 center most screws on the left side just a quarter turn. I backed the screws out so little, they are still snug, and my screen is now 100% perfect! I figured I'd try the easiest route first, and I'm glad I took the 2 minutes because the outcome is terrific.

TLDR: JUST BACK THE SCREWS OUT 1/4 TURN. SCREWS WILL STILL BE SNUG BUT THEY WILL NO LONGER PUSH OUT THE SCREEN GLASS!
[Nexus 7 General] 808Nexus:
Does anyone know how thick the pill blister pieces are that they are using?
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
I think the contact connects with the pads for the WiFi antenna on the back cover.
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
Managed to find shorter screws and taken out the shims.

Unfortunately, after a full day of bulging, it looks like the silver frame is permanently warped :(

Hope it doesn't void the warranty
[Nexus 7 General] kamui957:
This is what I will be doing here in a month or so. Despite how wonderful this tablet is, I'm returning it. Not for the screen creaking... but for the fact that multitouch fails so often on it. I can't swipe through home screens without it cancelling my swipe. Playing games is impossible as it just cuts out my touch or ignores it at random points in the screen and has since I got it. I got this tablet, honestly, to be a gaming e-reader. I don't care about websurfing, I just want to play games, watch movies and read, and even reading is impossible as I can't turn the page.

I'm going to return it, which is what Staples recommended I do, and wait until retailers can keep this item in stock. I want one of these so bad, but I want to be able to feel comfortable in my ability to return it in the return window without losing work hours trying to do so.

As far as this fix goes: there is no one size fits all. After doing this, yes everything was nice and snug, no creaking, but the bezel bulged too much for me to be comfortable.
[Nexus 7 General] Responsibility:
On mine there isn't even a gap to slide the pill buster in to???
[Nexus 7 General] youngkow:
If the problem is with the screw length, they you can place the washer on the outside of the frame just below the screw head. That might help with the frame bowing issue. Just a thought.....
[Nexus 7 General] honghsien5:
I tried the fix and my nexus 7 is normal for a while however the issue is back after heating up the device.
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
Mine is fine after the fix. How tight did you tighten the screws? Is the screen lifting less than before?
[Nexus 7 General] frazzle121180:
Tried it and initially seemed to work, but the issue is back again as bad as ever. Might just be my nexus is quite bad though as I have screen lift all the way up the left side
[Nexus 7 General] jphilippon:
Just another confirmed flush screen using this method. :)
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
Can people who did this fix or about to do it comment on whether you were able to see any part of the LCD directly underneath the problem screw holes? Just shine some light in the hole.

I looked and saw the LCD was almost covering half the screw hole on mine.
[Nexus 7 General] SoHaunted:
I unscrewed all 3 left side screws, leaving the corner screw tight, then screwed the three screws back in but stopped as soon as I felt tension in the screws. This has honestly gotten rid of the small raise I had, I really didn't think it was going to work but it did lol.

I'm very pleased with the result however there is the freak chance the the screw can back out out and... You know.

UPDATE:

3 hours later the screen lift came back, bummer it sat so nice
[Nexus 7 General] THS1989:
Doesn't work, issue came back.

Move along people.

---------- Post added at 01:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 PM ----------

Do a restore.
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
I would like people to check the second picture of step 18 on the iFixit N7 teardown. I can clearly see that there are 4 possible screw holes that can hit the lcd panel. I think you don't need a washer if there is no lift exactly where those screw holes are. I've put one washer on the second to bottom screw next to the ribbon cable. I don't have the screen lift anymore even after some gaming.
[Nexus 7 General] dansan382:
i had a small screen separation issue, decided to try this. all screws were tight so i kept moving onto the next step.

grabbed the pill medication, cut out 2 rectangles and put them under the screw down areas on the left side of the screen. tightened them up, firm as a mother ****er now.
[Nexus 7 General] barmanham:
Hope my 3rd unit doesn't have a dead pixel so I can try this I don't care if the screen is lifting as long as there's no loose feeling at all this sounds really promising
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
I think I've figured out on how to minimise the back cover bulge and sideways bulge when applying the washer fix. You need make sure the top of each screw isn't excessively taller than the green pcb (the motherboard). If it is taller than the pcb by the thickness of the pill blister that screw might not need a washer. If it is too tall the screw will press on the back cover making it hard to close and if you manage to, nearby plastic tabs will pull on the silver bezel and bending it. You will probably find that the screw in between the microphone and the ribbon cable is still shorter than the pcb even with a washer so try not to overtighten.
[Nexus 7 General] M3drvr:
Did mine about two hours after you posted this fix, and its still looking and feeling perfect. Nice flush screen and nice solid feeling. I vouch for this fix.
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
Had a full day with washers in.

The screen stayed level and solid throughout but I suffered from frame bulge.

Now had a second day with shorter screws and no washers.

Still stayed level and solid throughout but the frame bulge hasn't straightened out and is warped.

I think Summerfly may be on to something though.
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
I think it really is screws that are left too tall after this fix which causes the back cover bulging at least. If you have the back cover bulging problem, you can probably see some marks directly on the back cover where the screws are.

I compared the screw height with the PCB while the n7 is on a table and I kneel down to eyeball the height. In case anyone wanted to know how I did it.
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
I have been having another look and it is pretty touch and go regarding the height of the screws.

I have tried a different approach:

All original sized screws back in and put the washers in the two centre screws but placed the washes between the screw head and the top of the screw hole since I figure this will have less impact on the back cover than they do between the plastic and forcing it up.

The the two further away I just nipped up but left them a little loose.

The raising of the screen is around the centre of the left side so there is a slight curve of the screen, with the highest point being right between the two centre screws and nothing I do actually gets it perfectly flat at that point.
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
On mine the screen raising is most extensive by the central screw right next to the microphone. Did you have any kind dents or marks on the back cover where the screw might press against it?
[Nexus 7 General] nyijedi:
I put washers on all 3 left screws. It immediately fixed the screen lift and squishiness, but it also caused the silver bezel to bulge out, and the back cover to not sit flush. I removed the washer from the top left screw, and left the washers in the 2 below it, and now everything is perfect. I suggest trying this if you have bezel bulge.
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
Nope. I have checked that every time I have opened the case and nothing to suggest it is being pushed up.

Maybe worth mentioning though:

The screen lifting was towards the bottom left for the first few days and gradually spread upwards over the following days.
[Nexus 7 General] Summerfly:
Okay maybe this doesn't apply to all with the washer fix :-\ . Honestly I can't find another reason for the bezel bulge.
[Nexus 7 General] Responsibility:
Didn't work for me :l this separation issue is a royal pain in the buttocks. Hopefully when I get a case it keeps the glass down.
[Nexus 7 General] nivlac978:
Kinda worked and kind of didn't. The creaking is pretty much gone but it is still lifted. I might try shorter screws next.
[Nexus 7 General] jfriend33:
Must be a damn good tablet...
[Nexus 7 General] gerrylum:
I also tried this fix, but it didn't work. I still have the screen lift issue.
[Nexus 7 General] contradude:
Did the washer fix and then did the clamp fix. Seems to be working for now, I'll report back in a week or if it fails.
[Nexus 7 General] dgattenb:
I was carrying mine in its sock case , until i get the real one , took it out ,the case screen at the top had separated, I push it back now my power key works better then before ! It feels very sold now, better than before !
[Nexus 7 General] transportguy:
Awesome! This fixed my N7's left side screen lift. I used 3 "gaskets". Before the fix, the left side was like it was sticking/clicking when pressure was applied. now it is perfectly flush w/o any movement w/ pressure to the left bezel. Thanks big time!!
[Nexus 7 General] orangera1n:
Worked but bulging abit.

Okay so I tried this fix 2 times.

The first time all the pill blisters did was push the plastic frame (the side of the device) out when forcing the back cover on.

I gave up because i did not want to damage the side.

The 2nd time seems to have worked but with a little more effort.

What i did different was I trimmed the blister packs A LOT smaller and i trimmed the middle of the blister pack so the back cover would fit on snug with the clip for the back of the device.

Now the only bulge is a tiny lift in the back cover but it is not noticeable and seems to have gone away.

My advice is make sure your pill blister is not too long and that it does not block the clips for the back cover.

Seems like a long term fix but i will post an update later after I play some games and movies on my now perfect nexus 7 :P.

Update:1 After letting the screen sit for awhile it has lifted about 1mm in 2 areas, the top and bottom but in small areas. All seems good still tho, no noise and the screen appears to still be solid.
[Nexus 7 General] JoshRH:
My question is how many of the screws are you adding the washer to? I I did it to the two screws in the center of the left side but that only temporarily solved my problem. Now I'm wondering if I should try adding a washer under all of the screws on the left side? To be honest the screen raise doesn't bother me but the "creak" is unbearable.
[Nexus 7 General] orangera1n:
3-4

I added one on each screw (4) on the left side and no more creak.

I've seen other people on these forums using only 3 and still producing the same results.

But if the screen can flex then it can push down the black tape that makes the creak noise?

And is your screen solid or can you press it down?

If you can press it down then it will still push down on the tape?

In my case the fix only kept the screen "solid" but still about 1mm rise which is less then it was before, but since it was solid the screen would not push down the tape.
[Nexus 7 General] nocode99:
Is this an issue on all devices or just some? I didn't really notice anything
[Nexus 7 General] ijeff:
Reporting back. It failed the next day. Neither the clamping nor shim/washer method has worked. This is my fourth replacement device. It looks like I'm going for another.
[Nexus 7 General] stuntdouble:
Looking at my device from the front, my screen is fine on the left side (after i tightened the screws very slightly), it's the right side that's raised (and creaks) 2/3 of the way down. I've looked inside mine and the screws both sides are mounted differently, with seemingly no way to put anything in between the bodywork and the screw mounting to raise it slightly for my problematic right side of screen. Any tips how to fix this other side please?
[Nexus 7 General] dilldoe:
Just curious, for those who tried this and failed, when you unscrewed it, was the screen lift still there?
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
Well I'm in a bit of a pickle now.

My screen lift was particularly bad (compared to some of the photos I've seen) but I was more bothered by the way it bobbed up and down.

So I tried all the fixes, tightening screws, loosening screws, shims, shorter screws (the shorter screws seemed to give the best results).

Well in preparation for getting it refunded, I decided to revert all the changes I had made - put the original screws back in, removed washers and loosened the screws so they were a little loose, just like when I first opened the case.

And guess what? Yep, the screen is perfectly flat with NO noticeable raise and NO movement or creaking!!

I fully expect it to start lifting and moving again over the next day or so. At least I hope it does cos I have already ordered a new one from the Play Store. Now I need to find an un-fix for the screen separation issue!!
[Nexus 7 General] saadi703:
Don't worry it is not a permanent fix and it would pop back after half an hour of play of a Tegra 3 optimized game. I did this trick even before anybody posted here or anywhere and I was happy that it has fixed the issue but it came back after some time. Don't worry keep your fingers crossed :D
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
To be honest I don't know which I have enjoyed more, playing with the N7 itself or fiddling around trying to fix the screen :D
[Nexus 7 General] saadi703:
Lolz :D

It is good thing that at least you can fiddle with it if something is broken unlike apple products.
[Nexus 7 General] espionage724:
I don't know too much about the screen separation issue, but what if you just use a very tiny amount of a strong adhesive on top of the old adhesive to hold the glass in place? Like super glue?
[Nexus 7 General] shaneydroid:
I'm looking around for any howtos on using glue. Seems nobody is willing to try :)