Help door handle replacement

Over 2 hours into this shit and want to kill someone. Situation is a little different in that I installed the passenger side, all went well. Installed the drivers side handle and lock but the handle never connected and now I am not able to remove the lock cylinder again to take it all apart. Guess I'll remove the Allen bolt and check the rubber plate.

 

Alright so now I am past killing someone, because after a few days to wrestling and walking away and wrestling I eventually took the passenger side apart as previously suggested and compared the two.
Passenger side I installed first (all went well) then moved to the drivers side.
Driver side had a hitch and then some ++++++++
After being super frustrated I removed the interior panel driver side to get a better look inside
Someone had previously removed the panel and clear plastic so it may be that my truck had previous problems.
But the important thing is that what occurred could be your situation too.
And it's different then the other mentions that I have read so far.
So to summarize:
Previously someone has been in behind the interior driver side panel.
When I followed precisely the steps suggested by Youtube videos my drivers side door opening (by pulling on the handle) did not open the door (the door open function did not operate) but the lock system did function.
The problem in my situiation may have been caused by the truck being older and more worn out. But here's how I fixed it.
Unlike the videos of just pulling out the handle and sliding in the replacement handles I was able to successfully replace the handle by reaching in from the interior side and pulling down on the long rod that the handle usually pushes down on BEFORE attempting to insert the replacement handle into the slot as they show in the videos.
This raised the lever that rides inside the door opener and then once the handle was inserted fully I released the tension I was applying to the downward facing rod and it all worked.
Another way of saying it may be that the lever that the handle rides on was just to low to engage the fulcrum so by starting to open the door mechanism from the inside it allowed enough room for the handle to be inserted.
May have been just a lot of tired parts. But now we have one more solution
Happy to get this past me.

 

Ok guys sorry but whatever fix everyone used isn’t in this post anymore. I see lots of ppl happy, I see lots of ppl talking about this supposed fix, but it’s not in the thread anymore. Another poster has even asked where it went. Plz someone help, I was replacing handles and the driver door screw won’t thread into the part with the locking mechanism. So annoyed. Help!

 

We had same frustrating issue. When you remove the handle, you can knock the assembly inside the door "back" into the cavity and then the screw cannot reach. Look for the two small black plastic clips that hold the screw housing interior assembly forward to the sheet metal door panel - pointed to with screwdriver in picture. Those need to be on top of the sheet metal, not behind it or it holds you away from clamping down.

 

Thanks. I actually figured it out finally and should’ve updated the post!

 

Thank God for forums. I was about to lose my shit lol