A positioning system with approximately nanometer resolution has been developed based on a new implementation of a motor-driven screw scheme. In contrast to conventional positioning systems based on piezoelectric elements, this system shows remarkably low levels of drift and vibration, and eliminates the need for position feedback during typical data acquisition processes. During positioning or scanning processes, non-repeatability and hysteresis problems inherent in mechanical positioning systems are greatly reduced using a software feedback scheme. As a result, we are able to demonstrate an average mechanical resolution of 1.45 nm and near diffraction-limited imaging using scanning optical microscopy. We propose this approach to nanopositioning as a readily accessible alternative enabling high spatial resolution scanning probe characterization (e.g., polarimetry) and provide practical details for its implementation.