Do not buy from Gateway

[silversnake]

This is a rant but it's also a warning to anyone interested in buying a computer from this company.

I purchased a Gateway computer in November of 09. I needed a computer in a hurry as I was finishing my 3D portfolio and my previous computer crashed so I needed a really amazing computer, for cheap and fast. I always custom built my computer but based on my situation, I had no choice. My friends work at a retail store here and had this really good gaming PC for cheap and with his employee discount it was really worth it. Against my better judgement, I pulled the trigger and purchased it. Everything was great until ... today.

I purchased a blu-ray drive today because it was on special and with the same employee discount it was stupid not to get it. So I buy it , all happy, come home to install it and can't find anywhere to connect so after a while I decide to call tech support. (click spoiler for full explanation)

[Show spoiler]The connection type for the blu-ray drive is Serial ATA and I couldn't find the connection anywhere on the motherboard on the first look. The PC came with no manual, other than the huge fold out on how to plug in your mouse, keyboard etc. There is no info on my PC or my motherboard or pics of my motherboard to find out where it could be located. Finally I see E-ATA on the back and I think success! But no, plug doesn't fit. I go back in the computer and follow where the CD-Rom is plugged in and I see more ports there underneath the video card. I remove the video card , plug in the Serial ATA but now... I have no idea how to put the damn thing in, it doesn't fit because the Power Supply is in the way and I can put it in from the front because there is a metal bar blocking it (Can't break it like the old ones where it would bend easily) I get fed up and I finally call tech support. After about 10 minutes of talking to an automated service, I finally get thru and he asks me all these questions about where I live, phone number, etc.

After all that's done, I finally ask my question. I want to know how do I install a blu-ray drive, he repeats exactly what I just asked him and than say " Sorry sir, we do not recommend installing third party hardware" I say, okay thanks for the warning, but seriously, how do I Install this thing. " Sorry sir, we do not recommend installing third party hardware" I say "Am I speaking to a real person right now? "Yes sir, I am a real person" He then says, if I want , he can give me a phone number for expert advice , I ask if you have to pay, to which he says, Yes.

I'm in total anger right now and I would have never expected that kind of answer. I mean, I know Dell and Gateway build their computers so you can't really upgrade, but to the point where they won't even give you basic advice on how to do it unless you pay to ask simple questions, like do I have to remove the power supply to install a BD rom drive? I feel violated....

[proxpilot]

got any pics of the inside of that bish? if it is just a standard internal drive i dont see why it wouldnt fit in there

[Dr.Zoidberg]

I didn't even know they were still around.

[silversnake]

Originally Posted by proxpilot

got any pics of the inside of that bish? if it is just a standard internal drive i dont see why it wouldnt fit in there

It would probably fit in there. but it's just the hassle that comes with it. You have to remove the whole Power supply unit and all the cables are attached, tie wrapped, etc. As well as remove the Hard drive unit to get to the frame for the CD-Rom.

All I wanted to know, was the easiest way to get to the CD-ROM area and how to put it in there.

[xtop]

not to be mean (even tho its gonna sound it), but why is it gateway's fault you can't install a cd drive by yourself?

google it, its pretty easy.

[Vicon]

Better yet - what is your computers model/type? We can pull up the manuals and such. Pictures are also great.

[curse]

I take it you never worked on computers before? Not to defend gateway but thats not their fault. You should not have to remove anything, drives load in and out from the front not the back. should be 4 screws 2 on each side holding it in or two pressure levers. Either way its easy as long as your power supply can handle another drive and you have internal sata connections and the space for the drive.

[silversnake]

Originally Posted by xtop

not to be mean (even tho its gonna sound it), but why is it gateway's fault you can't install a cd drive by yourself?

google it, its pretty easy.

I figured I would get this answer, and rightfully so. I know how to install a CD-ROM. I asked for the quickest route to get to it. Removing the power supply , cutting tie wraps, removing the hard drive, remove the hard drive bay and then finally removing the CD-ROM casing seems excessive just to install a CD-Rom drive.

All I wanted was a confirmation that's what I needed to do , or I was missing something obvious.

Originally Posted by curse

I take it you never worked on computers before? Not to defend gateway but thats not their fault. You should not have to remove anything, drives load in and out from the front not the back. should be 4 screws 2 on each side holding it in or two pressure levers. Either way its easy as long as your power supply can handle another drive and you have internal sata connections and the space for the drive.

As I posted in the very beginning, I have always built my computers from the ground up. (At least that's what I meant when I said custom built ) When I bought the drive today, I expected it like you detailed it. Open case, put drive in , 2 screws on each side, connect power cables, done. All the components are there to plug it in, but there is no real clear cut way on how to actually put the drive inside. The drives are behind a flap, and when you hit the eject button , the flap goes down and than the CD -ROM drive comes out. Also, there is a metal plate blocking from just sliding the drive in and no real clear way on how to remove it

My frustration is at the lack of support and straight up rudeness by the tech support guy when he couldn't just answer a simple, yes you have to remove all those components or no , just do this.

Originally Posted by Vicon

Better yet - what is your computers model/type? We can pull up the manuals and such. Pictures are also great.

Most of the info you find about this computer is off and not very informative. It's FX6802-07c.

[curse]

ok that metal plate is removable just hit with the screw driver, its breakaway metal. And the flap, also removable. But what you might have to do is take the front plate off the bd drive in order for the button to make contact. Some you dont and some you do. I could be imaging something different but If your talking about the same thing then just be gentle with the plastic as thats not suppose to break off. Unless you dont care about the looks.

[jadedeath]

Or Dell... you forgot Dell...

Logan

[curse]

I know it can be frustrating to deal with propreitary design but all the stuff inside these company made computers are third party. If not, its rebranded.

Just saying there has to be a way to do it. I wish i could see the damn thing to help you out I do this for a living just not on those computers.

[silversnake]

Originally Posted by curse

ok that metal plate is removable just hit with the screw driver, its breakaway metal. And the flap, also removable. But what you might have to do is take the front plate off the bd drive in order for the button to make contact. Some you dont and some you do. I could be imaging something different but If your talking about the same thing then just be gentle with the plastic as thats not suppose to break off. Unless you dont care about the looks.

That's what I thought too, but it's not like before. Pushing it isn't acting like the old ones. The old ones, you could push it, and it was already bending. This one is putting up a force and I feel like i'm going to break something by continuing. I've put up some good force and nothing is coming from it. I have found no way to remove the flap on the inside. The only way I have found to see inside, is to bend the flap myself on the front and I can see inside it. Also the other drive, is slightly lower than what I could expect.

I appreciate the help curse.

[beefytwinkie]

Reading about this reminds me of a Gateway computer my friend owned back in college. Looks like they are still doing the same crap with their new computers as their old ones.

I know what you mean by hassle. It's like they purposely block off certain parts of the computer so you cannot upgrade it.

My friend's Gateway had this giant metal plate inside of the case blocking off the motherboard completely. It was locked in with over twelve screws. Same with the front. You couldn't access the CD drives without removing more metal plates. These metal plates were not the ones that were bendable. You had to remove a massive amount of screws. And when we did remove those plates, all the connections were behind either the power supply or underneath all the big wires connecting the power supply to the motherboard.

Edit: I forgot to add, in order to remove some screws, we had to take the case apart also because some of those screws were behind parts of the case where a screwdriver cannot reach!

And how exactly does my post help you? It doesn't. I just want you to know I understand how frustrated you must feel. And because of my friend's awesome Gateway, I never bought one for myself. Praise the lord!

[silversnake]

^^ it does help me. It makes me realize that I'm probably not wrong in thinking I have to remove all my components just to get to the CD-ROM drive. I appreciate the input. It also, backs up my original point of this thread as a warning to other potential consumers.

[crackinhedz]

I've got a gateway pc and recently bought a gateway netbook. Zero complaints as far as operation goes...they work excellent!

But I did install a BD Drive in the PC, and I agree it's ass backwards. My old Dell was easy as pie to install stuff.

Needless to say, I have found my Gateway products to be very reliable and I'm 100% satisfied...as far as customer support goes...they're usually a waste of time for just about any brand.

[silversnake]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

But I did install a BD Drive in the PC, and I agree it's ass backwards. My old Dell was easy as pie to install stuff.

as far as customer support goes...they're usually a waste of time for just about any brand.

Anything sound similar to what i'm mentioning. Did you have to remove a bunch of stuff just to get to the drives?

As for your last part, I disagree, this is the first time customer support has truly aggravated me, and it's definitely not the first time I deal with it.

[crackinhedz]

It's really hard to say what you need to do without knowing the model or without pics.

I believe I had to take off the side plate first, to get inside. Then unsnapped the front grill (might be a latch somewhere to unhook it?)

then I believe I had to pop off the rest of the outter casing... Not sure if yours is similar,but I have memory card readers at the top which needed to be positioned out of the way to slide the new drive in through the top.

Getting it back together was a b*tch.

[Vicon]

Here you go-

http://support.gateway.com/s/Manuals...ps/8513213.pdf - should be your specific case. In the pdf, there is a section "Upgrading Your Computer" then "Adding or Replacing an Optical Disc Drive".

If not, check this link - http://support.gateway.com/support/m.../desktop.shtml

Per your info - Model FX6802-07C

[silversnake]

Originally Posted by Vicon

Here you go-

http://support.gateway.com/s/Manuals...ps/8513213.pdf - should be your specific case. In the pdf, there is a section "Upgrading Your Computer" then "Adding or Replacing an Optical Disc Drive".

If not, check this link - http://support.gateway.com/support/m.../desktop.shtml

Per your info - Model FX6802-07C

Really appreciate the links. The first link you send me, isn't my actual PC, but it's pretty damn close.

You found this out on the gateway site which I didn't bother visiting considering I talked to them on the phone. I figured if they weren't going to recommend any information on the phone (let alone talk to me) he could have pointed it out to just visit the website for more information worst case, or at least my system manual.

[silversnake]

Big thanks to Vicon. Got it to work finally, PDF was awesome.

Thanks for cycling thru all the rant and helping me out guys.

Mods, feel free to do as you please with this thread.

Blu-ray forums 1 - Gateway 0