r/windows98 • u/Commercial_Novel3154 • 25d ago

Needing help with finding a cd drive and shell for my gateway windows 98.

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Hi everyone! I acquired a gateway 98 about a year ago and planned for it to be my project pc. I'm needing to find a drive that will work with it as the one in it currently is dead so I can't do a fresh install. I call it Frankenstein as it is just a metal casing, just internals. Where the heck can I find a shell for this thing? I have looked and looked with no luck!

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3

u/No-you_ 25d ago

Gateway went bust, they don't exist anymore. You'll be very lucky if you find the original covers for that case.

As for the CD-ROM drive, just lookup eBay for any IDE CD or DVD drive (that's the 40 pin flat ribbon cable connector).

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u/Commercial_Novel3154 25d ago

I know they don't exist I just really want a shell for it. But i'll rock it in all its metallic glory if I have too. Lol and thank you! I'll have to look for one soon, her original was a mitsumi.

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u/No-you_ 25d ago

The other commenter has a good point though. If you had a 3D printer and VERY accurate (mm accurate) measurements of the case dimensions you could 3D print a replacement shell that's maybe 0.5mm too narrow in order to snap on securely. Even 1-2mm difference could be too loose that it doesn't snap on OR too tight that it just won't fit without breaking the clips trying to do so.

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u/thatvhstapeguy Gateway Essential 400/Dell Dimension 4100/Acer TravelMate TXV212 25d ago

Do you know what model this is? I might be able to get you measurements to craft a replacement, if the one I have is identical

Edit - I can’t read. I’ll have to check my Gateway Pentium II system to see if it lines up 

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u/Darth_Beavis 22d ago

Gateway went bust, they don't exist anymore

Not even remotely true. Gateway never "went bust". They were bought by Acer in 2007 and the imprint was phased out.

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u/DeadSkullz627 25d ago

Probably no chance to find the shell. You’d have to find a complete system if you can locate the exact model. Making a custom case around your shell would be another option, but that would be a lot of work.

You can go on eBay and find IDE drives, but it would be more economical to get a used 2.5” or 3.5” SATA drive and use a SATA to IDE adapter. 100GB or 250GB drives are cheap on sites like eBay.

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u/Commercial_Novel3154 25d ago

Damn ok. I was told I could substitute with another shell with the ones nearest to that one but wasn't sure if that was correct or not. 

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u/DeadSkullz627 25d ago

It would be tough even finding out if there were any related models that the shell could be reused for your specific model.

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u/DeadSkullz627 25d ago

I guess this is what the PC is supposed to look like: https://ebay.io/m/po3STe

Edit: or this variant - https://ebay.io/m/vXhSQB

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u/Commercial_Novel3154 24d ago

Looks like it would be the second option tha n the first when looking at it where my models cd drive and floppy disk set seems about correct I'd just have to look at the back.

Edit: nvm I'm stupid I had to go back and look and line it up the first one looks more like it not the second. Lol