Rent-A-Geek in Palmer, the best local computer repair center, also has a Meeting Room! Let me tell you friends it's fully loaded too, and they recently reduced the rental price. This isn't a one time deal either this is a forever change! 

The Meeting Room is fully loaded with:

• 55" Digital Screen-perfect for any presentation or power point
• Computer Workstation (additional workstations on request)
• High-Speed Internet 
• Printer/Copier
• Large Whiteboards
• Flexible Layout
• Reception Desk
• Private Bathroom

It has everything you need to run a successful meeting. If you're wondering HOW to use to our meeting room please check out this post with all of the ways to use it. Think Non-Profit Board Retreats or meetings, Boy Scout or Girl Scout Meetings, Hacker Meetings or even First Lego League Meetings. There are so many more ways to use our meeting room for rent in Palmer Alaska! 

Our NEW and IMPROVED RATES are 50 dollars for ONE hour and 40 dollars if you book it for more than two hours. And we STILL have our Frequent Meeters discount but call us before those slots get booked up in advance. And of course this rate ALSO includes the 30 minutes before and after the rental for set-up and clean-up.

If you're interested in renting our Meeting Room in Palmer give us a call before it's all booked up. Our local number is 907-745-5060.

Tips for Owning a Printer

It's a fact that most households own printers or have owned printers, whether happily or unhappily. At Rent-A-Geek we rarely hear of anyone who loves their printers. Maybe that's because we're the local computer repair experts and people know to turn to us for repair help. And when we hear from clients, they're often frustrated and annoyed by their computers and printers. We don't currently offer printer repair, but we have a few tricks up our sleeves to give the printer owner some guidance when they call us. Because our team of local computer repair experts field so many calls, I thought we'd share our Tips for Owning a Printer with our readers. 
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Tips for Owning a Printer from the Local Computer Repair Experts

• If you have a wireless printer and it's giving you trouble plug it in. It should have a place for a cord to connect it to your computer or laptop. This can get you through a tough spot when it's not connecting as a wireless printer should. Your best bet is to buy a corded printer. Non-Wireless Printers have a tendency to last longer and work better than Wireless Printers. 
• Printer isn't working? Most of the time the paper tray is the problem. Try pulling it out and resetting it. Sometimes you can have too much paper in the tray or not enough. Try all of those and see if that helps. You'll be surprised at how often such a simple thing like paper causes a huge headache.
• How's the software? Every printer comes with software that's installed on your computer. Guess what? It needs to be updated occasionally. If your printer is giving you trouble check your software. Update as needed. 
• When purchasing a printer look at the price of ink cartridges, they'll be your most significant cost for the life of a printer. Look into ink cartridge refills at stores like Costco, they refill some brands, and it may be worth it to purchase one they refill. Ink refills cost about 1/4 of a replacement cartridge. 
• Turn it off, let it rest for a few minutes and try it again. I hate to say it but sometimes it actually works and it's always worth a try.

Remember we don't repair printers but we've had a lot of experience with dealing with them. These are our best tips to make your printer work better. 

When your laptop or desktop are giving you trouble we are your local computer repair experts right here in Palmer Alaska. We're just a phone call away, so give us a ring when you need 


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Have you met our Meeting room yet? It's pretty fantastic, I like to call it fully loaded because it has everything you need to run any meeting. Space for 25 people in a room you can modify to fit your needs. A 55-inch digital screen, there's not a bad seat in the house. High-speed internet, computer workstation, printer/copier, and if you need it (because it just works that way!) ON SITE Tech Support. A reception desk, and a private bathroom come with your rental too. See what I mean when I say Rent-A-Geek's Meeting Room is fully loaded? And it's ready to rent now right here in Palmer Alaska. 

In our Meeting Room, you can host a myriad of events and meetings. Such as:

• Boy Scout or Girl Scout Meetings-Our space is just right for your troop, call us at 745-5060 to reserve your spot.
• Weight Watchers Meetings-ENough room to check everyone in, and hold a meeting. Plus our parking lot is perfect. 
• Non-Profit Meetings-Are you on a 501C3 board? We have the room for your board to meet. 
• A Board Retreat--our private room is perfect for a 501C3 board to get away and get some work done. Add in free local delivery from restaurants, and your retreat is planned.
• Hacker Groups-Palmer needs one, who is going to start it?!
• Code For America-Ditto on Code For America, we need this group too!
• First Lego League-Bring your bins and get to work in our Meeting Room.
• Training-Are you teaching a class and need a space? We can do that! Babysitting class, Master Gardener Class, 
• Your Community Group-Are you in a writers group, a flower group, a history group or any other kind of group that needs a place to meet?
• Swaps-Want to host a craft swap or book swap we can do that too. 

As you can see our Meeting Room has so many possibilities. Call the Rent-A-Geek team to save your spot on the calendar and take "Find a Room to Rent" in Palmer Alaska off your to-do list.

Is Your External Hard Drive Really Backing Up?

WHAT? To a lot of people, the title of this blog post may seem confusing. Why do you need to back up your computer, isn't it doing that for itself? How do you back up your home computer? What happens if you don't have a back up stored somewhere? All good questions which I'm going to attempt to answer. Keep reading!

If you've got a home business, a blog or just a lot of photos on your computer chances are you want those files saved. Sure we all have things we don't want or need on our computers like that photo we've imported 7 times from the phone or that free e-book you downloaded. But for the most part, you've got files you want to keep safe if your computer ever encounters an epic fail.

You might turn to an external hard drive to keep your files secure. An external hard drive is plugged into your computer, and your necessary files are backed up. Off your computer and kept safe somewhere ELSE. 
If something catastrophic happens to your computer *BOOM*, you're protected from losing all your files. Or at least having backups as recent as your last save. 
The Rent-A-Geek team says that when you look for an external hard drive search for one that comes WITH software. This software will let you know a back up of your most important files has been taken. And remember to USE that software because what could be worse than thinking you were backing up and you weren't? Oh yeah losing everything, that could definitely be worse.

And speaking of losing everything if you ever do "lose" everything give us a call at 907-745-5060! Our talented "Best of the Valley" Rent-A-Geek team can often recover your lost data. Not always but definitely sometimes.​

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Back to School Computer Tune Up Giveaway


It's Back to School time, and after a summer of questionable use by kids, it's time to reclaim your computer. And give it a spa day, or I guess I mean a tune-up. One of Rent-A-Geeks tune-ups. Yes, sure we were voted Best of the Valley for Computer Repair, but our Tune-Ups are where it's at. Your machine will run so much faster and better after we get done with it. And how about getting one for free?! Read on if you're interested in winning a free Rent-A-Geek Back to School Computer Tune Up. I mean who isn't right?!

One of the most important things you can do to keep your computer running it's best is give it a Tune Up.  When you get a Computer Tune-Up with us here at Rent-A-Geek, you can be assured you're getting 15 years of experience in every single job.

Our Computer Tune-Up is not a repair it's precisely what it says, a tune-up to keep your computer running it's best. The Rent-A-Geek Tune-Up includes:

• registry repair and clean-up
• removal of temporary files
• defragmentation
• software clean-up 
• startup/shut down optimization
• Windows updates (not on non-Windows Machines though!)
• System Updates
• Physical cleaning of the computer interior

When you bring your computer in for a tune-up, we also keep an eye out for viruses and malware. These are often hiding in the background of your computer, slowing down your speed and causing trouble. If we suspect a problem we will run a detection program, and if anything shows up we will let you know. You can add virus and malware removal for an extra fee. 


Now it's time to have some fun. We're giving away a Computer Tune-Up. ONE lucky fan will win a full Rent-A-Geek Computer Tune just for leaving a comment on this post, following us on Facebook or sharing this post with friends on Facebook or via email. You must enter on the widget below to be entered in the giveaway.  Good Luck!

Last week we went over safe browsing techniques but I thought perhaps going over setting up a secure password, password safety, and account security might be a good idea. I just went over them with someone who is new to the internet. They seemed so surprised by the safety steps I thought everyone could use a refresher. Can these things ever be said enough?

Passwords are tricky. You need a certain number of characters, usually a mix of numbers and letters. Different sites have different requirements. Some require 10 characters, some less, some more. It can all be very confusing. Setting a complex password and remembering it is the hardest part, in my opinion, anyway. 

I've found that using a password keeper is an excellent way to keep track of current passwords. They auto-fill your password when you go to a website, which is SO helpful when you have a sizeable unwieldy password. They also keep a password protected list of all passwords. You can quickly change your password in the keeper, so it's quick to change them up when you feel the need to do so. A bonus in a password keeper is if it can help you by recommending a really hard to crack password. 

If you ever get an email requesting your password, this is probably a scam you best send to the spam pile. Never submit passwords via an email. No reputable company will ask for your password in an email. And if you need to change your password because you don't remember it most companies will send you a LINK to reset your password.

Never use the same username and password on multiple accounts. If one of your accounts is hacked, it's an easy jump to OTHER accounts if you use your own name as a username and the same password. They may even get to a place where your banking information is kept. That's when it could get dangerous. Always use a different username and password combination on every account, this is one place where better is safer than sorry. 

When you're in a crowded environment, and you need to use a password make sure no one is looking over your shoulder as you type it in. No one should be watching you, and likewise, you should avert your eyes if someone is typing in their password, it's just common courtesy. 

Ordinary internet account and password rules I know but they can never be said enough. If you need help with your computer, your accounts or just need a computer tune-up keep Rent-A-Geek in mind. We're here for you, no question is too small for us to answer. There's never a need to feel embarrassed about what you don't know, we're here to help and educate and fix things if needed. Call us 907-745-5060!

With all of the talk these days of the Cyber Attack on our Borough networks, we at Rent-A-Geek thought we should take the time to go over some basic internet safety. While home users are not often targeted by hackers, they are susceptible to scams, viruses, and malware, and for the home users, those can be bad enough. Taking a few minutes to go over safe internet browsing protocol can give you peace of mind on the internet. 

Obviously, we want to reassure you that home users are rarely the victim of cyber attacks. Usually, these sorts of attacks happen to large networks, with full IT departments, not smaller home users. If you're not a home user and you have a small home business with computer access, you should remember that Rent-A-Geek is your small company's answer to IT problems. If you are not planning ahead, you could be the unwitting victim of a broader cyber attack. Please plan ahead to save you money and peace of mind in your business.

For the home internet user, browsing lightly, emailing family and friends, and sending photos, here are a few tips to protect your computer and your wallet. 

Safe Browsing Tips:
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•Never open emails from an unknown email address, even if they use your first name. You can find out WHO is sending you an email by using your mouse or trackpad to hover over the email address. While it may SAY it's from Amazon, Netflix or your dear friend, the address will definitely give it away. 


•Likewise be sure you KNOW what you're opening in an email. If your dear friend sends you an email with an attachment that you were not expecting call them and just ask if they sent it. THEY may be operating with a virus and not know it. 

•If a site requires a password use something unique that you're not using anywhere else. 

•Never click on clickbait, these sites can often be harbingers of malware and other spammy things. Believe me, you don't need to know which Disney princess you are or WHAT you kitten avatar looks like. 

•When visiting a site be aware of the web address, HTTP was common to see at the front of a web address, now, most sites are moving to HTTPS with the S standing for security. Extra security measures including encryption have been taken in sites with HTTPS at the beginning of the address to keep users safe. Sometimes these site have a small padlock in the address bar to ensure you that the site is secure.

•Do NOT enter your credit card information unless you are on a trusted site using encryption. Most major retailers use encrypted sites so you can be sure to be safe.


If you get to a place on your home computer where it's acting funny, slow or freezing up, you may need one of two things. You might need just a tune-up, our technicians can go over your computer, clean it up, optimize it and make it run smoothly again. Or you might have malware or a virus wreaking havoc on your computer, don't worry we can help with that too. Our virus and malware removal option comes with a tune-up so your computer can be back in action just like it was in no time at all. Rent-A-Geek is here for you, let us put our 15 years of business experience to work for you, 907-745-5060.

Here at Rent-A-Geek, we often get asked about buying new computers. Yes, of course, we fix them all, laptop and desktop but eventually the time comes for new a new computer.  But what should you buy? Which one is the best one? Where should you buy it? Who will fix it? This post should help you answer some of those essential questions and give you some peace of mind when investing in a new computer. 

The short and easy answer to this question is the one that fits your needs.

But that begs the question, what ARE your needs??

Only you can answer that, here are a few things to think about when making your decision:

•What are you looking for a desktop or laptop? If you're looking to take your work with you, then a laptop might be what you need. But then again you may have an office space and a need for more power than a laptop has to offer.

•Do you want to buy local or box store? There are lots of places to buy computers, where do you want to put your money? 

•Will the computer you're buying be compatible with everything else you already own? Your printer, your photo printer, scanner, SD cards, monitors and so on. Often you can download software updates or use adapters to make things work for you. 

•How does it FEEL? Yes, this is important. No matter where you're buying from it's a good idea to get a hands-on feel for your new computer. Get out to the stores and try it out. Look at monitors (size and surface), laptop carrying weight, mouse or trackpad feel, joystick movement, space needed for setting up, how the keyboard moves under your fingers and so on.

•Ask the questions! When you're in the store, USE the salespeople. They are there for you, the buyer, whether you plan to buy that day or not. Ask them all the questions you have. If the salesperson is unable to answer your questions, go somewhere else for help.


•One more thought--warranty work. Who can and will be an authorized service center for your new computer? Will you have to send it out? Can you get it that work done locally? How long will all that take? 

•If you're still not sure about what to buy be sure to stop by Rent-A-Geek. We offer 30 minute time slots where we cover all the basics with you, make sure you know what you're looking for and you get the right set up for you. Call to schedule your consultation today 907-354-5894.

As you can see, there's a LOT that goes into buying a new computer or laptop. It's a big purchase, and if done right it can last you for many long years. If you need help once you get your new computer to remember Rent-A-Geek, we can help you set up your new system, so it runs like you want it to run. 

We really can do it all at Rent-A-Geek! By now we all know that Rent-A-Geeks Alaska is the best place to get your computer fixed in the Valley but did you know that Rent-A-Geek is here for your business needs too?? We're like your own personal IT department, there when you need us, busy elsewhere when you don't. We offer everything you could need or want to get your business started off on the right foot. Or we can troubleshoot established business's your situation and get your problems solved quickly and efficiently. 

Starting a business can seem overwhelming sometimes, but not to us.  Rent-A-Geek can help you set up your business systems. From network design to implementation, we here for your business every step of the way. Once you're up and running, we can provide system administration and automation services. We can work with you to plan ahead for emergency situations and provide preventative maintenance as well. Do you have security worries? Not with us, you won't! We can get you set up and running securely. 

​Do you have an existing business? Big or small, we can help you with your established business too. If your IT needs are more than you want to handle, we can be your IT department. At Rent-A-Geek we can perform hardware or software installations and upgrades, as needed. We can work with you on security issues your business may be experiencing. Or we can set up the current systems to run automatically. Whatever your business needs we are we can meet them.


Rent-A-Geek has been providing Alaska with reliable, quality services since 2003. Whether you run a small business, big business, new or old, we can help you out. We've got 15 years of experience and hundreds of satisfied customers behind our stellar reputation. We've been the go-to for IT solutions since 2003. Give us a call today for all your IT Business Needs.