6. Update old third-party programs

If your computer is freezing when opening a specific application, the chances are the program is not up-to-date. The best thing to do in this case is head over to the provider’s official website and see if there is a new version available – in most cases there will be.

For example, my laptop used to run super slow on Adobe Acrobat – once I went to the Adobe site and updated to the 2017 version, it’s running like new again. Not only will the latest software typically run quicker on your machine, they also contain the latest security patches which will help you to stay protected online.