We’ve all been there at some point.  In fact, you might even be there Right. This. Very. Moment.  Sitting there.  Struggling with that slow as a snail computer.  Cursing at the air.  Clenching your fists like a maniac.

And it’s totally okay.  There might actually be something you can do to fix your super slow PC without the need for extreme technical assistance.

Here are some options.

Get rid of anything you don’t use.

It’s perfectly normal to install apps and programs.  That’s what they exist for… for you to install them.  Over time, though, you might stop using these apps altogether (if you ever even started using them to begin with).  And once these unused apps and programs start to pile up, you might begin to feel the increasingly annoying effects of a slow computer.

So… this is right around the time when you should go on an uninstalling spree.  Get rid of all those apps and programs you don’t use or never used.  This should help you free up space and get rid of unnecessary apps that may or may not be running in the background and may or may not be slowing down your computer in the process.

Stop starting things that don’t need to be started.

When you turn on your computer, some apps might run automatically.  This could be anything from OneDrive and Spotify to Skype and Outlook.  If you don’t actually need these apps to open, then don’t open them.  It’ll take longer to log into your computer, and it’ll make your computer run unnecessarily slow.

Depending on what type of PC you have and what programs are starting up, this process will differ.  You can potentially get to this option through the program itself, or you might have to make a visit to the control panel.

Run a scan on your computer.

A virus could very well be the cause of a slow computer.  To determine whether or not this is the case for your PC, you should begin with a complete scan of your device.  There are plenty of free options out there – some better than others – but you should really get on this ASAP.

In fact, if your computer ever starts to run slower, this should probably be the very first thing you do – even if you think it might just be that you’re running out of space.  It’s better to cross this possibility off the list than to not know.

Make sure everything is up-to-date.

Whether it’s a driver, a program, or your browser, these things can cause a lot of problems if they’re severely out-of-date – like slowing down your computer.  While small updates to these components won’t result in major speed improvements, it can add up over time.  Do your very best to keep all facets of your PC up-to-date at all times.  Here’s a useful article from Lifehacker on what you should know about updating your drivers.  If it’s your browser or any apps you’ve downloaded, you can usually check to see if your version is up-to-date from the Settings.