Don’t Just Close the Lid : Your Festive IT Housekeeping Checklist

Here’s a simple, friendly IT checklist to get you there.

Tie up loose ends with our IT checklist

A tidy digital desk helps you switch off properly.
Take a moment to:

• Close anything you don’t need
• Save documents still sitting in “Unsaved”
• File the month’s work somewhere sensible
• Note the jobs you want to pick up in January

You’ll thank yourself later.

Give your laptop a quick refresh

Updates build up over the month. A quick refresh sorts them out so everything is ready for a smooth restart in the new year.
Before you leave:

• Turn on automatic updates for your system, browser, and key apps
• Restart your machine so updates can finish

Simple, predictable steps that keep everything running cleanly.

Use MFA everywhere you can

This deserves its own moment because it protects both your work life and your personal life.
Turn on MFA for any system that matters to you, including email, banking, social media, shopping, and cloud storage. It is the single most effective step you can take to stop someone getting into your accounts.
Think of it as locking the front door, not just closing it.

Set your Out of Office without oversharing

Don’t overshare on your Out of Office. Keep it friendly and useful, but vague.

Good Example:
 “I’m away until 2 January with limited access to email. For anything urgent, please contact…”
Not so good:
 “I’m in Lapland for ten days with no laptop.”

Clear and simple is best! Oh and don’t forget to log out of work systems if you’re using a personal device and/or snooze your notifications!

Give your cloud apps a quick tidy

Whatever cloud systems you use, give them a moment of care.

• Make sure files have synced
• Put shared documents in the right folders
• Confirm who needs access while you’re away
• Remove any temporary access you granted

This is the quiet side of good practice. Tidy systems make work feel easier and more secure in January.

Put your kit to bed properly with our IT Checklist

Once your restart has finished, do a full shutdown before you leave. It gives your device a clean break and saves a bit of power.
A proper shutdown:

• Finishes background processes
• Reduces battery drain
• Helps avoid the classic “why won’t this turn on” moment in January

Turn off monitors and docks too if you can. It all helps.

Take a breath

Once your workspace is settled, step away and enjoy the break. Tidiness brings a sense of control, and that feeling carries into January.

Final thought from our IT Checklist

Good IT habits are simple and predictable. A few minutes now means you return to a clean slate and a smoother start to the new year.

Our values guide our decision-making and underpin our culture.
They inspire the solutions we produce, the services we provide and the people we employ.