Windows is–for all intents and purposes–the most widely used OS in the world. Firmly entrenched in both the business and consumer computing worlds, its reach continues to grow steadily across desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms.

With the end of the year upon us, there’s no better time to perform some system upkeep chores to ensure that your system is optimized as you head into the new year. This is also the time of year when equipment is replaced by holiday gifts, with older equipment being handed down or sold to make way for the new.

Let’s work through this handy checklist of practical procedures that will keep your Windows PCs humming along in this free TechRepublic PDF download.

From the download:

1. UPGRADE APPLICATIONS

Truthfully, updating applications should be part of a regular maintenance cycle, but the task sometimes falls through the cracks. Take great care to ensure that applications are always current to maximize compatibility with newer hardware and to support the overall security posture of a system. Don’t head into next year with out-of-date software.