Check a used keyboard and mouse
A repeatable inspection for a purchase, handover or reuse project, with a checklist you can fill in and print.
Updated 8 September 2026 · Observation method v2
Keep the result specific to what you tried.
Test the controls you need, record anything unusual, then compare suspicious results. A browser check can make a handover clearer. It cannot certify a used device’s remaining life, battery capacity or condition inside the case.
Before the first input
Agree with the owner which checks are possible. Inspect the outside, connector and cable without opening the device. Note missing keycaps, visible damage or controls you cannot access. Identify the intended keyboard or mouse so a built-in trackpad or another connected device does not confuse the check.
Use a compatible computer with a current browser. Record its operating system, browser version and connection type. For power or connection issues, use the system’s connection guidance before interpreting absent input.
Use the same order for each device
Check the keyboard by groups
Open the keyboard test, choose a reference and exclude only physically absent keys. Work through letters, numbers, navigation and modifiers; add the number pad and function row when present. Fully release each key before the next. Note reserved keys separately instead of declaring them broken.
Spend more time on anything suspicious
Use the per-key guided check: one press and release, five separate taps, then a hold of at least two seconds and a final release. Try a combination you actually use. If a key behaves unexpectedly, follow the unresponsive-key guide and compare in another app. A complete drawing does not validate every combination.
Check mouse actions separately
Open the mouse test. Press and release each available button, hold one for about three seconds, and scroll both ways. Keep the pointer in the active area. The direction shown is what the browser receives; it does not count universal wheel notches.
Compare slow single clicks
Use the repeated-click check for a series of 25 received presses. Make deliberate single clicks, roughly one per second, and count your gestures separately. Record that manual count, the received count and selected threshold. Repeat any mismatch with the same setup before changing the connection.
Finish with a useful limitation
List untested controls and any comparison you could not make. Export the local tool reports before resetting, and use the sheet below to record observations across tools. A short clean run cannot exclude an intermittent fault.
Used keyboard and mouse
Tick checks you performed, including those that revealed an issue. A tick does not mean the equipment passed. Record differences and anything left untested.
Optional fields stay only in this open page. Print or save as PDF before leaving; there is no automatic saving.
1. Preparation
2. Keyboard
3. Mouse
Browser observation, not a hardware certification or guarantee. Wear, battery life, electrical faults and intermittent issues are not ruled out. Method: tinyfingers.net/tools/testing-methodology