Keyboard Tests
Find keys that are dead, type twice or drop out when you hold several at once, on any laptop or desktop keyboard.
What’s Acting Up?
Full Keyboard Checkup
Run both tests in order. Each result links straight to the next one.
- Keyboard TesterLights up each key on a full-size keyboard map as you press it, and catches keys that type twice. Works with any laptop or desktop keyboard.
- Keyboard Ghosting TestWalks through six key combinations games use and names any key your keyboard drops while others are held. Works with any laptop or desktop keyboard.
Which Test Do You Need?
A key that does nothing or types twice? The keyboard tester lights up every key you press and flags the ones that misbehave.
Keys that work alone but go missing when you hold several, like a jump that fails while you sprint? The keyboard ghosting test walks through the combinations games use and names every key your keyboard drops.
Checking a New or Used Keyboard
Start with the keyboard tester: press every key once, including the ones you rarely use, and watch for any that stay dark or turn red.
If you game, hold your usual combinations in the keyboard ghosting test. A keyboard sold as anti-ghosting should pass every one of them.
On a used keyboard, press the most worn keys, such as Space, W, A, S and D, many times in a row. A worn switch starts typing twice long before it stops working.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if my keyboard is working properly?
Press every key in the keyboard tester: each should light up once per press. Then hold a few keys together in the ghosting test to check combinations. A keyboard that passes both is working properly.
Why do some keys stop working when I press several at once?
That is ghosting, or key blocking. The keyboard’s wiring cannot tell some combinations apart, so it drops a key. It is common on laptops and office keyboards, and the ghosting test shows which combinations are affected.
Do I need a gaming keyboard to avoid ghosting?
Not always. Many ordinary keyboards handle the common movement combinations; trouble starts with three or four keys in one cluster. Test yours first: if your game’s combinations pass, a new keyboard will not change anything.