How to run the keyboard test
Press Start testing, then work through the keys. Each key lights up while you hold it and turns green once it has worked. The bar at the top shows the last key, its code, and a count in the form “Tested X of Y”.
While testing is on, the page keeps keys such as Tab, Space and the F keys to itself, so they do not scroll the page or move focus. Press Stop testing to use the page normally again, or Reset to clear the board. Nothing you type is uploaded.
A full check, row by row
- Go along each row from left to right, starting with Esc and the function row.
- Press the left and right Shift, Ctrl and Alt keys one at a time. The board tracks each side on its own.
- Work through the navigation block, the arrows and the number pad.
- Look for any key that is still grey and press it a few more times.
When a key does not light up
A grey key has not reached the browser. Turn the keyboard over, clear out crumbs and dust, and try again. If a key lights up but a different character appears in the Last key field, your keyboard layout setting in the operating system probably does not match the physical keyboard. For a wired keyboard, try another USB port. For a wireless one, reconnect it or pair the Bluetooth connection again, and check its power.
Some system shortcuts and keys are handled by the operating system and never reach the browser. If one key fails here but does its normal job on your computer, the key itself is fine.
Stuck keys and ghosting
A stuck key keeps its pressed look after you let go, because the keyboard is still reporting it as held. Press it firmly a few times and clean around it. If it stays stuck, the switch may need repair.
Ghosting is when a keyboard misses a key, or reports one you did not press, while several keys are held together. Hold two or three keys at once and watch which ones light up. Many keyboards cannot report every combination. If a group you use together in games fails, a keyboard that handles more simultaneous presses may suit you better.
Once every key checks out, put the keyboard to work on the typing test, or check your other hand with the mouse test.