Mouse Test

This mouse test checks every part of a mouse that the computer can see: the left, right and middle buttons, the Back and Forward side buttons, the scroll wheel in both directions and wheel tilt on mice that have it. Each button lights up on the drawing as you press it, the counters show how many times it registered and how long you held it, and a click that arrives twice from one press is flagged in orange. It works in any current browser on Windows, Mac, ChromeOS and Linux with wired, wireless and Bluetooth mice, and a laptop touchpad counts as a mouse too.

How to test your mouse

1. Point at the dark test area. The right-click menu, middle-click scrolling and the Back and Forward page changes are switched off while the pointer is over it.
2. Click the left, right and middle buttons a few times each at your normal speed. The middle button is the wheel pressed straight down.
3. Press both side buttons. Most mice have Back nearer your palm and Forward nearer the front.
4. Turn the wheel up and down a few notches. If your wheel tilts sideways, push it left and right.
5. Hold the left button and draw a long, slow line across the test area. The line should stay unbroken until you let go.
6. Check the counters. Press Copy results to save a summary for a support ticket or a warranty claim.

What the results mean

The event log under the counters lists every press, release and wheel step with its timing. It shows button numbers as your browser reports them: 0 is left, 1 is middle, 2 is right, 3 is Back and 4 is Forward.

A mouse button does not light up

If a button stays dark however you press it, the press is not reaching the computer. Check these in order:

• The button is remapped. Mouse software such as Logi Options+, G HUB, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG and Corsair iCUE can turn any button into a key, a macro or nothing at all. Reset the profile to its defaults and test again.
• Left and right are swapped. On Windows 11 open Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Mouse, and check Primary mouse button. On a Mac, open System Settings, then Mouse, and check which side is set as the main click and which as the secondary click.
• A worn switch. If the button feels mushy or needs a hard press, the switch under it is worn. Many mice use the same small switches, and a repair shop can replace one cheaply.
• The whole mouse is silent. If no button and no movement registers, the problem is the connection: cable, receiver, batteries or Bluetooth pairing. Follow the steps for a mouse not working on pc.

One click is read as two

An orange button with a double count sent two clicks when you pressed once. The second click comes a few milliseconds after you let go, faster than any finger can release and press again. Files open when you meant to select them, and drags drop halfway.

1. Blow compressed air into the gap around the button while clicking it 20 or 30 times.
2. If your mouse software has a debounce or click delay setting, raise it by 2 to 4 ms.
3. Try the mouse on another computer or USB port. If the double clicks follow the mouse, the switch is at fault. The Windows double-click speed setting will not help, because a bouncing switch sends its second click far faster than even the quickest setting.
4. Claim the warranty with your copied results, or have the switch replaced if the mouse is out of warranty.

The mouse double click test repeats this check with more detail, and the full set of fixes is in the guide on mouse double clicking on single click.

The line breaks while you drag

A break in the drag line, marked with an orange cross, means the left button let go for a moment while you held it down. Windows sees a release and a new press, so the file you were dragging drops or a selection ends early. It is the same worn switch that causes double clicking, caught in a different way, and the same fixes apply. If drags behave strangely without any break, check that ClickLock is turned off on the Buttons tab of Mouse Properties.

The wheel scrolls the wrong way or skips

Turn the wheel slowly in one direction and watch the up and down counters. If the opposite counter rises now and then, the wheel's encoder is dirty or worn and the page you scroll jumps back. The mouse wheel test shows each step on a timeline and counts the backward jumps. Short bursts of compressed air into the wheel gap, while turning it, clear dust from the encoder on most mice.

A wheel that turns while you press it shows as Wheel slips. That makes middle clicks scroll the page by accident. The middle click test focuses on that button, and the guide for a middle mouse button not working covers the fixes.

The side buttons change pages or do nothing

Back and Forward normally move your browser through its history, which is why many simple mouse testers lose your results when you press them. This tester cancels the page change while the pointer is over it. If a side button shows Sent as a key shortcut, your mouse software is sending Alt with an arrow key instead of a button press. That works in browsers but not in every game, so set the button to its default in the software if a game ignores it.

The cursor jitters, skips or drifts

Move the mouse slowly across the test area and watch the green trail. A smooth line is normal. A jagged line, sudden jumps or a cursor that moves on its own mean the sensor is losing track or the signal is dropping:

• A glossy, glass or white desk. Optical sensors need some texture. Use a plain cloth or hard mouse pad.
• Hair or dust in the sensor window. Blow it out, or wipe the window gently with a dry cotton bud.
• The cursor moves when you lift the mouse. That is the lift off distance. Many gaming mice let you lower it in their software.
• A wireless mouse that stutters. Fit a fresh battery and plug the receiver into a port on the computer itself, not a hub. USB 3 ports and devices right next to the receiver can interfere with its 2.4 GHz signal, so a short extension cable helps.

If movement still hitches in every app, the guide for mouse lagging covers drivers and power settings.

Testing a laptop or Mac

On a laptop, a press on the touchpad counts as a left click and a two finger press as a right click, so the touchpad test is the better check for the pad itself. On a Mac, side buttons often do nothing until the mouse maker's app assigns them an action, so install it before you decide they are broken.

What a mouse test cannot check

Some parts of a mouse never report to the computer, so no online mouse tester can see them. The DPI button and profile buttons change settings inside the mouse. Sensor accuracy and movement speed need their own tests: the mouse dpi checker measures real DPI, the polling rate tester counts reports per second and the click latency test times how quickly a click reaches the screen. When you just want to see how fast you can click, try the click speed test.

Mouse test questions