Explainer
Internet Speed Test Results Explained: What Is Actually Good?
Ping, download, upload, jitter — what each number means, what "good" looks like for your use case, and when to complain to your ISP.
Guides & fixes
Plain-English guides for laptop and PC problems
Step-by-step guides to test and fix your keyboard, webcam, microphone, sound, screen, trackpad and Wi-Fi — plus buying checklists for used laptops and monitors. Every guide pairs with a free browser test, so you can check the hardware before changing anything.
All 38 guides
Fix Guide
WiFi Slow on One Laptop Only? 9 Fixes That Work
When the WiFi is fine everywhere except one machine, the fault is in that machine. Work through the nine usual suspects in order.
Fix Guide
Upload Speed Too Slow for Video Calls? Here Is How to Fix It
Video calls need upload, not download. What your meeting apps actually require, how to measure it, and practical ways to free it up.
Fix Guide
Keyboard Typing Double Letters? How to Fix Key Chatter
One press, two letters: how to prove chatter with an event history test, and the fixes — from debounce settings to switch cleaning.
Explainer
Keyboard Ghosting and Key Rollover Explained (With a Live Test)
Why W+A+Space works but W+A+E does not: the keyboard matrix, what N-key rollover buys you, and a two-minute browser test.
Explainer
Dead Pixel vs Stuck Pixel: The Difference and What You Can Do
A dead pixel stays black; a stuck pixel glows one colour. How to tell them apart with fullscreen tests, and honest odds of a fix.
Buying Guide
How to Check a Monitor for Backlight Bleed and IPS Glow
The five-minute dark-room check that separates normal IPS glow from genuine backlight bleed — before your return window closes.
Fix Guide
Laptop Overheating? The Signs of Thermal Throttling and How to Test
Performance that fades as heat builds is throttling. How to expose it with browser stress tests, and the fixes from dust to paste.
How-To Guide
How to Stress Test Your GPU in a Browser (No Downloads)
What a browser GPU test can and cannot tell you, how long to run it, and the FPS patterns that reveal throttling or instability.
Buying Guide
Used Laptop Buying Checklist: 12 Checks Before You Hand Over Money
The fifteen-minute inspection that catches expensive surprises: what to test, what to ask, and when to walk away.
Buying Guide
How to Check Battery Health on a Used Laptop
Cycle counts, design capacity, the built-in reports on Windows and macOS — and the in-person checks when you cannot run them.
Fix Guide
Headphones Only Working in One Ear? Causes and Fixes
A ten-second stereo test tells you whether the fault is the headphones, the jack, the settings or the source. Then fix it.
Fix Guide
Microphone Too Quiet? How to Boost Mic Volume on Windows and Mac
Confirm the problem with a live level meter, then fix it at the right layer: distance, gain, boost, app settings or the mic itself.
Fix Guide
Webcam Blurry or Grainy? How to Get a Sharper Picture
Lighting, focus, resolution settings, USB bandwidth: the real levers behind webcam quality, and how to test yours honestly.
How-To Guide
Monitor Test Online: Check Colours, Sharpness & Pixels
To test a monitor online, open a browser-based screen test and check five things: solid colours for dead pixels, gradients for colour banding, a dark screen for backlight bleed, a sharpness grid for focus and scaling, and fast motion for ghosting.
How-To Guide
Test Headphones Online: Left/Right Audio & Sound Check
To test headphones online, plug them in, open a browser-based sound tester and play the left and right channels separately.
How-To Guide
Check Your Webcam & Mic Before a Video Interview
Five minutes before any video interview: test your webcam in the browser to check framing and lighting, speak into a microphone tester to confirm levels, run a quick internet speed test (3+ Mbps upload keeps video smooth), and open your meeting app's device settings to confirm the right camera and mic are selected.
Fix Guide
Mouse Double-Clicking on Its Own? Test It & Fix It
A mouse that double-clicks on a single press almost always has a worn micro-switch that 'bounces' — sending two signals instead of one.
Fix Guide
No Sound on Windows 11? 10 Fixes That Actually Work
When Windows 11 has no sound, first run a browser sound test to confirm the problem, then check the output device (click the speaker icon and confirm the right device is selected), unmute and raise the volume mixer, and restart.
Fix Guide
Second Monitor Not Detected? Here's How to Fix It
When a second monitor isn't detected, check the basics in order: power and cable fully seated at both ends, the monitor set to the correct input source, Win+P set to Extend (not PC screen only), then Settings → System → Display → Detect.
Fix Guide
Keyboard Typing Wrong Characters? (@ and " Swapped)
If your keyboard types @ when you press " (or £ gives #), your computer is set to the wrong keyboard layout — usually US instead of UK.
Fix Guide
Camera Not Working in Teams or Zoom? 9 Quick Fixes
If your camera won't work in Teams or Zoom, first test the webcam in your browser — if it works there, the camera is fine and the problem is app permissions or device selection.
Fix Guide
Why Is My Wi-Fi So Slow? 12 Causes and Fixes
Slow Wi-Fi is either slow broadband or slow wireless — and a two-step speed test tells you which: test wired (or right beside the router), then test where you normally sit.
Buying Guide
How Much RAM Do I Need in 2026? Answer by Use Case
In 2026: 8GB is the working minimum for light browsing and office tasks, 16GB is the sweet spot for most people including gamers and home workers, 32GB suits creators, developers and heavy multitaskers, and 64GB+ is specialist territory.
Buying Guide
How to Check Your Laptop Specs (Windows & Mac)
On Windows 11, right-click the Start button and choose System for CPU, RAM and Windows version; press Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Performance for live detail; and type dxdiag for graphics.
Buying Guide
SSD vs HDD: Is Upgrading Your Laptop Worth It?
If your laptop still runs on a mechanical hard drive (HDD), swapping it for an SSD is the single biggest upgrade in computing: boots drop from minutes to seconds, apps open near-instantly, and the whole machine feels new.
Buying Guide
How Long Do Laptops Last? Signs It's Time to Upgrade
Most laptops last 4–6 years of daily use; well-built machines that are looked after stretch to 8 or more.
Buying Guide
Laptop Battery Health: How to Check It (Windows & Mac)
On Windows, open Command Prompt and run powercfg /batteryreport — the saved report compares your battery's design capacity with its current full-charge capacity; the gap is your wear.
How-To Guide
How to Test Your Laptop Keyboard Online (Free)
Press every key and see which ones register on screen. Identify stuck, broken, or unresponsive keys in under two minutes.
How-To Guide
Webcam Not Working? Test It Free Online
A 30-second browser test tells you instantly whether your camera hardware is working — or if the problem is in your app or settings.
How-To Guide
How to Check If Your Microphone Is Working
A browser-based mic test gives you immediate, visual feedback — watch the meter respond when you speak and know instantly if your mic works.
Fix Guide
Sound Not Working on Your Laptop? Test It Online
Generated test tones reveal instantly whether your speakers work, which channel is silent, and whether the fault is hardware or settings.
Fix Guide
How to Test Your Laptop Trackpad and Fix Cursor Problems
Watch every pointer event your trackpad sends in real time, then fix jumping cursors, dead zones and scroll problems step by step.
How-To Guide
The Best Free Online Timer With Screen-Awake Mode
Why a browser timer with Wake Lock beats an app for study sessions, workshops, exams and cooking — and how to use one well.
Fix Guide
Why Your Laptop Keyboard Stops Working (And How to Fix It)
From Filter Keys to failed ribbon cables: the full diagnostic path for a dead or misbehaving laptop keyboard, in order of likelihood.
Fix Guide
How to Fix a Webcam Not Working on Windows and Mac
The complete fix path for a dead webcam on both operating systems — privacy settings, app permissions, drivers and hardware checks.
Fix Guide
Microphone Not Working? Quick Fixes That Actually Work
Most "broken" microphones are selection or permission problems. Here is how to prove your mic works and make every app use it.
Full Guide
The Complete Laptop Hardware Test Guide (All Free, In Your Browser)
A full head-to-toe laptop health check in about twenty minutes, using free browser tools and a repeatable checklist.
Test before you fix
Every test runs in your browser — no installs, no account, nothing uploaded.
Keyboard Tester
Press every key and see which ones register, stick or repeat, on a Windows UK or Mac layout.
Mouse & Touchpad Test
Check pointer movement, left and right clicks, double-clicks and scrolling from a mouse or touchpad.
Typing Speed Test
Measure net words per minute and accuracy over 15 seconds to 2 minutes.
Reaction Time Test
Five rounds with false-start detection, measuring your average and best reaction in milliseconds.
Webcam Tester
See a live preview, switch cameras and confirm resolution before a call or interview.
Microphone Tester
Watch a live level meter to confirm your mic works and is loud enough, and pick the right input.
Sound Tester
Play left, right, bass and treble tones to find a dead speaker, a one-sided headset or distortion.
Screen & Dead Pixel Test
Full-screen colours, gradients and grids for spotting dead pixels, banding and backlight bleed.