To test your mouse, open a mouse test and click each button, spin the scroll wheel, and double-click in the test area. Every action is logged so you can see exactly what registers. The free mouse test counts left, right and middle clicks, tracks scrolling, and shows whether a single press is firing twice.
That is the quick answer. The most useful thing this test does is confirm a failing double-click, so let us start there.
The double-click problem
The most common mouse fault by far is a single click that the computer reads as two. You click once to select a file and it opens. You try to drag and it drops halfway. This is a worn micro-switch inside the mouse: the metal contact has lost its spring and bounces, sending a second signal microseconds after the first.
The test makes this easy to prove. Click once, deliberately, and watch the event log. If one physical press produces two click events, the switch is failing. It is not your hand and it is not the software. On most mice the fix is a new switch or a new mouse; the fault only gets worse with time.
How to test your mouse
Step 1: Click every button
In the mouse test, click left, right and middle. Each press is counted and named. The right button works through the test even though it would normally open a menu, so you get a clean reading.
Step 2: Test the scroll wheel
Scroll up and down, and watch the counts climb evenly. A wheel that skips, jumps back, or scrolls the wrong way has a worn encoder. Then press the wheel straight down to test the middle click, which is a separate switch from the scrolling.
Step 3: Check double-clicks and movement
Double-click and confirm it counts as one double rather than two stray singles. As you move the pointer, the live coordinates show the mouse is tracking smoothly. A cursor that jumps or freezes points to a sensor or surface problem rather than a button fault.
Other faults you can catch
- A dead button. No count, no log entry. The switch under that button has failed.
- A jumpy wheel. Scroll counts that go backwards or skip. The scroll encoder is worn.
- Erratic movement. The pointer stutters or teleports. Try a different surface or a mouse mat; glass and gloss confuse optical sensors. If it persists everywhere, the sensor is failing.
- Phantom clicks. Clicks you did not make. Often the same worn-switch bounce that causes double-clicks.
Trackpads count too
The same test works for a laptop trackpad. Tap and click to check the left, right and middle actions, and use two fingers to test scrolling. After a system update or a repair, this is a fast way to confirm the trackpad still behaves before you rely on it.
Once the mouse is sorted, you might enjoy the click speed test to measure how fast you can click, or run a keyboard test to check your other main input.