DeviceKite

HP keyboard test

Press every key on your HP laptop and see which ones respond, including the function row, arrows and numpad.

0/ 104keys tested
Keyboard type
Click here, then press every key

Hold Esc for 1 second to stop

Last key: none yet

Event logShown only on this page, never saved or sent.

keycodelocationrepeatheld, ms
Press a key to see its events here.

Chatter (double input)0

No double inputs so far.

    A worn switch can send a second press right after you release a key. Press the suspect key many times; real chatter shows up again and again on the same key.

    Keys a browser can’t detect

    If one of these stays dark, it is not broken: the browser simply does not get it.

    • Fn is handled inside the keyboard and is never sent to the computer.
    • Print Screen: Windows sends only the release, so the key lights up when you let go (or not at all if a screenshot tool takes it).
    • Windows / ⌘ key: the system may open the Start menu or a shortcut first. On a Mac, other keys pressed while ⌘ is held do not report their release.
    • Media, brightness and volume keys go to the system, not to web pages.
    • Input-method keys (한/영, 한자, 変換, かな) may be taken by the system’s input method.

    This test runs in your browser and needs JavaScript. Turn JavaScript on to start it; the explanation and the checklist below work without it.

    How to test an HP laptop keyboard

    1. Press Start keyboard test, or click the keyboard drawing.
    2. Press every key once. A key glows while held and stays marked after release; the counter shows how many are done.
    3. Hold Esc for one second or press Stop capturing keys to finish.

    The page opens with a compact laptop layout, which fits 13" and 14" models such as most EliteBook, ProBook and Pavilion Aero machines. Many 15" and 17" HP laptops (HP 15s, the 250 and 255 G-series, Pavilion 15, Victus and Omen 16/17) have a numeric keypad on the right. For those, switch Keyboard type to Full size, turn Num Lock on and test the keypad too. Using an external HP keyboard? The main keyboard test has the full layout.

    F1–F12 or action keys? The HP fn lock

    HP ships most laptops with action keys on by default: the top row changes brightness, volume and so on, and you hold Fn to get F1–F12. Those actions go to Windows, not to the browser, so with action keys on, the top row stays dark here even when it works.

    • On many HP laptops, Fn + Esc (or Fn + Shift on some ProBook and EliteBook models) switches the row between action keys and F1–F12. When F1–F12 light up here, both the keys and Fn work.
    • For a permanent change, HP documents an Action Keys Mode setting in the BIOS: restart, tap F10, open System Configuration and set it to Disabled to get F1–F12 without Fn. See HP: how to lock or unlock the fn key.

    The keyboard backlight key (usually F4, F5, F9 or F11 depending on the model, per HP's backlit keyboard help), the mic-mute key and the airplane-mode key are also handled by Windows and HP's software, so they don't light up here either. Test them by watching what they do: the backlight turns on, the mic icon in the taskbar changes, Wi-Fi switches off. If they do nothing, reinstall the HP hotkey driver (HP System Event Utility) through HP Support Assistant or your model's driver page.

    Keys don't work? HP's own diagnostics

    If keys stay dark here, check with HP's built-in tool, which runs outside Windows and so rules out drivers:

    1. Turn the laptop off, switch it on and press Esc about once a second until the Startup Menu appears.
    2. Press F2 for HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI.
    3. Choose Component Tests, then Keyboard, then Run once, and follow the prompts (about 3 minutes).

    HP's steps are in HP PCs: testing for hardware failures. There is also a Windows version, HP PC Hardware Diagnostics for Windows. A failure ID there means a hardware fault: note it for HP service. If HP's test passes but keys fail in Windows, it's software: update drivers and BIOS in HP Support Assistant and read the laptop keyboard guide.

    A whole row or a block of neighbouring keys failing together usually means a loose ribbon cable or a spill, not single keys. Letters typed twice? Watch the Chatter (double input) panel. For gaming, check the rollover test and the keyboard polling rate; the generic laptop keyboard test covers other brands. Nothing you press is recorded or uploaded. More tools: device tests.

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I test my HP laptop keyboard?

    Open this page, click the keyboard drawing and press every key once. Working keys light up and stay marked. For a check outside Windows, run HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI: press Esc at startup, then F2, then Component Tests › Keyboard.

    Why don't F1–F12 light up on my HP laptop?

    The top row is set to action keys, which go to Windows instead of the browser. Hold Fn while pressing them, press Fn + Esc to switch the row, or set Action Keys Mode to Disabled in the BIOS.

    Is there an HP keyboard diagnostic test?

    Yes. HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI and Windows versions) includes an interactive keyboard test that takes about 3 minutes. It doesn't check multimedia keys or Bluetooth keyboards.

    My HP numpad doesn't type numbers. Is it broken?

    Usually not. Press Num Lock and test again with Keyboard type set to Full size. With Num Lock off, the keypad works as arrows, Home and End.

    Why doesn't the HP keyboard backlight key light up here?

    The backlight key is handled by the laptop, not sent to web pages. Press it and watch the keys; if nothing happens, your model may have no backlight, or it needs Fn held.

    Related tests

    Guides for this device

    All device testsAll skill tests