Essential Checklist for Inspecting a Used Laptop
When purchasing a used laptop, it’s crucial to ensure everything is in good working order. Here’s a simple checklist to guide you:
By following this checklist, you can ensure the used laptop you’re purchasing is in good condition and meets your needs.
Visual Inspection: Carefully inspect the laptop for any physical damage, such as dents, scratches, or cracks. Pay special attention to the screen, keyboard, hinges, and body.
Check All Ports:
Test every port on the laptop, including USB, HDMI, Ethernet, and headphone jacks. Plug in devices to ensure each port is functioning properly.
Check Memory:
Run the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool to ensure the RAM is functioning properly. You can access this by typing mdsched in the Command Prompt and following the prompts.
Factory Reset:
Make sure the laptop has been reset to its default settings. This ensures no previous data is left on the device, and it’s ready for your use.
Verify System Specs:
After booting up, open Task Manager to check the CPU, memory (RAM), and SSD. This will confirm that the laptop matches the specifications you purchased.
Check Keys Work: Check all the keys work, Open up notepad and just type out all the keys
Test The Speakers: Play some music to test the Speakers here is a YouTube song to play its a nice relaxing tune while you test you’re running these tests
Check The Webcam: If you have a built-in webcam make sure to check its quality.
You can do this by clicking windows and then typing “Camera” This allows you to see your camera and even record it. Good point to check the mic here to.
Check Battery Health:
You can check the battery’s health by running this command in Command Prompt:
powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery_report.html"
.
Alternatively, download the simple program from
NirSoft’s Battery Information View for a detailed battery report.
Check for Dead Pixels:
Use the Dead Pixel Test to ensure the screen is free from dead pixels. This quick test will help you spot any issues with the display.
Check GPU or video settings
Now that you know the computer is good to go you can start loading the best programs see below