How to test your mouse scroll wheel
Scroll down only
Press Start health check and scroll down steadily for 10 seconds. Do not scroll up.
Then scroll up only
The test switches direction for another 10 seconds.
Read the verdict
Any step in the wrong direction shows as a red mark. Fixed it? Run the test again to compare before and after.
This mouse scroll test doubles as a mouse wheel test: the health check catches scroll wheel jumping, and speed mode runs a scroll speed test.
What your result means
Works normally
Every step went the way you scrolled.
Minor skipping
A couple of steps jumped back. Clean the wheel and test again.
The wheel is jumping
Repeated wrong-way steps, the classic sign of a dirty or worn wheel encoder.
Why does my scroll wheel jump or skip?
Page jumps back while scrolling
- Likely cause
- Dust or hair in the wheel encoder, the part that detects rotation.
- What to do
- Blow compressed air into the gap around the wheel while rolling it. Repeat a few times.
Skipping after years of use
- Likely cause
- The encoder contacts are worn.
- What to do
- Warranty claim, an encoder replacement, or a new mouse.
Scroll feels too fast or too slow
- Likely cause
- Windows “lines per scroll” or smooth scrolling in your mouse software.
- What to do
- Adjust it in Windows Mouse settings or your mouse software. This is a setting, not a fault.
Odd results on a laptop
- Likely cause
- Touchpads send many tiny scroll events instead of steps.
- What to do
- Use a mouse for this test; we show a note when we detect a touchpad.
Horizontal scroll test
Many mice can also scroll sideways: the wheel tilts left and right, or there is a second thumb wheel on the side, like on the Logitech MX Master series. The Horizontal scroll row under the test box checks it. Tilt the wheel or turn the thumb wheel inside the box and each direction lights up green as soon as it registers. It works at any time, without pressing Start.
If nothing happens, check that horizontal scrolling is turned on in your mouse software and that the tilt is not remapped to another action, such as back and forward. Holding Shift while you scroll also scrolls sideways in most browsers; the test tells you when that is what it detected, so you can tell a working tilt wheel from the Shift shortcut.