How to Check a Refurbished Laptop Before Buying

Your Refurbished Laptop Just Arrived. Here's What to Check.

You've ordered a refurbished laptop. It's arrived. Now what?

A professional refurbisher will have already tested everything — but it takes about 20 minutes to verify the most important things yourself when you first set it up. This guide walks you through exactly what to check, what's normal, and what would be worth following up on.

Step 1 — Physical Inspection (Before You Power On)

Before touching the keyboard, look at the device carefully.

• Screen: Open the lid and hold it up to a bright light source. Look for cracks, deep scratches, or pressure marks. Minor marks at the very edge bezel are common; cracks are not acceptable on any grade.
• Lid / chassis: Check for dents, deep gouges, or structural damage. Light scratches are expected on Grade B and Grade C — they were described in the listing.
• Ports: Look inside each USB, HDMI, and headphone port. Check for bent pins or physical damage.
• Keyboard: Look for missing or cracked keycaps. Press each key lightly to check it sits correctly.
• Hinges: Open and close the lid several times. It should feel smooth and firm — no wobbling, grinding, or excessive looseness.
• Base: Check the bottom for damage to rubber feet or ventilation grilles.

Step 2 — First Boot Check

Power on the device and pay attention to:

• Does it boot without errors?
• Does the Windows setup flow run cleanly?
• Is the display uniform — no dead zones, discolouration, or flickering?
• Does the keyboard feel consistent — no sticky keys, no keys that feel different from their neighbours?

Step 3 — Screen Test

The quickest way to test a screen properly:

1. Open a browser and search for "dead pixel test" — there are free online tools that fill your screen with solid colours
2. Cycle through: full white, full black, full red, full green, full blue
3. Look for dead pixels (permanently black dots) or stuck pixels (permanently coloured dots)
4. Check that the backlight is even — no noticeably brighter or darker areas
5. On black: look for backlight bleed (light leaking in from edges) — a small amount is normal; significant bleed is not

1–2 dead pixels in a corner is within acceptable tolerance on most grading standards. More than that, or pixels near the centre, is worth flagging.

Step 4 — Battery Health Check (Windows)

Windows has a built-in battery report tool:

1. Press Windows key + X and select "Windows Terminal" or "Command Prompt"
2. Type: powercfg /batteryreport /output "%userprofile%Desktopattery.html"
3. Press Enter. A battery report file will appear on your desktop.
4. Open it and look for "Design Capacity" vs "Full Charge Capacity"
5. Divide Full Charge Capacity by Design Capacity and multiply by 100 for the percentage

Example: Design Capacity 50,000 mWh / Full Charge Capacity 43,000 mWh = 86% battery health. Excellent.

Step 5 — Port and Peripheral Test

Test each port methodically:

• USB-A ports: Plug in a USB stick — check it's recognised in File Explorer
• USB-C / Thunderbolt: Plug in a charger or USB-C device — check it charges or is recognised
• HDMI: Connect to an external monitor or TV if available
• Headphone jack: Plug in headphones, play audio — check both channels
• SD card reader: If you have an SD card, test it
• Webcam: Open Camera app (Windows key, search "Camera") — check image quality and that it works
• Microphone: In Sound Settings, check the microphone input is responding

Step 6 — Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

• Connect to your Wi-Fi network and run a speed test (fast.com is simple)
• Check Wi-Fi signal strength in different parts of your home/office
• Pair a Bluetooth device (phone, headphones) to verify Bluetooth works

Step 7 — Performance Spot Check

You don't need benchmark software — just use the machine normally for the first hour:

• Open several browser tabs — does it stay responsive?
• Open a large spreadsheet or document if you have one
• Check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) — idle CPU usage should be low (under 10%)
• Listen for unusual fan noise or grinding sounds
• Feel the bottom after 20 minutes of use — warm is normal; very hot is worth noting

Step 8 — Check What's Installed

A properly refurbished laptop should arrive with:

• A fresh, clean Windows installation
• No third-party software pre-installed (no trials, no toolbars, no bloatware)
• Windows fully activated
• Drivers up to date

Check Windows is activated: Settings → System → Activation. It should say "Windows is activated."

Issues to Report Immediately

• Screen cracks, significant scratches, or dead pixels in the centre
• Battery health significantly below what was listed
• Any port that doesn't work
• Keyboard keys missing, stuck, or malfunctioning
• Unusual sounds (clicking, grinding) from storage or fan
• Windows not activated or activation errors
• Device won't boot or has persistent errors

Contact the seller with photos and a clear description. A reputable seller will resolve it promptly.

Quick Reference Checklist

Run through this list in the first 48 hours and you'll know exactly what you have. Most refurbished laptops from reputable sellers pass all checks cleanly — this process just gives you the confidence to know that for yourself.