Free · print it or keep it on your phone

Meet-up checklist for a used computer

The bench tests the parts a web page can reach. This page is everything else, on one sheet.

Bring

A USB stick or your phone and its cable, to try every port
Earphones, to try the headphone jack
Your phone’s hotspot, so the computer can reach the bench
The listing, to compare the specs
A friend, and a public place to meet

Look

Battery: trackpad level with the case, bottom does not rock, no seam pushed open (a swollen battery can leak or catch fire: do not plug it in or charge it, and walk away; see the note below)
Hinges: the screen stays where you put it, no cracks at the hinge or corners
Underneath: no missing screws, no stripped heads, no stickers torn off
Charger: the right one for this model; the wattage printed on it matches

Before you plug the charger in, look for a swollen battery. Lay the laptop flat: the trackpad pushed up, a case that rocks, or a seam forced open means the battery is swelling. If you see that, do not plug it in or charge it, do not press on it or try to flatten it, and mark No bulging battery as Problem. A swollen lithium-ion battery can leak or catch fire. Replacing it is a job for a repair shop, and an old one goes to a battery recycler or a household hazardous-waste drop-off, never the trash.

Sources: Dell: how to safely recycle or dispose of your battery (do not puncture, bend or compress a swollen battery; take it to a drop-off or recycling centre); US EPA: used lithium-ion batteries (not in household garbage or recycling bins). Not plugging it in to test is Once-Over’s own cautious rule.

Locks and accounts red flags

Restart it: no password box before Windows or macOS starts (firmware or BIOS password)
Windows: Settings › Accounts › Access work or school lists no work or school account
Mac: Find My Mac is off and the seller has signed out of their Apple Account (System Settings › [name] › iCloud)
The serial number on the case matches the one in About

Health

Windows drive: PowerShell Get-PhysicalDisk | Select FriendlyName, HealthStatus says Healthy
Windows battery: powercfg /batteryreport; full charge capacity ÷ design capacity
Mac: Disk Utility › First Aid; System Settings › Battery › Battery Health
Windows: Settings › System › Activation says active

Then

Run the bench at laptopdesktop.online/bench
Agree that the seller resets it, or that you will, before you take it home