Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. When you use Cerebro Scan on a computer with an active internet connection, it silently checks our secure update server for improvements. If a newer version is available, it downloads and applies it automatically in the background. You never need to do anything — your USB gets better over time on its own.

When online, Cerebro Scan makes a brief encrypted connection to our secure server at cerebroscan.co.uk for two purposes only: to check for software updates, and to send an anonymous status ping. The information sent is minimal and non-personal — just the USB serial number, operating system type, CPU and RAM usage percentages, and your approximate city and country (not your precise address). This location information is used only to understand where our product is being used and to provide location-aware support. We cannot see your files, screen, browser, documents, or passwords. It is technically impossible for us to access your computer or see what you are doing. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

Absolutely not. This is technically impossible. Cerebro Scan runs a local server on your own computer that reads hardware statistics only — numbers like CPU percentage, RAM usage, and drive space. It has no ability to access, read, copy, or transmit any files, documents, photos, emails, passwords, or browsing history. The only information that ever leaves your computer are three anonymous numbers: the USB serial number, your OS type, and CPU and RAM percentages. Think of it like a car dashboard — it shows you the temperature gauge and fuel level but cannot see inside the engine or know where you have been driving.

Yes, completely. The diagnostic scan runs entirely on your own computer and does not require an internet connection at all. All 17 tabs of data are collected locally. The internet connection is only used for software updates and the optional speed test — everything else works fully offline.

No. Because Cerebro Scan updates itself automatically when online, the same USB stick you buy today will continue to improve over time. We push software updates, new features, and compatibility improvements to all USB sticks without you needing to do anything.

Yes. The connection to our server is encrypted (HTTPS). We do not collect any personal data, files, documents, passwords, or identifying information. The only data transmitted is the USB serial number, OS type, and anonymous performance metrics (CPU and RAM percentages). This is detailed in full in our Privacy Policy.

Cerebro Scan is a USB stick with a complete computer diagnostic dashboard built in. Plug it into any Mac or Windows PC and your browser opens automatically showing live data about your computer — CPU, RAM, storage, network, security, battery and more. No installation required.

No. On Windows, Python is bundled directly on the USB stick — nothing is installed on the computer. On Mac, it uses the built-in Python. Just plug in and double-click the launcher.

The dashboard opens immediately, but the first full data load takes around 30 seconds as it collects all your hardware information — GPU, network scan, disk speed, security status and more. After that, live data updates every 3 seconds.

Some Windows computers show a SmartScreen security warning on first run because the .exe is new software. Click "More info" then "Run anyway" to proceed. The file is safe — Cerebro Scan is read-only and cannot modify your computer.

Cerebro Scan works on Mac (macOS 10.15 Catalina and above) and Windows 10 and 11. It does not currently support Linux or ChromeOS.

Yes. The USB stick has a rotating dual connector — it has both USB-A and USB-C built in. Flip the connector to match whichever port your computer has. No adapter needed.

It depends on your company's IT policy. Most home and personal computers work fine. Some heavily restricted corporate or school computers block USB executables by IT policy. If the main launcher is blocked, a basic browser fallback (Windows.html) is included on the USB. For best results, use Cerebro Scan on a personal home computer.

Most features work everywhere, but some have limitations. For example, Wi-Fi passwords require admin access and may be blocked on managed devices. Speed test and ping results can vary on work networks. Temperature sensors are not available on all hardware. See our full feature compatibility table at cerebroscan.co.uk/compatibility for details.

No. All diagnostics run locally on your own computer at http://127.0.0.1:7760. Nothing is transmitted, uploaded or shared with any third party. An internet connection is only used to look up your external IP address and run the ping test — no personal data is sent.

Yes. Cerebro Scan is completely read-only. It reads data from your hardware to display in the dashboard. It never writes, modifies, deletes or changes anything on the computer it is plugged into.

No. When you close the browser and unplug the USB, everything stops. No files are left on the computer, no software is installed, and no logs or history remain. The only file created during use is the diagnostic report — and that saves to the USB stick itself, not the computer.

The Simple View tab explains your computer's health in plain language without any technical jargon. It gives a written summary of everything — processor load, memory usage, storage space, internet connection speed, and any issues found. It also tells you what to say to a repair technician if something needs fixing.

The report includes everything on the dashboard — all hardware readings, health score, CPU and RAM usage, storage breakdown, network status, running processes, security status, GPU info, battery status, and all recommendations. It's saved as an HTML file you can open in any browser and print to PDF.

The report saves to the Reports folder on the USB stick itself (not on your computer). On Mac the path is /Volumes/CEREBROSCAN/Reports/ and on Windows it is the Reports folder on the USB drive (e.g. D:\Reports\). The file is named with your computer name and the date.

Yes. Cerebro Scan can be used on as many computers as you like. Just plug it in, run the diagnostic, and unplug. The USB stick stores each report in the Reports folder so you can compare results across different machines.

No. Cerebro Scan is not VAT registered. No VAT is charged on your purchase and we are unable to provide VAT receipts. The price you pay is the full price with no VAT component.

Yes. A PDF invoice is generated automatically for every order and sent with your order confirmation. Your invoice shows your order reference, items purchased, and total paid. It does not include VAT as we are not VAT registered.

Cerebro Scan is shipped via Evri standard delivery. You'll receive a tracking number by email once your order has been dispatched. Delivery typically takes 2–4 working days within the UK.

We offer a 30-day money back guarantee. If you're not happy for any reason, return the USB stick in its original condition and we'll issue a full refund. Visit our Returns page to start a return — you'll need the serial number from the tin the USB stick comes in, or from the top-right corner of the dashboard.

The serial number is shown in the top-right corner of the Cerebro Scan dashboard when you run it (e.g. CS-0001). It's also printed on the label on the USB stick itself. You'll need this when filling out a return request.