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Using PuTTY to Connect to Your VPS (Windows)

Using PuTTY to Connect to Your VPS (Windows)

PuTTY is a free, widely-used SSH client for Windows. This guide walks you through downloading, configuring, and using PuTTY to connect to your {{COMPANY_NAME}} VPS.

Step 1: Download and Install PuTTY

  1. Visit the official PuTTY download page: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html
  2. Download the MSI installer (64-bit for most systems)
  3. Run the installer and follow the prompts
  4. PuTTY will be available in your Start menu under "PuTTY"

Tip: Only download PuTTY from the official website. Third-party sources may bundle malware.

Step 2: Configure a New Connection

  1. Open PuTTY from the Start menu
  2. In the Session category (default view):

- Host Name (or IP address): Enter your VPS IP address (e.g., 203.0.113.50)

- Port: 22 (or your custom SSH port)

- Connection type: Select SSH

  1. Under Saved Sessions, type a name (e.g., "My VPS") and click Save

This allows you to quickly load the connection settings in the future.

Step 3: Connect to Your VPS

  1. Click Open to initiate the connection
  2. On your first connection, a Security Alert will appear asking you to verify the server's host key
  3. Click Accept to trust the key and continue
  4. At the login as: prompt, type root and press Enter
  5. Enter your password when prompted

Tip: The cursor does not move when typing your password. This is a security feature, not a bug.

Step 4: Save Your Session (Recommended)

To avoid re-entering details each time:

  1. Before clicking Open, enter a name in Saved Sessions
  2. Click Save
  3. Next time, select your saved session and click Load, then Open

Using SSH Keys with PuTTY

SSH keys are more secure than passwords. PuTTY uses its own key format (.ppk).

Generate a Key Pair with PuTTYgen

  1. Open PuTTYgen (installed with PuTTY)
  2. Select EdDSA (Ed25519) or RSA (4096 bits) as the key type
  3. Click Generate and move your mouse randomly over the window
  4. Once generated:

- Set a Key passphrase (recommended)

- Click Save private key -- save as my-vps-key.ppk

- Copy the text from the Public key for pasting box

Add the Public Key to Your VPS

  1. Connect to your VPS using password authentication
  2. Run:
bash
mkdir -p ~/.ssh
nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
  1. Paste the public key text (from PuTTYgen) on a new line
  2. Save and exit (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X)
  3. Set correct permissions:
bash
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Configure PuTTY to Use the Key

  1. Open PuTTY and load your saved session
  2. Navigate to Connection > SSH > Auth > Credentials
  3. Under Private key file for authentication, click Browse and select your .ppk file
  4. Go back to Session, click Save to update the session
  5. Click Open to connect -- you should now authenticate with your key

Useful PuTTY Configuration Tips

Keep Connections Alive

Prevent timeouts by sending keepalive packets:

  1. Go to Connection
  2. Set Seconds between keepalives to 60
  3. Save the session

Change Font and Appearance

  1. Go to Window > Appearance
  2. Click Change next to Font settings
  3. Choose a monospace font like Consolas or Cascadia Mono at your preferred size

Enable Logging

To keep a record of your sessions:

  1. Go to Session > Logging
  2. Select All session output
  3. Choose a log file location

Copy and Paste

  • Copy: Select text with your mouse (it copies automatically)
  • Paste: Right-click in the PuTTY window

Transferring Files with PSCP and PSFTP

PuTTY includes command-line tools for file transfer:

PSCP (Secure Copy)

Upload a file:

cmd
pscp C:\Users\you\file.txt root@YOUR_VPS_IP:/home/

Download a file:

cmd
pscp root@YOUR_VPS_IP:/var/log/syslog C:\Users\you\Desktop\

PSFTP (Secure FTP)

cmd
psftp root@YOUR_VPS_IP
psftp> put localfile.txt /remote/path/
psftp> get /remote/file.txt
psftp> quit

Troubleshooting

ProblemSolution
"Network error: Connection timed out"Verify VPS IP; check if VPS is running; ensure port 22 is open
"Network error: Connection refused"SSH service may be down; use VNC console from client area
"Access denied"Check username and password; verify SSH key path
"Server's host key has changed"Server was reinstalled; click Yes to accept the new key
PuTTY freezes after openingTry disabling Connection > SSH > Auth > GSSAPI > Attempt GSSAPI authentication

Alternatives to PuTTY

  • Windows Terminal + OpenSSH - built into Windows 10/11
  • MobaXterm - feature-rich terminal with tabbed sessions
  • Termius - cross-platform SSH client with sync

Related Articles

  • How to Connect to Your VPS via SSH
  • Setting Up a Firewall on Your VPS (UFW/iptables)
  • Basic VPS Server Management Commands

Need assistance? Contact our support team at {{SUPPORT_EMAIL}} or open a ticket at {{SUPPORT_URL}}.

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