Running PuTTY on a modern Windows desktop
PuTTY predates most of the software on your Start menu, and it still behaves like a well-mannered native Windows program: one small executable, no background service, no telemetry, settings in the registry. This page covers what changes on Windows 11 and Windows 10 and the handful of settings worth adjusting on day one.
Supported Windows versions
- Windows 11 — fully supported; see the Windows 11 setup page for architecture and S mode details.
- Windows 10 — supported on all serviced builds; the 64-bit package is the right default.
- Windows Server — the same binaries run on Server 2019 and 2022 for jump-host duty.
PuTTY next to the built-in Windows OpenSSH client
Windows has included an OpenSSH client since Windows 10 version 1803, so you can type ssh user@host in PowerShell today. That covers one-off connections. PuTTY earns its place when you want stored session profiles, a settings tree you can click through, serial console access, Telnet, or key handling that does not depend on the OpenSSH agent.
| Task | Built-in OpenSSH | PuTTY |
|---|---|---|
| Quick one-line connection | Ideal | Works, but slower to launch |
| Dozens of saved hosts with different settings | Needs a hand-edited config file | Session list in the GUI |
| Serial console to a switch or appliance | Not supported | Built in |
| Legacy Telnet device | Separate optional feature | Built in |
First-run settings worth changing
- Font and window size. Window then Appearance; Consolas at 11 or 12 point is comfortable on a 1080p or 1440p panel.
- Scrollback. Raise the default 2,000 lines to 20,000 so a long log does not scroll away.
- Keepalive. Connection then seconds between keepalives; 30 keeps corporate firewalls from dropping idle sessions.
- Default profile. Change settings with no host name entered, then save them as Default Settings so every new session inherits them.
Windows security prompts you will meet
SmartScreen may warn the first time you launch a freshly downloaded build; that is reputation, not a virus detection. Windows Defender Firewall does not usually prompt for outbound SSH, but if it does, allow the private network profile only. On managed corporate machines, application control policies may block an unsigned copy from a USB drive — use the MSI your IT group approved instead.
Moving PuTTY to a new PC
Export the registry key described in the FAQ below, copy your .ppk key files, and import both on the new machine. Detailed steps live in the saved sessions guide.