Saving Your PuTTY Username and Password in a Windows Shortcut

Introduction

PuTTY is one of the most popular SSH clients for Windows, providing a simple way to connect to remote servers. For users who routinely connect to the same host, creating a Windows shortcut with pre-filled login credentials can save time and streamline the connection process. This guide will show you how to create a shortcut that launches PuTTY with your username and password already entered.

Important Security Note: Storing your password in plain text within a shortcut is inherently insecure. If unauthorized individuals gain access to your computer or the shortcut file, your credentials could be compromised. For improved security, consider using SSH keys or a dedicated password manager. This method is intended for convenience on trusted machines only.

Prerequisites

• PuTTY Installed: Ensure that you have the latest version of PuTTY installed. You can download it from the official PuTTY website.
• Basic Windows Knowledge: Familiarity with creating shortcuts and editing properties in Windows.

1. Locate the PuTTY Executable

Typically, PuTTY is installed in one of these directories:

• C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe
• C:\Program Files (x86)\PuTTY\putty.exe

Make a note of the correct path, as you will need it for the shortcut.

2. Create a New Windows Shortcut

1. Right-click on your Desktop (or another folder where you want the shortcut).
2. Select New > Shortcut from the context menu.

3. Configure the Shortcut Command

In the shortcut creation wizard, you will be prompted to enter the location of the item. In this field, type the full path to the PuTTY executable along with the necessary command-line options. For example (if your password includes special characters, see the FAQ below on how to escape them):

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -ssh -l your_username -pw your_password your_hostname_or_IP

Command Breakdown:

• “C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe”
  The full path to the PuTTY executable (ensure the quotes are included if the path contains spaces).
• -ssh
  Forces PuTTY to use the SSH protocol.
• -l your_username
  Replace your_username with the actual username you use to log in.
• -pw your_password
  Replace your_password with your actual password. Remember: This is stored as plain text.
• your_hostname_or_IP
  Replace this with the hostname or IP address of the server you want to connect to.

Example:

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -ssh -l john_doe -pw secret123 192.168.1.100

4. Name Your Shortcut

1. Click Next after entering the command.
2. Enter a descriptive name for your shortcut (e.g., “SSH to 192.168.1.100”).
3. Click Finish.

Now when you double-click the shortcut it will bring you straight into your Linux server without having to enter username or password.

Security Considerations

• Plain Text Vulnerability: The password is stored in plain text within the shortcut’s properties. This can be a security risk if your computer is accessible by others or if malicious software scans for such shortcuts.
• Alternative Methods: For enhanced security, consider using SSH key authentication instead of passwords. Tools like Pageant, PuTTY’s SSH authentication agent, allow you to load your private keys without exposing your password.
• File Permissions: Store the shortcut in a secure location with limited access permissions to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

Conclusion

Creating a Windows shortcut with pre-configured PuTTY credentials can significantly simplify repeated SSH connections. While this method offers convenience, always balance ease of access with the need for security. When possible, opt for more secure authentication practices like SSH key-based authentication to safeguard your sensitive information.

FAQ: Common Customizations and Issues

Below are some frequently asked questions and issues raised by readers, along with possible solutions.

1. Using a Different Port

If your server is not using the default SSH port 22, you can specify a custom port with the -P switch. For example, if the port is 2222:

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -ssh -P 2222 -l john_doe -pw secret123 your_hostname_or_IP

2. Special Characters in Password

If your password contains special characters like quotes, backslashes, or spaces, you need to enclose it in double quotes and escape certain characters. For example, if your password is my^p'@s\"$, your shortcut might look like this:

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -ssh -l john_doe -pw "my^p'@s\"$" 192.168.1.100

Note how the internal double quote (\") is escaped with a backslash, and the entire password is surrounded by quotes to prevent the command line from breaking.

3. Using Advanced Settings (Bug-Compatibility, Fonts, Colors, etc.)

PuTTY offers many advanced settings that can be configured in the graphical interface (fonts, colors, bug-compatibility flags, etc.). If you want to launch PuTTY with these advanced options and still auto-login, create a saved session in PuTTY with all your preferred settings. Then use:

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -load "MySessionName" -pw your_password

Any advanced options you saved in “MySessionName” (including bug-compatibility flags) will be applied, and you’ll still skip the manual password prompt.

4. Running Commands Automatically on Login

You can use the -m switch to run commands automatically upon login, combined with -t to force the server to start a shell. For example:

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -ssh -l john_doe -pw secret123 -m "C:\cmds.txt" -t 192.168.1.100

In C:\cmds.txt, you might have:

cd /var/www
/bin/bash

This will change to /var/www and then launch the bash shell automatically.

5. Logging Session Output

PuTTY doesn’t provide a direct command-line switch for logging. However, you can enable logging under Session > Logging in the PuTTY GUI and save those settings to a named session. Then launch that session via -load:

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe" -load "LoggingSession" -pw your_password

All session output will then be logged according to the preferences you set in the saved session.

6. Storing Password in a File

PuTTY does not support a parameter to read the password directly from a file (e.g., -pw "C:\Path\to\pwfile" will not work). Storing your password in a text file is still insecure, so it’s generally better to either use SSH keys or rely on the -pw parameter in the shortcut (with caution).

7. Multiple Hosts or Shortcuts

To quickly log in to different servers, you can create multiple shortcuts—each with a different host/IP or port. Alternatively, create multiple saved sessions in PuTTY, each configured for a different server, and use -load to launch them.

Let me know if this helped. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or 🍊 buy me a smoothie.