PuTTY is a free SSH client for Windows that many people still prefer to the command line, because it saves sessions, keys and settings in one window. This guide shows how to install PuTTY safely, connect to your Domain India VPS, switch to key login with PuTTYgen, and copy files with PSCP and PSFTP. Windows 10 and 11 also have a built-in ssh command, so PuTTY is a choice, not a requirement.
Download PuTTY only from its official site and keep it updated. Enter your VPS's IP address, leave the port at 22 and the type at SSH, save the session, and click Open. Log in as root with the details from your setup email. Then create a key in PuTTYgen, add the public key to the server, load the .ppk file under Connection › SSH › Auth › Credentials, and turn password login off once key login works.
1. Install PuTTY from the official site
Download PuTTY from its official page, https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html. Choose the 64-bit MSI installer for most computers. It installs PuTTY, PuTTYgen, Pageant, PSCP and PSFTP together.
Look-alike sites and download portals have bundled malware with PuTTY, and putty.org is not the PuTTY project's site. Also update old copies: PuTTY versions 0.68 to 0.80 had a flaw that could expose NIST P-521 (ecdsa-sha2-nistp521) private keys. Use 0.81 or later, and replace any P-521 key that was used with an older version. An Ed25519 key, as in this guide, was not affected.
2. What you need from Domain India
- Your VPS's IP address and root login details. These are in the email you received when the VPS was set up. The order is listed under Services in the client area.
- The SSH port. A new VPS uses the standard port, 22, unless you have changed it yourself.
A Domain India VPS is self-managed: you log in as root and look after the server. The client area has no VPS console, so if you ever lock yourself out, you will need a support ticket.
3. Connect for the first time
- Open PuTTY.The Session page appears.
- Enter the server.In Host Name (or IP address), type your VPS's IP address, for example
203.0.113.10. Leave Port at22and Connection type at SSH. - Save the session.Type a name such as
my-vpsunder Saved Sessions and click Save. Next time, select it and click Load. - Click Open.The first time, PuTTY shows a Security Alert with the server's host key fingerprint. Click Accept to trust it and store it.
- Log in.At
login as:typeroot, press Enter, then type the password. Nothing appears on screen while you type the password; that is normal. - Change the root passwordstraight away with
passwd.
To paste into PuTTY, right-click in the window. Selecting text with the mouse copies it automatically.
4. Switch to key login with PuTTYgen
A server on a public IP address receives automated password guesses within minutes, so move to an SSH key as soon as you are in. PuTTY keeps private keys in its own .ppk format.
- Open PuTTYgenfrom the Start menu.
- Choose the key type.Select EdDSA with Ed25519 in the curve list.
- Click Generateand move the mouse over the blank area until the bar fills.
- Set a key passphrase.This protects the key if your computer is lost or copied.
- Save the private keyas a
.ppkfile somewhere only you can reach. - Copy the public key.Select all the text in the box headed Public key for pasting into OpenSSH authorized_keys file and copy it.
Back in your PuTTY session on the VPS, add that line to the server:
mkdir -p ~/.ssh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keysRight-click to paste the key on its own line, save with Ctrl+O and Enter, exit with Ctrl+X, then run:
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keysNow tell PuTTY to use the key:
- Load your saved session.
- Go to Connection › SSH › Auth › Credentials and, under Private key file for authentication, browse to your
.ppkfile. - Go back to Session, click Save, then click Open. PuTTY asks for the key passphrase instead of the root password.
Already have an OpenSSH key from Windows, macOS or Linux? In PuTTYgen, use Conversions › Import key and then Save private key to get a .ppk. More on key types in generating SSH keys.
Enter the passphrase once with Pageant
Pageant is PuTTY's key agent. Start it, right-click its icon in the system tray, choose Add Key, select your .ppk file and type the passphrase once. PuTTY, PSCP and PSFTP then use the key without asking again until you sign out of Windows.
5. Turn off password login safely
Once key login works, create your own user with sudo rights, give it the same key, and set PasswordAuthentication no and PermitRootLogin no in the SSH configuration. The full steps are in the SSH security hardening checklist for a VPS.
Keep your current PuTTY session open, start a second one, and confirm the key login works before you reload the SSH service with passwords off. There is no VPS console in the client area, so a lockout means a support ticket. And use reboot, never poweroff, to restart from inside: poweroff leaves the VPS switched off until support starts it again.
6. Useful session settings
Change these on the relevant page, then go back to Session and click Save so they stick.
- Keep idle connections open: under Connection, set Seconds between keepalives to
60. - Log a session: under Session › Logging, choose All session output and pick a file. Don't log sessions in which you type secrets.
7. Copy files with PSCP and PSFTP
Both tools use the same login and key as PuTTY. Run them from Command Prompt or PowerShell. With Pageant running, they won't ask for the passphrase.
:: Upload a file
pscp C:\Users\you\site.zip [email protected]:/root/
:: Download a file
pscp [email protected]:/var/log/syslog C:\Users\you\Desktop\
:: Interactive session
psftp [email protected]Inside PSFTP, put file uploads, get file downloads and quit exits. If SSH is on another port, add -P and the port number (a capital P for PSCP and PSFTP). Graphical SFTP clients such as WinSCP and FileZilla also work with the same key.
8. When the connection fails
| Message | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Network error: Connection timed out | Wrong IP, a firewall rule you added, or SSH on another port | Check the IP in your setup email and the port in your session |
| Network error: Connection refused | SSH isn't running or listens on another port | Check the port; if you can't get in at all, open a ticket |
| No supported authentication methods available | Password login is off and PuTTY isn't offering your key | Load the .ppk under Credentials, or add it to Pageant |
| Server refused our key | The public key isn't in that user's authorized_keys, or permissions are wrong | Check the key line, chmod 700 ~/.ssh and chmod 600 on the file |
| POTENTIAL SECURITY BREACH (host key changed) | The server was reinstalled, or something is intercepting the connection | Accept only if you reinstalled the VPS; otherwise click Cancel and contact support |
9. Using PuTTY with shared hosting
PuTTY also works with Domain India shared hosting, where SSH is different from a VPS. Jailed SSH access is available on every shared hosting plan (cPanel, DirectAdmin, Webuzo). It is off by default; ask support to enable it for your account. You log in with a key, not a password, and with your control panel username rather than root. See enabling and accessing jailed SSH. Windows (Plesk) shared hosting has no SSH.
10. Where Domain India fits
A Domain India VPS is a self-managed KVM server with full root access over SSH. The control panel choices at checkout are none, CyberPanel, Webuzo or DirectAdmin; cPanel isn't offered on a VPS. VPS Starter is ₹553 a month (Domain India list price on 19 September 2026, excluding 18% GST). If you'd rather not run a server, shared hosting or the App Platform may suit you better.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I download PuTTY?
Only from the official PuTTY page at chiark.greenend.org.uk. Use version 0.81 or later, because older versions had a flaw affecting NIST P-521 keys.
What username do I use in PuTTY for my Domain India VPS?
Use root with the details from your VPS setup email for the first login. After that, create your own sudo user and log in with an SSH key.
Do I need PuTTY on Windows 10 or 11?
No. Windows 10 and 11 include the OpenSSH client, so you can run ssh root@your-vps-ip in PowerShell. PuTTY is useful if you prefer saved sessions and a graphical key manager.
Can I use my existing OpenSSH key in PuTTY?
Yes. Open PuTTYgen, choose Conversions then Import key, and save it as a .ppk file. Load that file under Connection, SSH, Auth, Credentials.
I disabled password login and PuTTY can no longer connect. What now?
If another session is still open, use it to fix the SSH configuration. Otherwise, open a support ticket with your VPS's IP address and what you changed, because the client area has no VPS console.
Can I use PuTTY with shared hosting?
Yes, once support has enabled jailed SSH on your account. Log in with an SSH key and your control panel username. Windows (Plesk) shared hosting has no SSH.
Ready to connect? Follow the full VPS SSH guide, compare VPS plans, or open a support ticket if your login details haven't arrived.
Send your VPS's IP address and what you changed last, and support will help you get back in.
Open a support ticket