Installation

This article contains detailed description of downloading and installing WinSCP. You may want to see simplified guide to the process instead.

The most users will prefer installing WinSCP for an easy setup.

Though note that, if you prefer so, you can use WinSCP executable as a portable application with its settings stored in an INI file and no installation required. This configuration is best for using WinSCP from a removable media.

Obtaining WinSCP
Running the WinSCP Installation Program
Upgrading WinSCP
Downgrading WinSCP
Removing / Uninstalling WinSCP
Automating Installation and Uninstallation
Custom Distribution of WinSCP
Administration Tasks

Obtaining WinSCP

You can obtain WinSCP from the WinSCP download page. You should save the installer to an easily accessible location such as your Microsoft Windows desktop or your My Documents folder.

Running the WinSCP Installation Program

If you have WinSCP running, close it. The installer will not run if it finds any instance of WinSCP running.
Open the installation program by double clicking on its icon.
The WinSCP installer starts. Follow its instructions.

Upgrading WinSCP

To upgrade WinSCP, download the newer version, and then install it. The installation will preserve your configuration, and – if necessary – upgrade it.

The new WinSCP version will be installed in your language, if this particular localization has already been completed. The installation package contains all the translations that were complete at the time of its release. Otherwise you must install the new translation manually, if available. Any translation from your previous WinSCP version will not work with the new version.

When upgrading Portable executable, just replace the executable files with the new version. New version can always read configuration from the old version.

To check for rare backward incompatible changes between versions, search version history for “Change:”. When upgrading from a version more than a year old, do not forget to search also old version history.

Downgrading WinSCP

In most cases, you may downgrade in the same way as upgrade (i.e. install the old version over the newer one). However safe way is to uninstall the newer version (while keeping your configuration) and only then install the old version.

Note that some of your configurations may be lost when downgrading. To make sure that you will be able to downgrade, you should backup your configuration before the upgrade.

Removing / Uninstalling WinSCP

To remove WinSCP, go to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program.

On Windows 10, you can also use Settings > Apps & features.

During the removal, WinSCP will ask if you want to remove WinSCP configuration and other data stored on your computer.

Automating Installation and Uninstallation

WinSCP uses Inno Setup as installer. It lets you use optional command-line parameters to automate the installation.

You can use following parameters to automate the installation:

/SILENT - Runs the installer without any prompts (with the exception of error messages, etc.). Default selections are used for destination folder, components, etc.
/VERYSILENT - As /SILENT, but without showing the progress window.
/NORESTART - Instructs installer not to reboot even if it’s necessary.
/LOG="filename" - Causes Setup to create a log file.
/LOADINF="filename" - Instructs Setup to load the settings from the specified file after having checked the command line. This file can be prepared using the /SAVEINF parameter.
/SAVEINF="filename" - Instructs Setup to save installation settings to the specified file.

See full list of InnoSetup setup command line parameters.

WinSCP uninstaller (unins000.exe in WinSCP installation directory) has the same parameters as above (except for /LOADINF and /SAVEINF). See full list of InnoSetup uninstaller command line parameters. When running uninstaller silently, configuration and other data stored on your computer are not removed.