Configuring Session (Login Dialog)

To configure your session, start WinSCP, and then use the Login dialog that opens. It can be invoked also later to open additional sessions.

Login dialog also shows automatically on startup and when the last session is closed, by default. You can turn that off by unchecking the Show Login dialog on startup and when the last session is closed checkbox. You can revert that in preferences.

Editing Existing Site

Use Edit button to start editing selected site. After you complete your changes, save them with Save button. You can also save a modified site under a new name using Save As command from drop-down menu of Save button.

Use Cancel button to rollback your changes.

Note that you cannot login to the site until you commit (or rollback) your changes.

If you want to change the same setting for many sites, you can use command-line parameter /batchsettings.

Deleting

The Manage > Delete command (or Del key) deletes selected site, site folder or workspace. Deleting a site folder deletes all the sites it contains.

Renaming

Use the Manage > Rename command to rename selected site, site folder or workspace.

Creating Shortcuts

Use Manage > Desktop Icon command to create a Desktop shortcut icons for selected site, site folder or workspace. For sites you can create also 'Send To’ shortcuts.

Note that if you delete the site the existing icons will not work anymore.

Renaming

Use the Manage > Rename command to rename selected site, site folder or workspace.

Advanced Functions
Tools Menu

Advanced Functions

Opening Site in PuTTY

You can open configured session, the selected site or all sites in the selected folder in PuTTY SSH client instead of WinSCP. Use Manage > Open in PuTTY command.1

Opening sessions that require an SSH tunnel is not possible this way. You have to first open the session with the tunnel in WinSCP and only then open the session in PuTTY.

Default Session Settings

Use Manage > Set Defaults set configured session settings or settings of selected site as default session settings.

Pasting Session URL

Use the Manage > Paste Session URL or Ctrl+V to paste a session URL from the clipboard. It gets parsed into File protocol, Host name, Username, etc. The command is available only for New Site node or when editing site.