Yes, the option is disabled by default.

I did some further testing and wanted to share the results.

I checked my backed-up WinSCP.ini file and found that KeepLoginAfterOpenInPutty was set to 0. I changed it to 1 and restored the modified configuration, which resolved the issue.

I then performed a fresh installation of WinSCP 6.7.0 from the Microsoft Store and exported its configuration. The same setting was still set to 0 in the newly exported WinSCP.ini.

I'm not sure whether this is intentional or whether the default behavior differs between installation scenarios. However, based on my tests, the option appears to be disabled by default, even after a fresh installation.

Perhaps it would be worth considering an explicit option in the to enable this behavior, or changing the default to 1 for new installations.

In my case, changing the value to 1 was enough to resolve the issue. I hope these findings help clarify the behavior and make the configuration easier for other users.

I assume you didn't enable the Interface\KeepLoginAfterOpenInPutty in the Store installation.

The Store installation is located in:

(the WindowsApps is hidden and needs Administrator permissions to enter)

I installed version 6.7 via the Microsoft Store, but it doesn't keep the login window open after logging into PuTTY.

I'm sending you an email with a development version of WinSCP to the address you have used to register on this forum.

---

Issue 2459 – Optionally default to keeping Login dialog open after opening session in PuTTY

Thanks, I appreciate it!

I'll look into it.

Is it possible for this feature to be included in the new version 6.6? I’d be willing to make a donation if necessary, as it would really help me out—I almost always forget to press Shift. It would be great to have an option on the login screen to enable or disable this.

Thank you for that!

We will see, if more people ask for this.

Thanks @martin

Thanks, that helps a lot, although I've searched for it without success. As a last resort, do you think implementing an option would be complicated to add?

Just hold-down Shift key while opening the session:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/ui_login#shift

Hello,

I would like to suggest a small usability improvement for WinSCP regarding the login window behavior when opening PuTTY sessions.

I often use WinSCP as my main SSH session manager. When I right-click a saved session and choose “Open in PuTTY”, the WinSCP login window closes automatically after launching PuTTY.

It would be very useful to have an optional setting such as:
“Keep login window open after opening session in PuTTY”

This would allow users to quickly open multiple SSH sessions one after another without needing to reopen WinSCP or click “New Tab” repeatedly.

For users who manage many servers or SSH connections, this could significantly improve workflow and convenience.

Thank you for the great software and for considering this suggestion.