password has been expired so please go through putty or ssh and change the password and problem may be resolved.

For details about error message "Cannot initialize SFTP protocol. Is the host running a SFTP server?" see:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/message_cannot_initialize_sftp_protocol

I get the same error when connect WinSCP to OpenSSH in Windows 2003.
Using the same config file of OpenSSH in Windows XP running well.
Any idea? is this mean OpenSSH is not support in Windows 2003?

Again: check the server log file first.

martin wrote:

Please read documentation for common reasons of getting this error and some resolution hints.

Hi,

I get the same error when connect WinSCP to OpenSSH in Windows 2003.
Using the same config file of OpenSSH in Windows XP running well.
Any idea? is this mean OpenSSH is not support in Windows 2003?


Johan

Please read documentation for common reasons of getting this error and some resolution hints.

First check log of the server.

I installed OpenSSh for windows 3.8.1p1-1 on a Win2k3 box. I followed to instructions and created the group and local username. The username is a name already in the local account of the box. When I try to connect to it locally from WINscp c3.82 b330 I get the following error....

Cannot initialize SFTP protocol. Is the host running a SFTP server?
Connection has been unexpectedly closed. Server sent command exit status 1.

Here is my log file...
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 WinSCP Version 3.8.2 (Build 330) (OS 5.2.3790 Service Pack 1)
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Login time: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 12:22:17 PM
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Session name: clynch@127.0.0.1
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Host name: 127.0.0.1 (Port: 22)
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 User name: clynch (Password: Yes, Key file: No)
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Transfer Protocol: SFTP (SCP)
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 SSH protocol version: 2; Compression: No
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Agent forwarding: No; TIS/CryptoCard: No; KI: Yes; GSSAPI: No
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Ciphers: aes,blowfish,3des,WARN,des; Ssh2DES: No
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Ping type: -, Ping interval: 30 sec; Timeout: 15 sec
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 SSH Bugs: -,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 SFTP Bugs: -,-,-
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Proxy: none
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Return code variable: Autodetect; Lookup user groups: Yes
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Shell: default, EOL: 0
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Local directory: default, Remote directory: home, Update: No, Cache: Yes
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Cache directory changes: Yes, Permanent: Yes
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Clear aliases: Yes, Unset nat.vars: Yes, Resolve symlinks: Yes
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Alias LS: No, Ign LS warn: Yes, Scp1 Comp: No
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Looking up host "127.0.0.1"
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.140 Connecting to 127.0.0.1 port 22
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.156 Server version: SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_3.8.1p1
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.156 We claim version: SSH-2.0-WinSCP_release_3.8.2
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.156 Using SSH protocol version 2
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.156 Doing Diffie-Hellman group exchange
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.171 Doing Diffie-Hellman key exchange
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Host key fingerprint is:
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 ssh-rsa 1024 eb:68:10:60:4d:d1:5e:19:b7:87:b1:da:b3:34:05:e2
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Initialised AES-256 client->server encryption
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Initialised HMAC-SHA1 client->server MAC algorithm
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Initialised AES-256 server->client encryption
. 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Initialised HMAC-SHA1 server->client MAC algorithm
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Using username "clynch".
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 ****USAGE WARNING****
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 This is a private computer system. This computer system, including all
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 related equipment, networks, and network devices (specifically including
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Internet access) are provided only for authorized use. This computer system
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 may be monitored for all lawful purposes, including to ensure that its use
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 is authorized, for management of the system, to facilitate protection against
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 unauthorized access, and to verify security procedures, survivability, and
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 operational security. Monitoring includes active attacks by authorized entities
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 to test or verify the security of this system. During monitoring, information
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 may be examined, recorded, copied and used for authorized purposes. All
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 information, including personal information, placed or sent over this system
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 may be monitored.
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 Use of this computer system, authorized or unauthorized, constitutes consent
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 to monitoring of this system. Unauthorized use may subject you to criminal
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 prosecution. Evidence of unauthorized use collected during monitoring may be
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.484 used for administrative, criminal, or other adverse action. Use of this system
! 2007-03-27 12:22:17.500 constitutes consent to monitoring for these purposes.
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.890 Keyboard-interactive authentication refused
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.890 Session password prompt (clynch@127.0.0.1's password: )
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.890 Using stored password.
! 2007-03-27 12:22:18.890 Authenticating with pre-entered password.
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.890 Sent password
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.890 Access granted
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.921 Opened channel for session
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 Started a shell/command
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 Server sent command exit status 1
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 Using SFTP protocol.
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 Doing startup conversation with host.
> 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 Type: SSH_FXP_INIT, Size: 5, Number: -1
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 All channels closed. Disconnecting
. 2007-03-27 12:22:18.953 Server closed network connection
* 2007-03-27 12:22:18.968 (ESshFatal) Cannot initialize SFTP protocol. Is the host running a SFTP server?
* 2007-03-27 12:22:18.968 Connection has been unexpectedly closed. Server sent command exit status 1.