Thank you for your answer.

martin wrote:

I have updated the documentation a bit anyway.
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/config

I would be more verbose.
"Note that configuration of restrictions and enforcements by administrator, is always stored in Windows registry" and is readed anyway, without regarding the choosen storage-option.

3. The choice of the storage is edited and saved per stored connection

That's not true. Where is it edited per stored connection?[/quote]
Ok, my misunderstandnig. Didn't mentionend that "Ok" in the preferences is suffincent, thougth i had to "save" it finally.
Last on this: good work anyway :D

getnutsnomore wrote:

2. I tried additionally the portable version 4.3.4 (no installation i thought, is this true), configured to use the ini-file as storage, assuming the existing registry settings (from the former installation) will be ignored at all, which also was not correct.

There's no portable version of WinSCP. It is just a portable package (different way of the distribution). The binaries are exactly the same.

I have updated the documentation a bit anyway.
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/config

3. The choice of the storage is edited and saved per stored connection

That's not true. Where is it edited per stored connection?

martin wrote:

The only reason I can think of is that you have host key accepting disabled by an administrator:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/administration

Thank you, this did the trick.

Some remarks on this issue:

The documentation, in my opinion, could be more detailed about using registry-settings, even though configuration file storage is choosen.

1. On my machine there was a winscp 4.2.9 version installed with DisableAcceptingHostKeys set to 1. But since configuration file storage was configured, i did assume registty settings wont be used at all, which was not correct.

2. I tried additionally the portable version 4.3.4 (no installation i thought, is this true), configured to use the ini-file as storage, assuming the existing registry settings (from the former installation) will be ignored at all, which also was not correct.

Perhaps at least the second could be seen as a bug.

3. The choice of the storage is edited and saved per stored connection, but it's applied to all connections. As this definetly makes sense, perhaps it would be more comprehensible to have this as a global preference.

The only reason I can think of is that you have host key accepting disabled by an administrator:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/administration

update: it's the gui and win 64-bit

winscp 4.3.4 build 1428 on MS Windows 7 enterprise
trying to connect remote server i receive error "Hostkey wasn't verified".

There is no prompt for asking to accept the server's key.

connect via commandline works with the profile configured or via open command.

This is what the log says:

. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.364 Server version: SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_4.3
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.364 We believe remote version has SSH-2 ignore bug
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.364 Using SSH protocol version 2
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.364 We claim version: SSH-2.0-WinSCP_release_4.3.4
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.366 Doing Diffie-Hellman group exchange
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.369 Doing Diffie-Hellman key exchange with hash SHA-1
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.644 Attempt to close connection due to fatal exception:
* 2011-08-04 18:12:13.644 Host key wasn't verified!
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.644 Closing connection.
. 2011-08-04 18:12:13.644 Sending special code: 12
* 2011-08-04 18:12:13.651 (ESshFatal) Host key wasn't verified!
* 2011-08-04 18:12:13.651 Authentication failed.