Managing PuTTY Sessions: Exporting and Importing Configurations

PuTTY is a widely used SSH and Telnet client, and managing numerous session configurations can become challenging. Fortunately, PuTTY stores its session details within the Windows Registry, allowing you to easily back up, transfer, and restore your configurations. This tutorial details how to export and import your PuTTY session list, ensuring your settings are preserved and readily available.

Understanding PuTTY Session Storage

PuTTY stores session configurations primarily under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham key in the Windows Registry. The actual session data is located within HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions. This makes it possible to back up or migrate these settings by exporting the relevant registry key.

Exporting PuTTY Sessions

There are several methods to export your PuTTY sessions:

1. Using the Registry Editor (regedit)

This is the most straightforward method, suitable for most users.

• Open the Registry Editor: Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham.
• Right-click on the SimonTatham key.
• Select "Export".
• Choose a file name (e.g., putty.reg) and a location to save the file. This will create a .reg file containing your PuTTY settings.
• To export only the session data, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions and export that key specifically, saving it as something like putty-sessions.reg.

2. Using the Command Line (cmd.exe)

The command line offers a quick way to export sessions, especially for scripting or automation. This requires an elevated (administrator) command prompt for certain operations.

regedit /e "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\putty.reg" HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham

This command exports the entire PuTTY configuration (including sessions) to a file named putty.reg on your desktop.

To export only the session list:

regedit /e "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\putty-sessions.reg" HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions

3. Using PowerShell

PowerShell provides a more powerful and flexible scripting environment.

To export the entire PuTTY configuration:

reg export HKCU\Software\SimonTatham "$([Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop'))\putty.reg"

To export only the session list:

reg export HKCU\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions "$([Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop'))\putty-sessions.reg"

Importing PuTTY Sessions

Once you’ve exported your PuTTY sessions, importing them is equally simple:

1. Double-Clicking the .reg File

The easiest method is to simply double-click the .reg file (e.g., putty.reg or putty-sessions.reg). Windows will prompt you to confirm whether you want to add the information to the registry. Confirm to import the settings.

2. Using the Registry Editor (regedit)

• Open the Registry Editor: Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
• Navigate to the root key ( HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKEY_CURRENT_USER, depending on where you want to import the settings).
• Select "File" -> "Import".
• Browse to the .reg file and select it.

3. Using the Command Line (cmd.exe)

regedit /i putty-sessions.reg
regedit /i putty.reg

4. Using PowerShell

reg import putty-sessions.reg
reg import putty.reg

Important Considerations

• Overwriting Settings: Importing a .reg file will overwrite any existing settings with the same names. Be cautious when importing configurations from untrusted sources.
• SSH Keys: These methods do not export or import your SSH private keys. Keys need to be handled separately and securely.
• PuTTY Portable: If you are using PuTTY Portable, you can place the .reg file directly into the Data\settings folder of your portable installation to import the settings.
• Offline Registry Editing: If you need to import settings from a non-bootable system, consider using specialized tools for offline registry editing to extract and import the necessary keys.
• Alternative Tools: Tools like NirSoft’s Registry File Offline Export can facilitate exporting keys from offline systems.

By following these steps, you can easily back up, transfer, and restore your PuTTY session configurations, ensuring a smooth and consistent SSH experience.