PuTTY is, according to its website, “an SSH and telnet client, developed originally by Simon Tatham for the Windows platform. PuTTY is open-source software that is available with source code and is developed and supported by a group of volunteers.” The PuTTY application itself is a free (MIT-licensed) Windows Telnet and SSH client and is bundled with companion utilities PSCP, PSFTP, Plink, Pageant
and PuTTYgen.
Because it is open source, PuTTY is popular for those looking for an inexpensive console for accessing a Linux or Unix server from Microsoft Windows. And its companion PSFTP utility can be used for SFTP as well. PuTTY is a stand-alone EXE, so it doesn’t have an installation process. Just drop it somewhere on your Microsoft Windows file system and double click on it.
UPDATE (03/11/2026): When I originally wrote this post in 2012, PuTTY was a stand-alone EXE. Today it is a packaged MSI for Microsoft Windows, which installs by default in C:\Program Files\PuTTY. This makes most of the guidance in this now 14-year-old article unnecessary. There is also a tarred and zipped distribution for Linux/Unix. You can even download PuTTY from the Microsoft Store.
The trouble with an app that can goes “somewhere” is sometimes you can’t find it anywhere. Occasionally, it can’t be found because it was accidentally deleted by one of your teammates. Then it becomes silly PuTTY, not to be confused with Silly Putty. I’ve come up with a few tricks for working with silly PuTTY.
Copy PuTTY to a Legitimate Location
I like to place PuTTY in a folder named C:Program Files (x86)\PuTTY. This folder is a perfectly valid location for a 32-bit Microsoft Windows application and unlikely to get deleted when somebody goes on an expedition to find free disk space.
Add PuTTY to Everyone’s Start Menu
Next, I like to place a shortcut on the Start Menu. Microsoft Windows 7/8/10 and Windows Server 2008/2012/2016 handle the Start Menu differently than in previous releases (see related article Windows 7/Windows 2008 Start Menu). Create a shortcut of the PuTTY.exe file and place it into the C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\ folder.
Add PuTTY to Everyone’s Desktop
Lastly, I like to put frequently used items on everyone’s desktop, not just mine. Again, Microsoft Windows 7/8/10 and Windows Server 2008/2012/2016 do this a bit differently than previous releases. Create another shortcut to PuTTY.exe and place in the C:\Users\Public\Public Desktop\ folder.
To perform this step, make sure that your Windows Explorer displays hidden folders. The public desktop is a great place to place any items that are accessed frequently, especially for groggy 3 AM support calls.
Nothing fancy, but these tip will keep PuTTY at your fingertips.
When I originally wrote this article, it was possible to purchase 5 lb. blocks of Silly Putty and Silly Putty eggs in quantities of 100, direct from Crayola? Silly Putty eggs could be given as wedding favors customized with your wedding date. Or customized with a corporate logo for swag Unfortunately, I cannot find any evidence in 2026 for the availability of Silly Putty in bulk.
Resources
- Download PuTTY from the Official PuTTY website
- Download PuTTY from the Microsoft Store
- PuTTY on Wikipedia
- Silly Putty on Wikipedia
- The Official Silly Putty (Crayola) website
No Silly Putty was harmed in the creation of this article. Did you know you can purchase 5 lb. blocks of Silly Putty? Or Silly Putty eggs in quantities of 100? I’ve heard of Silly Putty eggs being given as wedding favors. Or customized with your corporate logo. Imagine the possibilities.
