How do I find my private PuTTY key?

To locate your private PuTTY key, follow these steps:

1. Browse to ConnectionSSHAuth. (This step assumes you are already in the PuTTY configuration window).

2. Select Browse. This opens a file explorer window.

3. Find the saved private key created with the PuTTYgen application. Typically, you would have saved the key in a location you remember when you generated it using PuTTYgen. Look for files with the .ppk extension, as this is the standard extension for PuTTY private keys.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Using PuTTY Configuration: If you have a saved PuTTY session that uses the key, open the PuTTY configuration window.

  • Navigate to Connection > SSH > Auth.
  • Under "Private key file for authentication:", the file path to your private key should be visible (or selectable via the "Browse" button).

• Checking Default Locations (Less Likely): If you can't remember where you saved the key, it's possible, although unlikely, you saved it in one of the default locations for your operating system's user profile. On Windows, this might be in your Documents folder or directly in your user folder (C:\Users\YourUsername). However, you almost always need to manually specify the location when saving the key from PuTTYgen.

• Searching Your Computer: Use your operating system's file search functionality to search for files with the .ppk extension.

• PuTTYgen Reminder: Remember, the private key is generated using the PuTTYgen application. The location where you saved the private key file after generating it in PuTTYgen is where you will find it.