Creating SSH keys on Microsoft Windows

Windows includes OpenSSH as a built-in feature, which you can use to generate SSH keys in the same format as on Linux or macOS. Alternatively, you can use third-party tools like PuTTY's key generator (PuTTYgen).

Using Windows built-in OpenSSH

Recent versions of Windows include OpenSSH by default. You can use the same ssh-keygen commands as described in the macOS/Linux section:

1. Open Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.

2. Run one of the following commands based on the type of key you want to generate:

   • To generate an RSA 4096-bit key pair:

     ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -f key_name

   • To generate an ECDSA 521-bit key-pair:

     ssh-keygen -t ecdsa -b 521 -f key_name

   • To generate an ED25519 key pair:

     ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f key_name

3. Follow the same steps as in the macOS/Linux section to upload your public key to AWS Transfer Family.

Using PuTTYgen (third-party tool)

Some third-party SSH clients for Windows, such as PuTTY, use different key formats. PuTTY uses the PPK format for private keys. If you're using PuTTY or related tools like WinSCP, you can use PuTTYgen to create keys in this format.

Note

If you present WinSCP with a private key file not in .ppk format, that client offers to convert the key into .ppk format for you.

For a tutorial about creating SSH keys by using PuTTYgen, see the SSH.com website.