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I'm using Pageant (on Windows 7) to login to SSH connections with private keys .ppk files. However each time I start the program I have to add all the keys I want again and enter their encryption keys. How can I get it to save this stuff?
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I'm using Pageant (on Windows 7) to login to SSH connections with private keys .ppk files. However each time I start the program I have to add all the keys I want again and enter their encryption keys. How can I get it to save this stuff?
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Pageant cannot save the encryption keys for the key files. That would defeat the entire purpose of encrypting the keys in the first place...
However, if you edit the keys with PuTTYgen, you can store the keys unecrypted. Just leave the password field blank.
5I don't think he's talking about saving the passwords for the keys. Pageant totally forgets about the entire existence of .ppk
files it has loaded. Even ones without password protection. That's clearly stupid. – Timmmm – 2017-07-19T08:46:56.517
1Note that unencrypted keys are quite insecure and anyone obtaining the key files has access to the servers for that key. – Ikke – 2014-01-23T08:25:41.853
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As mentioned already, you can add the key locations as command-line arguments to pageant. If you are running pageant from the Windows Start-Up folder, simply pass the key locations in as command-line arguments in the shortcut. For example:
"c:\program files\putty\pageant.exe" "c:\mykey.ppk"
For a comprehensive guide to setting this up, see the this page.
@Achshar the solution described above doesn't need a batch file; you can simply create a Windows shortcut that points to pageant.exe, then add the .ppk's path to the end of the Target field in the shortcut's Properties. If you do want to run this in a .bat, you'd need to use START C:\path\to\pageant.exe ...
to kick off pageant in a separate process. – Ken Bellows – 2016-09-29T14:08:05.890
Will pageant ask a password and when? – CoolMind – 2019-03-12T08:28:19.783
1Running that command in a batch file seems to freeze the command line. It never return from the execution. It does however starts it fine, but control never comes back to the batch file. – Achshar – 2013-06-24T01:53:37.130
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The simplest way to do this in Windows is to create a specially crafted shortcut inside the Startup folder (Start -> Programs -> Startup):
Note: This only works if you did not set a password on your key
Append its full path to your "Target" field like so: Target: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Atlassian\SourceTree\tools\putty\pageant.exe" C:\Git\Key.ppk
You should now see:
This particular set up is for GitFlow and Jira.
Apparently copied (in part) from http://blog.shvetsov.com/2010/03/making-pageant-automatically-load-keys.html
– isherwood – 2016-02-12T15:14:16.710@isherwood, My work blocks that link because it categorizes the blog as games. – crh225 – 2016-12-12T19:33:45.963
1step 1 can be simplified by: winkey + r, 'shell:startup'
– Aequitas – 2018-10-26T00:16:09.377
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You can add all keys in command-line, but passwords must be entered by hand
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If you use SourceTree, make sure you fill in the 'SSH Key' option in the settings. It will automatically pass it to Pageant when it runs it.
Also see https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Sourcetree-questions/Pageant-doesn-t-save-keys/qaq-p/142855.
– CoolMind – 2019-03-12T08:26:43.0101
You can also simply not close pagent If that fits with your security model. I have mine configured to auto-start with my private key when my system boots up, so that when I load my desktop I just type in my password, and I'm good to go until I shut my system down. You'd want to set a screensaver password and an aggressive screensaver activation to make sure your system is quickly protected in the event you leave it, though.
May be this would be useful: https://winscp.net/eng/docs/ui_pageant#getting_started_with_pageant
– shasi kanth – 2016-05-23T13:13:04.0736I have the same problem (which I don't feel is addressed in the answers). Pageant no longer saves the keys for me. Of course the passphrase isn't saved, that would be idiotic, but I see no reason to drop the keys. Tried to run as Administrator, didn't help. – Zano – 2012-09-17T11:04:36.403