\H{errors-hostkey-absent} \q{The server's host key is not cached in
the registry}
+\cfg{winhelp-topic}{errors.hostkey.absent}
+
This error message occurs when PuTTY connects to a new SSH server.
Every server identifies itself by means of a host key; once PuTTY
knows the host key for a server, it will be able to detect if a
\H{errors-hostkey-wrong} \q{WARNING - POTENTIAL SECURITY BREACH!}
+\cfg{winhelp-topic}{errors.hostkey.changed}
+
This message, followed by \q{The server's host key does not match
the one PuTTY has cached in the registry}, means that PuTTY has
connected to the SSH server before, knows what its host key
... below the configured warning threshold}
This occurs when the SSH server does not offer any ciphers which you
-have configured PuTTY to consider strong enough.
+have configured PuTTY to consider strong enough. By default, PuTTY
+puts up this warning only for single-DES encryption.
See \k{config-ssh-encryption} for more information on this message.
bug in PuTTY. Please report it to us, and include the exact text
from the error message box.
-\H{errors-key-wrong-format} \q{Unable to use this private key file},
+\H{errors-cant-load-key} \q{Unable to use this private key file},
\q{Couldn't load private key}, \q{Key is of wrong type}
+\cfg{winhelp-topic}{errors.cantloadkey}
+
Various forms of this error are printed in the PuTTY window, or
written to the PuTTY Event Log (see \k{using-eventlog}) when trying
public-key authentication, or given by Pageant when trying to load a
This is almost certainly not a problem with PuTTY. If you see this
type of message, the first thing you should do is check your
-\e{server} configuration carefully. Also, read the PuTTY Event Log;
+\e{server} configuration carefully. Common errors include having
+the wrong permissions or ownership set on the public key or the
+user's home directory on the server. Also, read the PuTTY Event Log;
the server may have sent diagnostic messages explaining exactly what
problem it had with your setup.
\H{errors-connaborted} \q{Network error: Software caused connection
abort}
-This error occurs when the Windows network code decides that your
-network connection is dead. For example, it will happen if you pull
-the network cable out of the back of an Ethernet-connected computer,
-or if Windows has any other similar reason to believe the entire
-network has become unreachable.
+This is a generic error produced by the Windows network code when it
+kills an established connection for some reason. For example, it might
+happen if you pull the network cable out of the back of an
+Ethernet-connected computer, or if Windows has any other similar
+reason to believe the entire network has become unreachable.
We are not aware of any reason why this error might occur that would
represent a bug in PuTTY. The problem is between you, your Windows
system, your network and the remote system.
+Some people have reported that enabling keepalives (see
+\k{config-keepalive}) fixes this error for them.
+
\H{errors-connreset} \q{Network error: Connection reset by peer}
This error occurs when the machines at each end of a network
may be able to improve the situation by using keepalives; see
\k{config-keepalive} for details on this.
+Note that Windows can produce this error in some circumstances without
+seeing a connection reset from the server, for instance if the
+connection to the network is lost.
+
\H{errors-connrefused} \q{Network error: Connection refused}
This error means that the network connection PuTTY tried to make to
~mdw / sgt / putty / blobdiff