Verify PuTTY Downloads
Verify PuTTY Downloads: official sources only
Independent resource: Putty.info is not affiliated with, operated by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the official PuTTY project. We never host PuTTY binaries. Prefer the project's own download page and documentation.
Verification turns a download into a trustworthy binary: confirm HTTPS destination, authenticity signals, and checksums/signatures when your process requires them.
Putty.info publishes education and verified pointers only. Every genuine package must ultimately come from Simon Tatham’s project hosts—commonly linked from the official latest.html page or the the.earth.li mirror tree. If a button on this site cannot prove an allowlisted destination, treat that as a defect in our redirect layer, not a reason to trust a random search advertisement.
Choose the correct package
For “Verify PuTTY Downloads”, match CPU architecture, installer versus standalone workflow, and stable versus snapshot intent. When unsure, use the current stable 64-bit Windows installer from the official latest page and document the version string after install.
Architecture mistakes are common: installing a 32-bit build on a modern 64-bit workstation usually still runs, but mixing Arm64 and x64 packages on Windows on Arm can produce confusing “wrong binary” symptoms. Installer MSI packages register Start Menu shortcuts for PuTTY, PuTTYgen, Pageant, PSCP, and PSFTP together; standalone .exe files are useful on locked-down or portable media but require you to manage PATH and updates yourself.
Safe download steps
Follow a deliberate download ritual every time—even when you “already know” the site:
- Open https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html (or this site’s /go/official-download/ redirect after destination checks) and confirm TLS to an official host.
- Select the package that matches your architecture and installer preference—do not follow sidebar ads.
- Save the file to a known folder; note the filename and published version.
- Verify checksum/signature per your standard before elevating an installer.
- Install or place standalone binaries; confirm Help → About matches the expected version.
- Only then create saved sessions or import keys—never on a machine that just ran an unverified downloader.
Never download PuTTY from bundlers, “optimizer” sites, email attachments, or mirrors that ask you to run a separate download manager. Those paths are a frequent malware distribution channel that impersonates popular SSH clients.
Verify before you run anything
Compare published hashes using PowerShell Get-FileHash or your enterprise software vault tooling. If signatures are part of your control framework, follow the project’s documented verification materials rather than blog posts with copied hashes.
Checksums and signatures published by the project exist so you can detect tampering after a download completes. Prefer cryptographic signature verification when your process requires it; checksums alone detect accidental corruption but are weaker against an attacker who can replace both the file and a casually copied hash on an untrusted page. See checksums, signatures, and security signature guidance.
Fake downloads and other traps
Treat these situations as high risk:
- Lookalike domains offering “PuTTY with dark mode pack” bundled downloaders.
- SEO spam pages that auto-start unrelated EXE files.
- Email attachments claiming to be emergency PuTTY updates.
- Out-of-date mirrors hosting ancient builds with known issues.
- Instructions that tell you to disable antivirus to complete installation.
Putty.info will never email you an MSI/EXE, never ask you to disable antivirus to “make PuTTY install,” and never host binaries under putty.info. Report phishing that claims otherwise via the contact form.