WinSCP

WinSCP

WinSCP (Windows Secure Copy) is a free and open-source SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol), FTP, SCP, and WebDAV client for Microsoft Windows. It allows users to securely transfer files between a local Windows computer and a remote server using encrypted connections over SSH.

WinSCP is widely used for managing files on web servers, seedboxes, VPS servers, and other remote Linux-based systems.

Key Features

• **Graphical user interface (GUI)** – Easy-to-use file explorer interface for browsing remote and local files
• **Secure file transfer** – Supports SFTP and SCP protocols over SSH
• **FTP and FTPS support** – Supports plain and encrypted FTP connections
• **Integrated text editor** – Edit remote files directly within the program
• **Session manager** – Save login profiles for frequent connections
• **Drag-and-drop support** – Easy file uploads and downloads via mouse
• **Command-line interface** – Automate file transfers with scripts or batch files
• **Directory synchronization** – Keep folders in sync between local and remote systems
• **PuTTY integration** – Launch PuTTY from within WinSCP for SSH terminal access

Supported Protocols

• **SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol)**
• **SCP (Secure Copy Protocol)**
• **FTP (File Transfer Protocol)**
• **FTPS (FTP over TLS/SSL)**
• **WebDAV**

Typical Use Cases

• Uploading website files to a remote web server
• Managing seedbox files securely via SFTP
• Transferring logs, media, or backups from a remote Linux system
• Editing configuration files on a server via SSH
• Automating backups or file deployment via WinSCP scripting

Installation

WinSCP can be downloaded from the official website:

https://winscp.net/

Available as a setup installer or a portable executable.

Connecting to a Server

1. Launch WinSCP 2. Select your protocol (e.g., SFTP) 3. Enter the **hostname**, **port** (default for SFTP: 22), **username**, and **password** 4. Click **Login** to connect 5. Once connected, the interface displays a two-pane file browser (local on the left, remote on the right)

Integration with PuTTY

WinSCP can launch PuTTY directly from a session, allowing for easy transition between file management and terminal control.

To enable this:

• Install PuTTY on your system
• Configure the path in **Preferences → Integration → Applications**

Then, click the **terminal icon** in the WinSCP toolbar to open a session in PuTTY using the same credentials.

Scripting and Automation

WinSCP includes a powerful command-line and scripting interface. Example batch file:

 winscp.com /script=upload.txt

Example script file (`upload.txt`):

 open sftp://user:password@host
 put myfile.txt /remote/path/
 exit

Useful for cron jobs, scheduled backups, or automatic deployments.

Alternatives

• FileZilla – Popular FTP/SFTP client

See Also

• SFTP
• SCP
• SSH
• PuTTY
• Seedbox
• FTP