PuTTY Download for Windows

The official PuTTY download for Windows is published by the development team at two locations. Whether you need the standalone EXE, the MSI putty installer for enterprise deployment, or an ARM64 build, all authentic packages are distributed from chiark.greenend.org.uk and putty.software — the only legitimate putty.exe download sources.

Official Download Sources

Distribution Point	URL	Maintained By
Primary Project Site	chiark.greenend.org.uk – Latest Release	Simon Tatham (project author)
Official Landing Mirror	putty.software	PuTTY Development Team
Windows Store (MSI)	MSI installer on chiark.greenend.org.uk	Simon Tatham

Available Download Formats

File	Architecture	Use Case
`putty.exe`	x86-64 (64-bit)	Standalone executable — no installation required
`putty-64bit-installer.msi`	x86-64 (64-bit)	Windows Installer package for system-wide deployment
`putty-arm64.exe`	ARM64	Windows on ARM devices
`putty-installer.msi`	x86 (32-bit)	Legacy 32-bit systems

How to Verify SHA-256 Hash on Windows

After downloading, verify the file's integrity before running it. Windows includes a built-in tool via PowerShell:

Open PowerShell (press Win + R, type powershell, press Enter).
Navigate to your downloads folder: cd $env:USERPROFILE\Downloads
Run the hash command on the downloaded file.
Compare the output against the official checksums on the Chiark website.

# Replace filename with the actual file you downloaded
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 putty.exe

# Expected output format:
# Algorithm  Hash                                                              Path
# SHA256     1A2B3C4D...  (must match chiark.greenend.org.uk checksums page)

Important: If the computed hash does not exactly match the value on the official checksums page, delete the file immediately and re-download from a verified official source.

Verifying GPG Signatures

For the highest level of assurance, verify the GPG digital signature on the download. This confirms the file was signed by Simon Tatham's private master key rather than just matching a checksum that could also be forged on a malicious site.

Install Gpg4win or its Kleopatra front-end for Windows.
Import the official PuTTY release key from the master keys page.
Download the .gpg signature file alongside the installer.
Run: gpg --verify putty.exe.gpg putty.exe
Confirm the message shows Good signature from Simon Tatham.

Silent MSI Deployment for Enterprise

In enterprise environments, the .msi installer supports silent deployment via Group Policy or SCCM:

# Silent install (no user prompts)
msiexec /i putty-64bit-installer.msi /quiet /norestart

# Silent install with logging
msiexec /i putty-64bit-installer.msi /quiet /norestart /log install.log

Best Practice: Use the .msi package for managed deployments. It registers properly with Windows Installer, supports clean uninstallation via Group Policy, and removes the need for end-users to download anything themselves.