# Creating SSH keys on Microsoft Windows
<a name="windows-ssh"></a>

Windows includes OpenSSH as a built-in feature, which you can use to generate SSH keys in the same format as on Linux or macOS. Alternatively, you can use third-party tools like PuTTY's key generator (PuTTYgen).

## Using Windows built-in OpenSSH
<a name="windows-openssh"></a>

Recent versions of Windows include OpenSSH by default. You can use the same `ssh-keygen` commands as described in the macOS/Linux section:

1. Open Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.

1. Run one of the following commands based on the type of key you want to generate:
   + To generate an RSA 4096-bit key pair:

     ```
     ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -f key_name
     ```
   + To generate an ECDSA 521-bit key-pair:

     ```
     ssh-keygen -t ecdsa -b 521 -f key_name
     ```
   + To generate an ED25519 key pair:

     ```
     ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f key_name
     ```

1. Follow the same steps as in the macOS/Linux section to upload your public key to AWS Transfer Family.

## Using PuTTYgen (third-party tool)
<a name="windows-puttygen"></a>

Some third-party SSH clients for Windows, such as PuTTY, use different key formats. PuTTY uses the `PPK` format for private keys. If you're using PuTTY or related tools like WinSCP, you can use PuTTYgen to create keys in this format.

**Note**  
If you present WinSCP with a private key file not in `.ppk` format, that client offers to convert the key into `.ppk` format for you.

For a tutorial about creating SSH keys by using PuTTYgen, see the [SSH.com website](https://www.ssh.com/ssh/putty/windows/puttygen).